Saturday, January 24, 2009 - C00LHandNuke
Hmmm. What do you say in your first blog ever? I guess you start with an introduction. My name is Shawn, but I play under the handle C00LHandNuke on Ultimate Bet. I use the same/similar name on some of the other sites. I’ve been playing “professionally” now for about five years, but am relatively new to the UB scene. I started playing on UB this summer after trying out for the Best Damn Poker Show 2. I gave Gary Debonardi (Debo34) some cash at this year’s WSOP and he transferred $300 to my account. Why didn’t I just use a credit card? Well it has to do with over $40k getting stuck on NetTeller for about a year and a growing distrust of the whack-a-dos in Washington – but I’ll save that for a later blog.
I gotta give some props to Debo, P0ker H0, Shawn Rice and all the other UB Pros. They are great ambassadors, always willing to talk and (as in my case) go out of their way to add players to the site. I had sat at live tables with Shawn and H0 before. And through a mutual acquaintance, Debo ended up sweating me about a year ago when I won the Sunday Million on PokerStars. So I had a little history with these guys, but I know for a fact that they’ve each done similar things for complete strangers. Thanks again Debo!
Anyhow, on with the blog. I made it onto the Best Damn Poker Show 2. It was a great experience. The first episode aired last Monday on FoxSports and was pretty entertaining. My first table plays this week, so I wasn’t in the first episode for more than a few seconds. A lot of the first episode was set up for what is to come, but I’m hoping that as the show progresses the poker will take more of the center stage. Hopefully it won’t get lost in the editing. I hope you watch and if you can’t get enough from the TV, check back here after each episode. I’ll be posting a blog for each episode with my own personal behind the scenes extras. If you haven’t read some of the posts on Pocket 5’s already, there was definitely some drama on this year’s show. And as usual, I was right in the middle of it.
The UBOC has started and Debo and I are a team in the UBOC Poker League. You can check out the standings at http://ubpokerleagues.com. So far we’ve had some minor success and are sitting in fourth place. I busted out of UBOC event #2 in eleventh place. The finish was okay, but I feel like a really could have done better. I had a very playable stack and the first big bluff I tried in the tourney crippled me when we were down to twelve players. Basically my opponent called off 30% of his stack on the turn and another 60% on the river with fourth pair (sixes) when the board was four-straighted to two gutshots and the river also made a three-flush – the villain had no draws. Ugh! A few days later, I took eleventh again in the PLO/8 UBOC event. This time I just went card dead at the wrong time and, in retrospect, probably passed up an opportunity to gamble once too often.
The idea for a poker league is awesome. The extra money involved is a nice incentive, but really it is about more than that. It’s about bragging rights and pride, even more so than just the typical leader boards that every site has. The leagues allow groups of people to opt into a certain schedule and put up some extra money behind the boast of “Hey, I think me and my partner are better than any two players out there.” My prediction for 2009 is that soon other sites will begin to emulate this. But I’m not sure how well it will work for them. What I’ve come to realize in the short time that I’ve been playing on UB is that there really is a sense of community and greater opportunity to meet other people who love poker. I guess that, more than anything else, is why I’m writing this blog and why you’ll see more of my online daily bankroll dedicated to buying into tournaments at UB. So I hope to see you at the tables, and maybe I can get over my 11-and-out syndrome and it will be a final table where we meet. If you see me, please say hello.
Cheers,
Shawn
Tags: Best Damn Poker Show, Debo34, fox sports, P0ker H0, players blog, plo8, poker tournaments, ShawnRice, sunday millions, ub pros, UBOC, uboc poker leagues
Comments (1)
Friday, January 23, 2009 - P0ker J0
Well hello from the Pro Corner.
Well what a week it has been. I think I have a few new grey hairs but all in all a good week!
Well UBOC ended and what a great turnout we had. The pros all had a blast playing in the tournaments – and probably enjoyed it so much more not having a bounty on their heads! I think the UBOC poker leagues really created some friendly competition between the pros and all were gunning for the win! Great job all around. When will the next UBOC get here?
Well it’s official – NBC announced Annie Duke as a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice 2 airing on March 1st. I wonder how the Donald will fair against the feisty and brilliant Annie Duke. Will Annie hear the words “you’re fired” for the first time in her life? Check out NBC on March 1st and follow the excitement. I’m pretty certain there will be fireworks!
Well how about UB’s own Michael Binger. In the land down under winning a final table! He went deep into the main event at the Aussie Millions and then went on to capture the title in event 12. In a marathon final table he came back from being the short stack to take it down. He takes home AU$123,840 and the coveted Aussie Millions Gold Ring. Congrats Michael!!
So last week I told you about The Ultimate Poker radio show on Rounders Radio with the great P0ker H0 and Annie Duke. Well this week I have even better news! How would you like to find yourself seated at a table in Vegas with Annie and P0ker H0 learning poker strategy from the best of the best? You guessed it – a seat to the WSOP Academy in Vegas on March 14th and 15th is up for grabs! All you have to do is listen to The Ultimate Poker Show on Rounders Radio every Sunday and find out what the secret password is in order to get you access to our Rounders Radio $5 tournament on Sunday nights at 10:00 PM EST – and bang – you are half way there! (did that sound like a Bon Jovi song to you??) Final table any of the $5 Rounders Radio tournaments on Sundays between now and March 8th and you’ll be entered into a freeroll on March 9th where the winner will walk away with a seat to the WSOP Academy AND 1K in cash for travel/accomodation. Don’t be sad if you don’t win this one – the 2nd through 9th place winners will walk away with a free one month membership to Pro Play Live where you will still get some great hands on training from Annie and P0ker H0!
So speaking of poker strategy – you don’t have to head all the way to Vegas to get it! Don’t forget about the Ultimate Auctions where you can bid on phone lessons with all of our pros. Check here for example where you can bid on lessons with any member of our online Team UB – Shawn Rice, Deb34 and P0ker H0. They have great tips and tricks to share with you so give them a try. If they try to tell you they are a big deal – just let me know and I’ll knock down their egos a bit!
Here is a testimonial from one of our previous bidders:
“I just wanted to tell you a little about my lesson that I won with Shawn Rice at ultimate auctions. It was great…My lesson with Mr. Rice brought my poker playing to a new level. Mr. Rice taught me things I would never have read in a poker book. The lesson finished with Mr. Rice giving me his personal email for when I have more questions. How cool is that!!! _Maui_
Have a great week folks!
P0ker J0
Tags: Annie Duke, Aussie Millions, Celebrity Apprentice, Debo34, Michael Binger, P0ker H0, P0ker J0 - The Pro Corner, Poker Strategy, poker tournaments, rounders radio, ShawnRice, UBOC, uboc poker leagues, ultimate auctions, ultimate poker show, WSOP Academy
Comments (3)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - Annie Duke
And here I am teamed up with Phil Hellmuth for the ub poker leagues (www.ubpokerleagues.com) and he has played like one event so far and I have played every one and, you guessed it, he has outscored me! Seriously. He played the heads up tournament. Got to the third round. And that was enough. Because I haven’t even come within seven miles of cashing. HA! I mean I would love to have a partner who played more events but that is neither here nor there since anyone playing with me right now would be carrying my sorry ass! Seriously. I am making a public apology to Phil for having the misfortune to be paired up with me. Sorry dude. I apologize from the bottom of my heart that you are stuck with the dead weight that is Annie Duke…
On a happier note (I mean happy if you are not sulking in a corner), some of the other UB pros are kicking some serious ass. DeBo has gotten deep in a bunch of stuff, Hollywood Dave has cashed in every one he has played so far (the first three) WiscoMurray chopped the $500+30 deepstack on Sunday. And the superstar P0kerH0 came in 10th in the PLO and won the mini UBOC event on Saturday. Pretty sweet! I am deeply jealous…like in a jealous rage. So all you ^%%$*&( pros better stay out of my way!
I clearly need to calm down.
Okay. I am calm now.
I am just going to have to kick some ass in the events coming up. Tonight is the PLO 8 or better. That is a good game for me. There is some HORSE coming up, some limit hold’em…all good. Better games for me. I have high hopes. Really. I do. I swear. Sort of.
Tags: Annie Duke, Debo34, h.o.r.s.e., Hollywood Dave, P0ker H0, Phil Hellmuth, PLO 8, poker tournament, UBOC, uboc poker leagues
Comments (1)
Friday, January 9, 2009 - P0ker J0
Hello from the Pro Corner where things are never boring and always changing!
Well I’m excited to be a new part of this BLOG community. Check back here every Friday for updates on Team UB – you could learn all kinds of cool stuff. What is Phil Hellmuth’s favorite breakfast food? How many times a week does Annie Duke do yoga? Where is Michael Binger playing this week? When does Scott Ian start recording his new album? Come back often – P0ker J0 has the scoop for you!
So this is a big week on UB. UBOC is about to kick off tonight and Team UB is in a frenzy. Watching these guys get ready for action is like watching a school of piranha ready to feast. There is a pro hosting each one of the UBOC tournaments and since they won’t be playing with a bounty on their head for once it will be interesting to see how aggressive or tight these guys will play. You will see most of them at most of the tables regardless – I guess it’s easier to play when you don’t have everyone gunning for you! Come check out the UBOC and see the pro’s make waves!
In addition to the UBOC event itself, Annie and Phil have actually agreed on something. (which rarely happens!). They have now joined forces on the UBOC poker leagues (http://www.ubpokerleagues.com/UBOCLeagues.html) and have made it known that they want to show the world that they are the real poker players! Come on guys – show them you can outplay them and join the league today!
Speaking of Annie and Phil – the second season of Best Damn Poker Show airs on Monday January 12th on Fox Sports Net. Check it out to see who really is the better poker teacher. Our very own Hollywood Dave will be the show’s host and will inevitably provide us with some witty and even possibly sarcastic banter! With better than ever hand analysis and of course inevitable bickering between Hellmuth and Duke – it is sure to be a great watch! Who do you want to win? Team Hellmuth or Team Duke?
And as I close this first BLOG – please don’t forget to check in on Rounders Radio every Sunday night (www.roundersradio.com) at 8:00 PM EST for The Ultimate Poker Show hosted by the infamous (or should we say famous?) P0ker H0. He is very often joined by Annie Duke as his sidekick; and when she is not around there is always someone around to fill her big shoes! (For the record – I’m not saying she has big feet!)
That’s all for now! Have a super week!
P0ker J0
Tags: Annie Duke, Best Damn Poker Show, Hollywood Dave, P0ker H0, p0ker j0, Phil Hellmuth, Poker Pros, pro corner, rounders radio, Team UB, ub pros, UBOC, uboc poker leagues, uboc tournaments
Comments (2)
