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
Comments (1)
Friday, October 23, 2009 - Shawn Rice
This past Trip to Aruba was my 7th straight year, For those of you that have not been and enjoy playing poker this is true paradise. I always look forward to seeing all the many friends, and people I work with and many of the people that I play online with. I decided that this year I really want to play more of the preliminary events this year as I rarely ever play those because I am in paradise and would rather do other non poker related stuff. I know my girlfriend was flying out later in the week for the final few days and the closing partys, So I wanted to play a little more live this year than previous years. I flew in about 10pm met up with a few friends and really wanted to take it easy that night, went and paid my way into the $540 for the following day so I knew I could not get wasted that night. I did play a little sit & go with Ho, Debo, Debo’s wife Erin, Mamma Ho and Susie Q, I think I chopped 2 of them and lost the last one and ended up in a cash game. Ho was ordering drinks and before I knew it I was double fisted drinking double crown and cokes and then Debo is ordering shots, so much for taking it easy in Aruba.
After the sit & go’s Ho jumped into a cash game and let me tell you he can liven up a cash game, ever pot was raised and reraised before the flop, I think I got lucky with AJ and beat AK for about a $900 pot, I was no way folding top pair in that game and I got lucky and hit. I won a little playing the cash game, I think Ho started out losing a few thousand and ended up killing them. He played his image so well and is a master in talking other players into do what he wants them to do.
I get to bed around 6am which is ok because my tourney does not start until 2pm. When I got to my table I could not have asked for a better table, everyone was limping and at early levels I don’t like to punish the limpers til the blinds get higher or the antes kick in, I like to let them know I am totally ok with them limping. within the first 2 rounds I had already doubled my 3k starting stack with no real risk. The players at my table were calling my raises with really wide ranges. I then look up and find that Ho, Jon Green , Debo and Mike “WiscoMurray” are all out in the 1st level. I must say I was really shocked to see that. I was a little pissed at myself because I forgot to ask Ho for the usual $500 last longer bet. I am about a 20 to one favorite when I make this bet, I think I have lost it once or twice in the many years we have made this bet, I always remind him of that time he beat me and he is always ready to try his luck again. I got out of the gate pretty quick and had some chips early but as it got down to the final table I was near last in chips, Only the final table got paid there was 95 players who started, I did make one move with 7s8s when I reraised the botton when I had about 14 times the big blind and he called my reraise all in with A 10 I out flopped him and doubled up to over 30x with a shot to win this thing.
It got down to 3 players, the final 3 deserved to be the final 3 in my opinion as my other two opponents were very skilled players, One of which being Frank “gator93″. Gator has won like well over 400k online in recent months and I know he wanted the win more than the 15k first prize, Frank raised 5x on the button 3 handed, small blind folded and I look down at my all time favorite hand, 2 black aces, I know if I reraise him here I will most likely get a fold on many hands in his range, so I decided like I had a little bit of a tough decision and just called, knowing he was going to continuation bet the flop, the flop come King high and 2 rags and to my shock he check it, the turn was another club making a possible flush draw, I bet into the flop and as I was putting chips in Frank yelled he was all In, I called he had raised with KcQc and had top pair and a flush draw to my to black aces, He bricked the river and I had a monster chip lead heads up, I had close to 200k in chips and my opponent had a little over 100K and we agreed to a chip chop and ended the night. The 13k was a great start for my drinking tab in Aruba. I took the next day off as I know I would play day 1b the following day. I spent lots of the next morning doing photo shoots and video interviews for UB and would be in the UB Icon suite checking up on my friends whom played day 1a, Later that night I went out to eat at a wonderful steak house in Aruba called El Gauchos with Frank. I took it very easy that night as I take a day before a major tourney very serious.
Day 1b seemed to be very stacked with lots of pros. I hated my table I had 2 world class players at my table , Gavin Smith along with Robert Mizrachi (”The Grinders” brother) and I knew if I made any mistake I would be punished. I didn’t forget to make my $500 last longer with Ho this time and that’s always sweet. He lasted til the beginning of the 2nd level. Ho did very well in Aruba last year making the final few tables before he blew up and gave Matt Brady a monster stack which Matt used to win the million dollar first prize.
I have played alot with Gavin over the last 5 or 6 years and not much with Robert, But I can tell you this , he is no prize to have at your table, He plays super and I totally respect his game. I got lucky in the 2nd level beating Tony from The Best Damn Poker Show season 2 with my AA on and A63 board and Tony holding 66, Those are just sick and Tong is a world class guy and hating to see him have to go out that way. Level 2 I was catching lots of cards and chipping up really well and had about 35k at one point from my 15k starting stack, I did get down below 8k at one point and finished the day around 13k. Day 2 was a bit of a grind as well and I had Eric Baldwin whom is from Madison WI, Who now lives in Las Vegas on my table, but luckily he was 2 seats to my right and he was sure torcher to may of the players he got involved with. I also got the chance to play with Tiffany Michelle who is now starting in this seasons Amazing Race on CBS, I used to work with Tiffany when I did lots of Radio for Bluff radio during the WSOP a couple of years back, It’s so good to see she is doing well in the poker and entertainment world, She is really a sweet lady. I ended day 3 with about 24k in chips and knew I would need to get a good start on day 3 to have a shot at this tourney that had 475 entrys.
On Day 3 I could not of got a worse table draw or seat position, two seats to my left of Robert Mizrachi and two seats to his left was Eric Baldwin, I did chip up to over 60k at one point for every bit of about 2 hands then I was on the button with 88 and Robert ended up with 99 and I was back down to around 30k, I was later in the big blind with about 13 or 14 times the big blind and it was raised from mid position from a guy who the day before called my UTG raise with Qh8h from the big blind when I flopped top set and he flopped a gutter and a flush draw we played a big pot and I doubled when he bricked out. So I am thinking he could have a big range but I know if I push and play for a 60k pot I am at best 50%, So I took in the value of just calling and seeing if I hit the flop and if I do I will give him some rope but checking and let him try and hang himslef. The flop come ace high , I checked it, he bet, I reraised him he called with AQ and GG me.
The following day I played a 1k buyin tourney and never really got ahould of any chips, I lasted til about 8 pm then when I busted I went and played the charity event UB put on for a local business that helps kids and familys in need. While playing the 1k tourney this lady on my left raised UTG with TT and gets called by 99 in late position and the button reraised with JT she and the other guy both call, the flop comes T high, she the the guy with JT get it all in and the board comes running JJ for her to lose her chips and double him up. Now a few minutes go by and she is still steaming and she reraised the guy whom had JT earlier and he calls half off his stack the flop comes JJ9 and she bets the flop and he calls making him all in and she flips over AA and he flips over Jc9c she screams out “God, I wanna kill a baby” I was in total shock hear a lady say this , right then and there I knew I wanted to bet she has never had a child, don’t worry river comes an ace and she busted him. I have heard many times over the years when you need to get lucky players will hollar “Just one time” but never had I heard that, But if it does work, I think poker players will say anything to make themselfs a little luckier.
The following day 10 of us had a shot at a $62,000 Mercedes, I was the second player knocked out when my TT ran into Ryan “papaGEORGIO’s JJ, Poker Ho was still playing and got heads up and ending up doing really well because they agreed to a chop and I had a small % of Ho which added to my drinking fund.
My girlfriend Amy fly in around 10pm that night, I went with my driver for the past 7 years named Henry and we picked her up and headed off to Phil Hellmuths private party ontop of the raddison in his suite. We just missed the Dan Band play, but the party was killer, check out many of the videos on youtube.com
The next night was the closing party and both Eric and Robert make the final table , Eric finishing 4th and ended up leading the Card Player of the Year points leader and Robert ended up in 2nd place , winning this year was Brandon Hall from Pa winning a little over three quarters of a million for his efferts., Thats a nice way to enjoy a trip in paradise.
The Dan Band was awesome as there were in Vegas when they played for our WSOP party a couple of years back, Many people got into the pool and it was really a ton of fun. The opening part rocked as well with tons of people in the pool and lets just say some where wearing less than others thanks to Phil’s bribes. and NO I was not offended in any way.
I hope you are all planning on next years Aruba trip, they just seem to get better and better, I missed seeing a few of you and hope this next year can be the best ever!
I am off to go help teach the November Nine Final Table Academy in Las vegas on Nov 6th, 7th and 8th Featuring poker instructors Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, Bernard Lee, Mark Seif, Mark Kroon, Erica Schoenberg. Special Presentation by WSOP Commissioner, Jeffrey Pollack. Hope to see you there as well.
Proud UB Team Member
Shawn Rice
Tags: Aruba, Bernard Lee, best damn poker show 2, Bluff Radio, Debo, Eric Baldwin, Erica Schoenberg, Gavin Smith, greg raymer, jeffrey pollack, Jon Green, mark kroon, Mark Seif, matt brady, Mercedes, P0ker H0, Phil Hellmuth, Poker Poker Poker, Robert Mizrachi, ShawnRice, The Amazing Race, The Dan Band, Tiffany "Tiffany M" Michelle, ub, UB Team, Vegas, wiscomurray, WSOP
Comments (0)
Thursday, September 17, 2009 - Bryan Devonshire
I cannot believe how much it has rained in the south. They tell me that it’s not normal, but ever since I arrived in Charlotte back on day 25 it’s rained waaaaaay more than it hasn’t.
Florida was one big long series of thundershowers, which I can understand: tropical climate, this time of year, etc. But damnit, Saturday morning at 2am I was passed out in my tent, comfortably naked in my sleeping bag, and it started raining. I was prepared enough to have the fly ready to go since it was still Florida and likely to rain at any time, but I still had to run around naked waterproofing my stuff. I really hope somebody was watching because it had to be hilarious. Semi-out of shape white dude with really tan arms, legs, and face scrambling around a tent naked in the rain trying to set up a fly and stash gear underneath it in record time. I did pretty well though, and actually enjoyed camping in the rain, until the next morning when it was time to wake up (because I couldn’t sleep anymore) and my boots got left out. I packed in the rain, a party came in as I was leaving at 9am, and they said there was no rain the whole way down (from Georgia) until they hit Panama City.
Fine, I’m about 4 hours from New Orleans, hopefully as I head that way the rain will lapse. It didn’t. In fact, after Pensacola, it just got worse. So bad that by the time I was on the east side of Mobile Bay I couldn’t take it anymore and had to quit. I parked in downtown Mobile, found me a Holiday Inn, checked in, and took apart everything I had because it was soaked. The poor maid must have been like, wtf, how is there sand and pine needles in the bathroom?
I played the HORSEament online, took 50th/1000 or so, annoying after a 48th in the 8-game, same field earlier in the week, both in which I had huge stacks and ran terribad at the end. I went out in downtown Mobile, had a great time, and experienced my second encounter with “membership” bars in my life. The first came in Utah one summer when I broke down on my way to guide a river trip in Cali; apparently to drink at a bar you have to be a member. Odd. In Mobile it’s that way for many of them after 2am, all I had to do was fill out some card and I was in the club. Dumb legislation.
Was gonna leave Sunday morning, get to New Orleans, then play online. Nope. Up too late the night before. The group of peeps that I met the night before invited me to go sailing, I’m like it’s supposed to rain, they didn’t care, I was insanely tempted to go since I miss sailing a ton (I dabbled with the USC sailing team in college, declining a spot on the roster to work with Jr. High kids at a church instead). But since it’s the middle of the WCOOPs I decided I needed to work, and it looked like a good decision when I ran the entire day with a top 100 stack in the WCOOP $1k. I made it to day 2 slightly below average after losing QQ to 99 on a Q9x flop for a huge stack. I swear I’m cursed at poker; I’ve run significantly below expectation in key deep spots lifetime, and I believe that our lives are too short to truly ever reach the long term. I mean, how often will I get it in set over set deep in the money in a $3m guarantee tourney? I can think of one time this year. I lost.
Whatever, I can’t complain, I did finish 2nd in my first ever WSOP event, this game is just brutal sometimes. However I may be cursed at poker I more than make up for in life. So Monday morning I had the same plan, get to New Orleans, and I woke up to sideways rain on the window. Nope, staying in Mobile another night. I ran errands after the rain broke, got all fired up to play online, and lasted 4 hands. Four. I open AQ, an 18 bb stack shoves, I call, lose to 99. 3 hands later in my SB it folds to me, I have 15bb’s, jam 44, lose to QQ in the big. So frustrating.
I chilled out that night, hanging at the local pizza and beer place I found Saturday night, talking with a gay dude named Dick about fly fishing in the Gulf. There’s a neat vibe in Mobile that I thoroughly enjoyed, and it marked the third city that I spent more than 2 nights in.
Tuesday I woke up eager to get going, and it was still pouring rain. My gear had dried out enough that I said, eff it, I’m going, wrapped trash bags around everything, and after about an hour of packing and prep, literally 3 minutes before I left as I was bungee cording my bags to the bike, the clouds broke and it was clear skies all the way to New Orleans. I still wore my rain pants cause there was enough water on the ground, and did drive through one thunderstorm but it was short enough that I didn’t even bother stopping to put on my jacket. Sigh.
Got to New Orleans, checked in at the Frenchman Hotel, waked down Bourbon street, wasn’t really impressed, actually walked back to play the $1k online, busted and lost playing cash games, walked back to Bourbon street, started drinking, still wasn’t impressed, walked back to the locals neighborhood where I was at, enjoyed this bar called Molly’s cause there were people there that I could talk to, and then went to sleep.
The most consistently enjoyable part of this trip for me has been meeting people along the way. I’ve encountered so many interesting people and enjoyed so many awesome person’s company that I’ve had a wonderful time traveling over 8500 miles of this continent in the past 56 days. Thank you everybody for being good people.
Woke up to blue skies with one thunderhead to the east, no prob, packed up, left, and began hauling ass. I wanted to get as close to Dallas as possible and knew that I had a legit shot at getting all the way there. I hit rain south of Shreveport, stopped to put on the rain gear, and after the thunderstorm when I stopped for gas I was expecting to take it off. It looked like there may be another cell ahead, so I kept the gear on. Sadly I wouldn’t take the gear off for the rest of the way, over 250 miles of constant rain, and once again all of my gear is soaked. I kept thinking that the rain would break and I could de-gear, I never needed to stop to put trash bags over my luggage… and I was wrong. Damn you one thousand miles of gulf coast and your lack of hurricane raininess. Y’all say this is abnormal, I want to know where the hurricane is so at least I could say I rode through that. Nope. I just rode through the rainy south.
Peace and good luck,
Devo
Tags: Poker Poker Poker, USC, WCOOP, WSOP
Comments (0)
Saturday, September 12, 2009 - Tiffany M
The last you heard from me it was to announce that I’d be missing the WSOP Main Event… which was almost three months ago. Most of you have heard buzz through internet chatter but CBS just officially announced that Maria Ho and I will be on the next season of The Amazing Race. The cat is out of the bag! When asked to be on the six-time Emmy Award winning show, it wasn’t too hard of a decision to skip the WSOP Main Event, contrary to other ridiculous rumors explaining my mysterious absence. Be sure to check out The Amazing Race at www.cbs.com for more info, photos, bios and videos galore!
As you can imagine, it’s been an insane few months but I am back, in more ways then one. After an amazing and life changing experience, I’m slowly getting back into the groove of things and the rhythm of American life as well as getting back into the poker swing. I’ve re-signed on to stay with UltimateBet as one of their Star Players so you’ll be seeing me back at the online tables and in ARUBA!
Speaking of Aruba, for any of you who enjoy poker AND paradise, I highly recommend coming to Aruba. I’ve traveled all over the world playing poker and it’s been my favorite destination. They have the whitest beaches that I’ve ever seen, the bluest water, tons of ocean activities and 24/7 Pina Coladas and pool time… or you’ll have to try out the CHERRY Colada which Layne Flack introduced me to last year. The vibe there is so chill and will put you in the best mood… even if you donk out of a poker tournament!
Well I have a busy few months coming up and I’ll keep you posted on all of it. Be sure to set your Tivos to CBS this fall, The Amazing Race airs on Sunday nights at 8pm ET and PT, with the two hour premiere on Sunday, September 27th. I can promise that the action Maria and I provide will be MUCH more exciting than anything you’ll see at the poker tables.
Much Love!
Tags: Aruba, CBS, Emmy Award, Maria Ho, Poker Poker Poker, The Amazing Race, ultimatebet, WSOP
Comments (2)
Thursday, September 10, 2009 - Liv Boeree
Now I’m back in London I’m having kind of a crappy week dealing with the mundane and the not so mundane, including some rather large life changes such as house moves and figuring out where I want to live for the foreseeable future. I am finding myself increasingly drawn to the “Land of the free” as you people call it, and could well be heading out west yonder (back to the country speak too). I’m not sure when, or even to which city (most like LA or Vegas) but I reckon by the end of the year for sure, so it’s exciting times!
The next thing I’m really excited about is the English Poker Open that I’m playing in next week – Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson are also coming over to play the event, which is a $5k buy in with $1m guarantee, and it’ll be by far the biggest tourney I’ve ever played on my home turf so it seems only right that I should win it, don’t you think? Til then I’m gonna be playing online on UB – I’ve rediscovered my love for cash again over the past few weeks, having not played much at all for nearly a year. It’s too easy to get swept up in the glory and gratification that tourneys dangle infront of your face each time you enter one and had forgotten the joys of good, deep-stack grindery. Even just playing a few hours a week has helped re-vamp my game immensely over the past month and has truly blown away the cobwebs of stuck-in-a-rut post-WSOP poker blues!
Tags: doyle brunson, English Poker Open, London, Phil Hellmuth, Play online, Poker Poker Poker, ub, Vegas, WSOP
Comments (4)
Saturday, August 29, 2009 - Brandon Cantu
Prior to signing my sponsorship deal and joining an elite group of pros on Team UB, I had played some online poker. My play was quite irregular, consumed basically with Sunday tournaments and random cash games here and there. I have become known as a live player rather than an online one. However, since signing on with UltimateBet and post WSOP, I have really begun to dig into online poker and cash games much more.
At first, I was playing at my personal $5-$10 table on UB. I realized I wasn’t mentally prepared for it. I was coming off live play all summer at the WSOP. I had some less than stellar sessions, to say the least. I dug down, I refocused and began with some $2-$4 NL tables and started grinding; 5 tabling. What I found was that I was actually enjoying playing online for 10 hours a day. Not to mention, I was playing great. I was getting cards and I was winning. I moved back up to $5-$10 NL tables and still had success. This was about the time that I found some great heads up games. I have noticed since I started playing a ton on UB, heads up games have been the most profitable for me.
I have had some pretty decent online tournament results as well. In early August, I final tabled a UB $120.00 buy-in. I was just getting warmed up for the month and finished 5th for $2000. Things were progressing nicely. On August 16, I was playing the Sunday $500.00 buy-in with a $100k GTD. One particular hand in this tournament has gained notoriety within the Pocket Fives forums. This hand was actually a huge point of the tournament for me as well; a tournament that I went on to win for $36,000.00 and beat out PSMONEY heads up. The aforementioned “misclick” truly did take place and it gave me the energy I needed to close this one out. Lots of people like to say that I “run like god” and either get extremely lucky or blow up with terrible plays. For as many fortunate situations that have rolled my way, an even greater amount of detrimental rolls have come my way. Below, you will find the PocketFives discussion:
http://www.pocketfives.com/poker-forums/7/pretty-sick-misclick-on-ft-of-100k-by-brandoncantu-4586074
I’m watching the FT and this happens. They were playing each other pretty hard. I have no idea if it really was a misclick, there was a pretty good pause before the call.
Stage #1835606603 Tourney ID 4539058 Holdem Multi Normal Tournament No Limit 4,000 – 2009-08-16 21:13:14 (ET)
Table: 24 (Real Money) Seat #4 is the dealer
Seat 4 – WAMMERMOUTH (106,719 in chips)
Seat 5 – BRANDONCANTU (275,282 in chips)
Seat 6 – BLEWJOB (202,157 in chips)
Seat 7 – POCKETSET444 (104,229 in chips)
Seat 8 – PSMONEY (74,995 in chips)
Seat 9 – XWYWROTX (88,618 in chips)
WAMMERMOUTH – Ante 400
BRANDONCANTU – Ante 400
BLEWJOB – Ante 400
POCKETSET444 – Ante 400
PSMONEY – Ante 400
XWYWROTX – Ante 400
BRANDONCANTU – Posts small blind 2,000
BLEWJOB – Posts big blind 4,000
*** POCKET CARDS ***
POCKETSET444 – Folds
PSMONEY – Folds
XWYWROTX – Folds
WAMMERMOUTH – Folds
BRANDONCANTU – Raises 99,999 to 101,999
BLEWJOB – All-In(Raise) 197,757 to 201,757
BRANDONCANTU – Calls 99,758
*** FLOP *** [10d 8h 10s]
*** TURN *** [10d 8h 10s] [Ac]
*** RIVER *** [10d 8h 10s Ac] [10c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
BRANDONCANTU – Shows [Jd 8d] (Full house, tens full of eights)
BLEWJOB – Shows [Qh Kc] (Three of a kind, tens)
BRANDONCANTU Collects 405,914 from main pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total Pot(405,914)
Board [10d 8h 10s Ac 10c]
Seat 4: WAMMERMOUTH (dealer) Folded on the POCKET CARDS
Seat 5: BRANDONCANTU (small blind) won Total (405,914) HI:(405,914) with Full house, tens full of eights [Jd 8d - B:10s,B:10d,B:10c,B:8h,P:8d]
Seat 6: BLEWJOB (big blind) HI:lost with Three of a kind, tens [Qh Kc - B:10s,B:10d,B:10c,B:Ac,P:Kc] Seat 7: POCKETSET444 Folded on the POCKET CARDS Seat 8: PSMONEY Folded on the POCKET CARDS Seat 9: XWYWROTX Folded on the POCKET CARDS
The chat:
BRANDONCANTU: misclick
BLEWJOB: fml
<< Result for Hand 1835606603 >>
XWYWROTX: lol
BRANDONCANTU wins (405,914) with (Full house, tens full of eights).
XWYWROTX: misclick ftw
Player BLEWJOB has finished the tournament in # 6 place.
PSMONEY: jesus
BRANDONCANTU: OMG
WAMMERMOUTH: wow
BRANDONCANTU: whata misclick
XWYWROTX: haha
XWYWROTX: so sick
WAMMERMOUTH: obvious misclick but damn it worked well
<< Result for Hand 1835608931 >>
Two days after the $100k GTD win, I was playing a VIP 45 Seat tournament. I had a bounty on my head and I was about to make the VIP players earn it. I got off to a slow start as I wasn’t really picking up any hands. I was also playing some other cash games at the time. I then made some plays, doubled up and was moving. I got real focused real fast. I ended up finishing 4th which netted me $400.00. The final table had some really good players. I watched the remainder of the tournament and NIGHTMAREFIS ended up outlasting DONKINITUP, who each took home $1,200.00 and $800.00 respectfully. I must say, these VIP 45 Seat tournaments are a good time.
Mentally, the last few months being a member of Team UB, has improved my game. I feel so comfortable logging into the UltimateBet client, it continues to feel like a home game for me. I am so relaxed and focused. I have easily played the best online poker of my life since joining UltimateBet. I am going to keep working on my online game to improve even more but I cannot lose focus of my live playing goals for the remainder of 2009.
Good luck everyone with all the upcoming travels and tournaments. See you on the road. Look for me playing on UltimateBet.com at both my $5-$10 NL 6-handed and $5-$10 NLHU tables.
Brandon Cantu
Tags: Brandon Cantu, cash games, Online Poker, Team UB, ub, Ultimate Bet, VIP, WSOP
Comments (0)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - Scott Ian
I can’t believe summer is over. Granted, I live in LA so it’s never really over, it’s more the idea of summer being over. You know that horrible “back to school” feeling? Not that I’m going back to school and if anything I worked harder this summer than I have in years so, don’t listen to me. I think the insanity of my summer may have done permanent damage!
Going into the WSOP main event I knew what I was in for and I committed to it. Last year I didn’t get to play the main event and this year it literally took an act by the scheduling Gods and the planets aligning just right for me to play. I had this insane window where I would be arriving in Vegas from Anthrax’s European tour hours before the start of day 1D, flying to Tulsa OK to play a show the day after day 2B and flying right back the morning of day 3. If I were to make it to the final nine, I would be on a plane as soon as it ended back to Sweden to play a show the next day. How this all worked out is beyond me and I wasn’t sure if I could mentally and physically do it. Of course I could bust on day 1 and everything would be so much easier but the whole thing had this “meant to be” vibe about it so I committed to getting through the week and playing my game no matter what.
Amazingly, everything went according to plan. After finishing day 2B at 1:30AM I was at the airport by 4:30AM for my flight (through Dallas) to Tulsa. That all worked and I played the show, kicked some OK ass and was back at the airport at 4:30AM for my flight (through Denver) to Vegas. Not only were my flights on time, they were early and I got back to Vegas hours before the noon start of day 3. My nightmare of sitting in Denver airport as my stack blinded off didn’t come true.
Now I was about to play day 3 of the main event having not slept in almost 48 hours. The mind is an amazing thing because I stayed focused and locked in all day and at the end of the marathon I had 152K going into day 4. I had no trouble sleeping that night.
Bubble day was a mix of anxiety and excitement for me. Of course I was excited to make the money but I had this feeling gnawing at me that I didn’t have much left. When it got to hand for hand it killed me. The slow pace for over an hour knocked me on my ass and my focus was gone. I could feel the last three weeks catching up to me like a locomotive and I was going down. I think making the money in a way was bad for my game because I lost the tension I needed to remain locked in.
I busted out shortly after when I ran my J7 into AA. I was in the BB (6K). The SB limped and I checked. Flop comes 10 7 2 rainbow. He bets 6500 and I think he’s lying so I re-raise to 17,500 with 59K behind. He shoves. I should’ve folded but like I said, I’d lost my focus and I called. He turns over AA! A 9 came on the turn increasing my outs but the 4 on the river sunk me and that was that. 637th out of 6484. I was stoked. A sense of relief washed over me as I left the Rio and a huge feeling of accomplishment. I cashed in my first main event. I set my mind to making it through the week and I did. Would I have liked to have gone deeper? Of course. Next year it’s on. Thanks to everyone at UB for making my life easier all week as well. Your support was invaluable!!
Last week UB hosted my second “Home Game” and it was a blast!! Vinnie Paul was first out for the second time in a row I believe. And that’s no knock on Vinnie’s game. Just bad luck. Guy rivered a flush against him. Kirk Hammett was tearing it up most of the game, taking down pot after pot and was the chipleader for a while. He lost a big pot, KK vs AA if I remember correctly and then got whittled away. I thought he was a lock for top 3. I had a crazy hand against Phil. I’ll let the picture do the talking!!! Greg Tribbett and I made the final table and finished 4th and 5th . Adam “Roothlus” Levy finished third, getting knocked out by the same guy that busted me and both of us against a set of 5’s!! BeantownBoy77 finished 2nd and won $1000 TD’s. Congrats to SMGKAG for taking it down and winning the Aruba package.
We’re planning Home Game #3 for the end of October. There will be some new faces there this time as well. Hope to see you there!!!
Cheers,
Scott
Tags: Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Aruba, Aruba Package, Aruba Poker Classic, Greg Tribbett, Kirk Hammett, Phil Hellmuth, Rio, summer, ub, Vegas, Vinnie Paul, WSOP
Comments (0)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 - Billy Kopp
As the newest Ultimate Bet team pro, I’m excited to share my first blog with all of you. For those of you who don’t know, my name is Billy Kopp and I reside in Erlanger, Kentucky. I am twenty three years old and have been playing online poker for the past five years. I got my start into poker by playing small home games with friends. While going to college at the University of Kentucky, I began to play primarily online. I had success and was able to meet other successful players online who helped me to advance my game.
This summer I made a transition into playing more live events. I had a second place finish in the 5k New Orleans WSOP Circuit event for a nice six figure score. After that I proceeded to play in several WSOP events. I was fortunate enough to get 8th in the 5k no limit event and then 11th in the 10k pot limit event. Finally, I finished in the summer out with a 12th place finish in the main event for a little under $900,000. I can proudly say that Ultimate Bet was by far the best site for me to represent. Due to the help of my agency, Suited Connections, I was able to land a long-term deal with the site. I have played on UB for years and have had success in the biggest multi table tournaments they have to offer including a win in their Sunday major. To date, I have never given substantial time to playing cash games. Now, I will be playing cash games along with multi-table tournaments on Ultimate Bet under the name “billy_kopp”.
Lots of people have been asking me what my next live event will be. I am currently in the process of moving to Las Vegas, so the next event for me will probably be the $5,000 main event in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Beau Rivage in September, followed by the Ultimate Bet Aruba Poker Classic in October. Once everything is settled in Vegas I will be playing more live events. On a side note, I want to wish my friend and fellow colleague Adam “Roothlus” Levy good luck in the Legends of Poker tournament going on at the Bicycle Casino right now. Hopefully he can bring home another win for the UB team.
I can’t wait to meet the other team pros in Aruba. I have never played in the Aruba Classic and wish everyone who plays the best of luck. For all of you reading this, I hope to get to play with all of you on the site at some point soon!
Until next time,
Billy Kopp
Tags: Adam "Roothlus" Levy, Aruba, aruba classic, Billy Kopp, las vegas, Legends of Poker, Online Poker, ub, UB Team, Ultimate Bet, WSOP
Comments (3)
Saturday, August 22, 2009 - Brandon Cantu
The past few days I have been looking at my schedule for the upcoming months. I will be traveling quite a bit and look forward to seeing as much of the world as much as possible each year. Traveling has becoming one of my favorite past times and has become a traditional post World Series of Poker activity.
Last year, immediately after the WSOP, I traveled to Costa Rica and Nicaragua with my agent and good friend, Matt Palmer. As I have previously mentioned, I have stayed in Vegas since the WSOP lounging at home, playing a ton on UltimateBet.com and just relaxing. However, I now have the itch to get on some planes, play some poker and visit some destination spots.
Looking ahead in August, I will be heading to the World Poker Tour’s “Legends of Poker” at the Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California on August 22nd. After winning my second WSOP bracelet this year, I wouldn’t mind making a strong run at another WPT victory. My stay in California will be about a week.
After the Bike tournament, I return to Vegas to quickly repack for the next stop, which is Portland, OR, for my 10 Year Class Reunion. Though I get back regularly with all the boys and old friends; 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, Holiday parties, some NBA games, etc., I look forward to seeing classmates who I have lost ties with. All in all, it will be good to be back in my hometown. Portland weather is perfect this time of year and will be an added bonus to reconnecting with old friends.
After a week or so back home, I will again return to Las Vegas planning to play online before heading out to London for the WSOP Europe. Two of my good hometown friends, Tony and Dave traveled with me last year. We were able to travel Europe a bit after the WSOPE and this year should be quite similar. This year I plan on traveling to Amsterdam, a destination I look forward to exploring for a few days I have free time. This year I will be traveling with poker player and friend, Allie Prescott. He and I both traveled to Venice for the WPT event and are going to continue our adventures post WSOPE.
Once the European travels are done, I will be flying directly to UltimateBet.com’s Aruba Classic, October 3rd – 10th. I am very excited for this tournament. Not only because Aruba is beautiful and that I will have friends attending, but that I am a sponsored UltimateBet Pro. It almost feels like it will be a “home game” for me. It will be nice to see some of the UB staff I met at the WSOP this summer, as well as play and visit with all the other UB Pros.
I feel lucky to have the opportunity to see so much of the world. Safe travels to everyone else that is also making the rounds the next few months. Good luck.
Brandon Cantu
Tags: Amsterdam, aruba classic, Bicycle Casino, Brandon Cantu, Bycicle Casino, Costa Rica, Legends of Poker, Matt Palmer, NBA, Nicaragua, Poker Poker Poker, ub, Vegas, WPT, WSOP, WSOPE
Comments (0)
Saturday, August 22, 2009 - Phil Hellmuth
Here we go again, one more time I have a ton of chips ($512,000) in the Taj Mahal’s US Poker Open Championship event; this time in year 2003. Major déja vu here, because I had over 50% of the chips in 1997 with three players left, however, I couldn’t close the deal then vs. Ken “Skyhawk” Flaton and Surrindar Sunar.
In fact, in 1997 with $900,000 in chips in play, we had Skyhawk down to $17,000 in chips and all-in with 10-8 vs. my A-2. Skyhawk ended up winning that small pot, and then he came all the way back to win that tournament.
Now, in 2003, I’m at full power (“full power” is the phrase I use to describe my “A game” to the boys), and ready to win this thing. With Toto Leonidas in seat one, Erik Seidel in seat two, and me in seat three, it’s also feeling eerily similar to the $3,000 WSOP no limit Hold’em event in May, where Erik was also in seat two, and I was in seat three. I won that one!
With five players left, Toto opens for $35,000 upfront, and I decide to make it $95,000 more or $130,000 total with my A-K. Toto studies awhile, and then moves all-in for $355,000 more. Immediately, I eliminate A-Q and A-J from the possible hands he could have. I decide that there is no way that Toto would risk fifth place with a weak hand, and therefore I fold my A-K.
I fold it face-up, and now Toto says, “Whew,” and shows me A-Q. I am stunned that he would risk fifth place with one of the worst no limit hands out there. I mutter to myself, “What is this guy doing?” Then I remember some of the really weak hands that he played against me in the past. Toto can be a maniac player (“maniac” means someone who moves in weak a lot—being a maniac isn’t a bad thing to be a lot of times), and I had forgotten that—my mistake.
Even still, I don’t mind this lay down, because I know Toto will give me all of his chips in the next hour or two while making another reckless play. One hour later we are three handed when Toto opens for $55,000 on the button. I look down at Q-Q in the big blind, and decide very quickly to just call. A quick call shows that I’m trying to pretend that I’m strong—I’m selling weakness here.
Perhaps I should have raised him right here right now, and maybe, he moves all-in on me with his Q-J off suit and I bust him—this is the kind of 20-20 hindsight we use when we lose a key pot! In any case, the flop comes down 8h-7s-2h, and I check. Toto bets $70,000, and now I put him on a very weak hand: in my mind, I put him on K-J off suit. So I just call the $70,000.
A lot of players would have just raised Toto here, but I had a sense that Toto was ready to give me all of his chips with nothing, so I just called him. Now the problem card hits, a king comes on fourth street. I check, and now Toto studies for a long time, and bets $200,000. It has happened just like I knew it would, Toto cannot let go of a hand, now I get to bust him—he has Q-J, and I have Q-Q, it’s over for Toto!
Except, I keep thinking of the K-J hand that I put him on in my mind…If he does have a king, then I’m dead. I pride myself on making great reads. I had been making great reads all throughout the three day long tournament, but now I study awhile. I have a sense of dread that I’m supposed to call this hand, but on the other hand, I feel that Toto will give me all of his chips in a better situation soon, if I just wait for it. I fold!
Looking back, I know Toto would bet any pair, including 5-5, 6-6, sevens, eights, 9-9, 10-10, and J-J. I fold face-up, showing the Q-Q, and now Toto shows me Q-J off suit. “OK,” I tell myself, “100% Toto will give me his chips if I just hang in there and remain strong emotionally. Don’t start fretting about a bad lay down, just wait and Toto will move all-in weak one more time.”
30 minutes later, I’m still in there, and lord help them if I get my chips doubled up, because now I have both their plays dialed in, I’m locked, loaded and ready to fire. Now Toto opens on the button for $55,000 and I call him with Q-J off suit in the big blind. The flop is Q-8-7, and I check; Toto shuffles his chips, makes a lot of awkward motions, and finally says, “I’m all-in.”
What? There is only $120,000 in the pot, and he has bet my last $236,000. What the heck is going on here? I know Toto, and I consider all the possibilities: he might have K-Q (this is the only hand I’m worried about): but Toto never bets big with his big hands, he always tries to milk them. Thus, he can’t have a big pair, A-Q or even K-Q; in my mind, he must have A-8.
Toto is starting to look very, very weak as I study him—I think he knows that I have a Q by now, and I think he knows I’m going to call him. He looks like a man that wishes he could take his money back, but now he is committed. Finally, I say, “I call,” and push all of my chips into the middle of the pot. This is the first time all tournament that I am all-in, which is remarkable, and a real source of pride for me.
The crowd cheers wildly as I call, and Toto flips up A-7! Now I smile and think, “Nice call Phil; it looks like Toto will be short on chips if he loses this pot.” Now the cameras are adjusted, the hands announced to the standing room only crowd, and the first card is dealt; it is a 6. OK, the last card is a mere formality now. No way is Toto hitting an A or a 7 here and now—I’m an 8 to 1 favorite at this point.
However, incredibly, the last card is a 7, and the final evidence that I lost the hand, is that Toto is screaming very loudly, “Yes!” And pumping his fists in triumph—I think to myself, “You’re actually proud of that XX##@@ play!” Immediately, I find myself falling backward like someone punched me, and I take four steps back, and literally flop on my backside—on the “payoff stage”–and lie there motionless staring up at nothing, muttering to myself.
Of course, when it hit ESPN in 2004, it did make for very good, dramatic TV! In any case, somehow, someway, I can’t console myself. I walk around, muttering to myself, while they call me to the stage to pay me my $116,000 for third; I’m feeling like I just lost $270,000 (first place was $388,000). I stew, I mutter, I cannot believe Toto got away with it! I’m pissed, I’m sad, I’m inconsolable for awhile. Finally, after making a dramatic jackass of myself, I gather myself and try to recover what little dignity I have left.
Do I deserve to lose to a guy that tried to give me all of his chips three times? What does deserving have to do with it anyway? For that matter, do I deserve to have the ability to make any final table in any tournament on any given day?
I begin to feel guilty that I’m so upset, and acting badly, when deep-down I know I’m blessed as much as anyone. Later that night I finally realize that I am truly blessed, period. It is OK to be bummed out, but I need to control myself much better when I get unlucky in a big hand!
I do like Toto (he’s a really nice guy) and Erik (Erik’s been a great guy for fifteen years), and congrats to them both. Besides, so what if Toto hit a card on me, I should have called him with my Q-Q, and had over one million in chips. If I make that great call, then I believe I would have won. The Q-Q is just another hand I’ll torture myself over for the next ten years…
Tags: Poker Championship, Poker Poker Poker, USPC, WSOP
Comments (1)
