It's not biting, if they don't really feed you....

Let's get this crap out of the way first.

YOU WERE RIGHT Ken!

I should also mention that the opinions brought forth below are in NO way, meant to be a reflection on my friends that work, write or participate in the activities of or for Pokerstars AT ALL! I love my daily reads over there and I can't imagine not having your great work available to me every single day.

I defended and defended what a great deal the WBCOOP was going to be for all of us, knowing that the pay out was better than the work required. I mean, there were thousands of dollars added to our games and all we had to do was play good and write it up afterwards. Simple right?

So I play good in two of the events and somehow I manage to take down a $33 ticket for SCOOP, in the one that I didn't bubble. Then miraculously, I'm sent an e-mail from Stars explaining that my blog work came in as runner-up! This effort was also worthy of an additional $33 ticket. WooOOOooT me! My crappy little $12 left on Stars, finally had some company!

So when the SCOOP schedule came out, I did what any self-respecting gambler would do right? I searched for the diaper crowd and found my dream games! I found two $33 buy-in STUD games and was set on building up my account.

One problem! I can't get into either. I don't have enough funds and my tickets, NO GOOD! I write support and support, explains how to use the tickets.

DUH!

I try again, and again, and again and finally, one more time. NOPE!

I write support once again and support, explains how to use the tickets again.

After several dozen attempts to get into a game I think I stand a shot at, I frustratingly give up and head out to find a NLHE game for $33. I figure they must have locked the tickets into the NLHE events. Only to see the same message I got from both STUD events once again.



I check my ticket status and find,


I still have two $33 tickets available to use.

Weird!

So running out of time in the events, I do what I think I can to save the tickets value and try to waste a $33 ticket on a $22 event that I think I can play in if all goes just right. Only to see this.



I write support.

What do I get? This!


Are you cerial?

After further contact with support to figure out what the hell is going on with my tickets, I find that they were only good for certain events that Stars deemed I was allowed to play in. Not one of which is convenient for my schedule.

So in short I was given $66 for my efforts but in reality, I did the work for nada. Thousands of SCOOP events and two tickets to play in it, as long as I play on their terms. Pretty good deal right there!

As long as your Stars.

Now at the same time as our WBCOOP, they did add $1000 to our last longer gathering prize pool. That is something I will never forget to thank them for! Actual cash and actual value! But as for this SCOOP thing, the bitter taste in my mouth may take awhile to subside to say the least.

I feel like I've been had. I guess that makes it a pretty bad time for Stars to have sent me this!


Hopefully Vanessa gets a good chuckle out of my response!


Despite my honesty with the frustration involved in this whole thing, I did manage to keep my answers simple and polite. I am after all, Canadian!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

Your Tuesday Haircut....

Tuesday seems to be my bad Hair Day lately.

It's no Metal Monday I know but just the same, here's a little International Hair Cut introduction for you. Back in the day and while working for an auto maker with roots in Japan, I travelled across that country quite extensively. In the early 90's, I was thrilled to have seen X-Japan twice. Once at the Tokyo Dome from only 10 rows back! Single loudest event I have ever been to.



*The free bonus trim

It's no secret that I'm a percussion kinda' guy either right? So check out Drummer Yoshiki, rawkin' out at about the 7:30'ish mark of the song. Drummer's that can dance WHILE they play, they just make me smile a lot!



Arigato gozai-mashita....
My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

BBT5 Freeroll recap....

I ended up 32nd. of the 107 that said they'd make it to the game, despite it being Mothers Day and all.


There were a few dead stacks still, but no where near as many as the last few go rounds. Nice to see!

It was a rather bizarre game for me last night. I had a few tough decisions to make early on, when a little hand-on-hand violence seemed apparent between myself and another of the players.

The first major one occurred on hand #53, when Dawn re-re-popped a pot she'd already made the first raise into. I'd re-raised her and there was another caller so when she jammed them all into the middle, the pot was big and I wasn't good enough I guess, to lay down the Cowboys.


Miraculously I wasn't against a pair of ones and somehow, I managed to scoop a pretty good pot.

The same couldn't be said after I raised it up around hand #81.


I played those Kings just awful! I made the initial raise, then checked and called it down all the way to Astin. Scared money is the easiest money right?

I then folded my way to hand #103, when Falstaff threw a comment out about "dinner arriving" after I'd raised it pre once again. I gambled on the Ladies and somehow


despite being ahead pre-flop, they held on for the win.

Weird things do happen!

On that note, here's a real beauty that semi-defines blogger NLHE! I'd folded about 40 or so hands in a row, getting a whack of crap cards along the way. There was a pre-flop raise and a call from my immediate left and then my right. The harmless looking flop created an all-in from my right and snap call from PokerGrump, who was the player sitting on my left.

Remember now, ALL-IN on the flop!


*sigh

Still playing the part of folding machine, the two times I tried to time a steal attempt in the next hour, were naturally met with substantial re-raises that had me tucking my tail back between my legs. It didn't help that we were now also joined at the table by the likes of CK, IT, PushMonkey and Jim McManus either!

Here's the typical pre-flop action, into any of my big blinds.


I managed to get a courtesy double-up off of Joanada as a serious shorty in the game, when my pocket Astin's managed to hold on against her pocket sixes near second break. The chips were badly needed I can tell you that.

Then I made a brutal mistake.
(I know, I know! What else is new right?)

The hands that I'd show the entire game were pretty nitty.

A-A
K-K
Q-Q
J-J

I even folded 10-10 to BadBlood earlier on, having a pretty good idea that they were being crushed.

So after having my raise called pre-flop, I figured that this flop was looking pretty good to be within my range. I made a bit of a move at the pot, thinking that anyone could see how easily I could be way ahead at the time. When the turn paired the board, I'd simply represent the boat and as easy as that, the pot would surely be shipped in my general direction.

One small problem!


Apparently when you change tables the other players have no idea how nitty you've been playing and it really doesn't matter anyhow, if the board actually hits them.

Say it with me now..... WHAT AN IDIOT!

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....