5/02/2008

A comment goes too long, PART III....

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There was a great post put up HERE. My man Schaubs was right on the money when it came to being a competitor and going for the gold.

Then there was this comment from a good friend.

"I believe the decisions to chop are not reached via calculated EV logic, but rather more out of emotion. For a hypothetical example: If by some wild crazy miracle I'm head's up in the Mookie, after just having won the MATH earlier in the week... and my opponent is say someone like BamBam. My initial thoughts are gonna be around the facts that: -the win would mean much much much more to my opponent than it would to myself, -my opponent is a nice guy, a friend,... -and if I can better a friend's situation w/out having too much of a negative impact on my own position, I'll be happy to consider, (albeit w/ appropriate financial motivation! Given the value of the seat awarded, I would likely need 1st and 2nd place money.)"

This one paragraph was right on the money when it came to being an IIF and being a good guy/gal(cover all bases and be non-sexist for those of the WAY more fairer sex!) in the blogger community.

But I just have to say, RC......

I take it as a total compliment that you call me a friend! The feeling is very mutual Sir and I am honoured and pleased that we have what we have, albeit invisible for the time being.

But there is NO CHANCE in hell that I give a penny up in that situation, EVER !!! If I deserve second place, so be it. If I deserve first, so be it. Please refer to Chad's first ever Skillz game. I can tell you one thing for certain, the thought of a chop never even crossed my mind. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The win was all that ever crossed my mind! Taking it down honestly, competitively and being the champ, was all I was ever focussed on.

I consider Fred a friend as well. He's never been anything but good to me whenever we meet on the felt. Had he wished to discuss a chop in that game, I would have respectfully had to decline. To quote from your comment on Schaubs post RC, "-the win would mean much much much more to my opponent than it would to myself." Let me just point out that in my mentality, THE WIN are the key words in this situation. Not the purchase of the win, not the TOC seat but, the winning of that particular event. Short-sighted? Maybe! But isn't that the nature of a competitor? Win the battle, win the battle, win the battle and damn! I just won the war!


That brings me to the main point of the BBT's IMHO.......

Friendly competition.....Friends always for sure BUT, competitors always too!

Consider the balance between the two. Isn't that what really determines who we are and how we handle and represent ourselves? And that's really what we need to consider isn't it? Who you are in victory or defeat, and how we handle the result no matter which one it is.

I see, (and understand) those, that consider a chop as a +EV friendship move in the long run. I also see the financial side of the decision to chop as a strong motivational factor, for some others out there as well. I think the main point is, to each his/her own.

I understand your point better than I can put down in words here Cayne, it's just that Schaubs hit the nail right on the head. In the end, settling is a far worse course of action than... well..... action! I will never condemn a player that chops, for whatever reason they see fit to do so. We're each our own person's and the decisions we make, will be lived with for as long as memory serves. So be it. How it affects others, (as a main focus of the Scwabbles report) will have to be lived with as well.

It's a lot to consider if you really think about it. I just hope that some serious thought goes into the decisions that are being made at the time. Me personally, I want to earn my way to the top! When I get there, there is no better feeling in the world. If I buy my way in and someone allows me to do so, IMHO..... There's no worse!

I give you an example of my personal mindset. I sit 35'ish in points in the current BBT and have almost always been in the top 30. I've only played 16 games, or far less than 1/2 of the 37 games played so far. Only Breeze ahead of me, having played less games. The Goat is also ahead and has only played 2 more games than me. The majority ahead of my position, have played almost every single game in the series. To me, that means I've really earned my spot on the leaderboard! I think I could do quite well in these things if I was a "Left Coast" citizen, and didn't have to get out of bed at 4:30am est every single day of the week. I often wonder where I'd be, if I could play every game available in the series. I'm pretty ef'in proud of that!

Friends and competitors, damn near the coolest thing on the planet.

If you don't believe me, read the G-Vegas gang, my man BadBlood, Otis or, stop by the TuckFard site and review our little history together. 7 or 8 A-Types, 26 A-Types or in the case of the BBT's, 100 plus A-Types all in the same game. If it get's any better than that, it must be the WSoP or the Olympics in my books.

We all know the risks and costs involved in what we do. Hell, every single hand is all about the +/- EV of bankroll's and friendship at the same time. But who out there has it any better than us? Bust a friend, brag for life. Or until at least the next time they bust us right back. Then lather, rinse, repeat. It's just how we roll.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

5/01/2008

Pimpage and Patience....

He starts with a post that gets three major points across.

- He reads almost all of us.
- He's found his one true love.
- He may just be, less-of-a-geek than me !!!

His first two comments come from a certified A-lister and some punk EH-lister. NOT A BAD START IMHO !

Then for post #2 he offers up this......

"I think I am going to give this poker blogging a shot. Hopefully I will bring something to the table. If not, oh well, tough shit."
-MY FINAL OUT

Good Lord.... I think this kid's got hope, don't you?

If you've got a moment, it'd be great if you'd drop by and welcome a new soul to our community.

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Still working on a special announcement for a little project that brudder Carson and I have been putting together for a little bit of extra fun this Summer. Final touches should be completed fairly soon and we hope to have it up in the near future both here, and over at the TuckFard site.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

4/30/2008

Feed The Monkey II....

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So there’s this news we need to get out there. We don’t know if it’s HUGE news, big news or just news. The thing is, it’s really up to you!

A year ago, the TuckFards decided to make an adoption. We held a small event and raised a lot of cash to become Guardians of her and in the foray; we ended up making enough to take care of him too. Meet Malia & Mutemi, the official mascots of TuckFard poker.

That’s right! The TuckFards can seriously Feed The Monkeys!!!!

So we’re Feeding The Monkey again this year. Maybe we’ll even be able to feed a cat or dog too!

You see, in the heart of Bedrock, there’s a great family that runs a little place known as Bear Creek Sanctuary. They have cared for 1000’s of animals that have been neglected, abused and well, just left to die. What they do is take in an animal that’s got no hope or nowhere to live, because Mary and Warner just won’t allow it to happen. Instead, they’ll figure out a way for the creature to live as normal a life as possible, no matter what its problem was or is. Drugs from Hollywood, Animals bought as pets then discarded, Circus Cats that just can’t make the grade, or even Zoo animals that just don’t fit in with the others! If you're one of those bloggers that just breezes across the links, to see where they go. DO NOT DO THAT WITH THIS POST! It'll be worth your time, I promise.

Check this place out. They just want to help those that can’t help themselves.

There are Wolves, Coyotes, Lions, Tigers, Bears, Monkeys, Lynx, Bobcat, Foxes, Deer and some of the most beautiful Cougars that you've ever seen, (easy Guy’s…. I mean real Cat’s this time) there at Bear Creek. All just a one minute walk from Bam-Bam and Pebble’s cave. Some of these animals were nearly blinded by drugs. Some were taught to act in an un-natural way, just so that they would work for their food. But the real facts are, some were just left for dead because they were useless to the ones making a profit off of their very existence.

You should see them now! Happy, Healthy, full of life and wanting to live even more. These Bear Creek folks well, they’re literally miracle workers. But it takes cash. There’s a fair bit of food involved in feeding all the animals that they’ve seen fit to take in and it’s a non-profit organization. Then there’s the habitats. Creating a natural setting for such a variety of these creatures is not easy, or cheap. Every penny that Mary and Warner take in, goes directly to the well-being of those animals. But remember, it’s not a Zoo. It’s a Sanctuary! This place is all about the animals and making them comfortable and happy, as they live out the best life they possibly can.

“Feed The Monkey II,” will be Saturday June 21st. this year and it’ll be held in Bedrock. Right next door to the ones we’re trying to help. This poker game and all that it does for those animals, will change your out look on life for certain. The morning of the game, we’ll take you to see all of the ones you’re supporting.... and you’ll stand just a few feet away from an 800lb. Tiger! You’ll see an animal that should be hunting out in the wild, but got wrapped up in our world instead. You’ll stand beside one of the greatest hunters in the world, only to realize that a veterinarians advice can go slightly awry, if he doesn’t know his house cats from his BIG cats.

We’re looking for 36-40 players to come out to Bedrock and play. For those of you that want to help but just can’t make it, donations can be sent HERE. Please just tell them that the TuckFards sent you their way. But we hope you can make it! Carson, Peb's and I would love to see the look on your faces, as you stand literally next to those that we’re trying to help. For those that are local and either planning to attend, or just can't make it. Bear Creek Sanctuary could really use a couple of key items right now. Chain link fencing and mini-ties for the habitats are desperately in need. If you have either and you'd like to drop them off at the cave here, we'll make sure they get taken right over on your behalf.

Here’s the current list of “Monkey’s” we think are coming. (minus a few we know will be supporting the cause, but haven't been able to contact as of yet)

PokerTart & Bankwell
ANIguy & Donkette
EVY & her TOP PAIR !!!!
Carson & Suzy_Q
Katitude
MartiniGoddess
DonKaaa & QueenKaaa
NutzFirth & Total_Tilt
ZAP
Redneck TuckFard
Pebble’s & Bam-Bam

Are you in?

$50 buy in for NLHE.

$4000 chip starting stacks with blinds starting at $10/$20….. should definitely provide for plenty of play in the original TuckFardian style. Oh and one other thing! Sitting on the deck in Bedrock, there’s a guarantee that the serenade from next door will keep you “howling” all day long. Oh and in an Astin moment of clarity, Bam will be making his famous Roast Beef on a bun for those not looking for just a liquid diet for the day. Rumour has it, that there may just be a "jealous Astin" siting over the weekend, as he attempts to steal the secret recipe.

For those attending, Bedrock allows for a fair bit of tent camping, trailers, RV’s of almost any size and there’s also, a quaint Bed and Breakfast just down the road for those seeking a little more….. uhhhh….. comfort. There's also two hotels within easy/cheap cab ride/fares or drive away and our favorite pair 'o' T's Total_Tilt, will be in full control of your car key's as you arrive.

We are forced to limit the entrants due to space and time constraints so, contact us if you’re interested. The things partially full already, so contact us both to make sure there's room.

bambamofcan at g mail dot com

carsonpossible at g mail dot com

It's highly recommended that you copy us both, as it saves us from having to hit forward every e-mail. ;o)

Let’s feed those monkeys!!

Our sincerest thanks for dropping by….

4/29/2008

A day late but a dollar richer....

I had grand illusions of putting something special up here today, but I just didn't get it done in time. Hopefully with a little help from a friend, I'll get it completed and up here, (and there) sometime tommorrow.

Here's hoping!

In the interim, I do have last nights TuckFard Open and TuckFard HORSE games to talk about. I played good solid poker in the Open. Good enough to take down second to ANIguy's eventual win. Starting heads up, I was about a 4:1 dog in chips. I worked my way all the way up to actually reversing those numbers. Then of course, I went totally card dead and ended up in a pooshfest hand after hand. I won a couple, I lost a few more.

It was a great crowd out last night. A new player and instant good friend BayWolfe made his first appearance last night. Then Iron Chef Astin and Iron Chef Donkette also were there with battle verbosity. (way too funny by the way kids !) Muhctim returned as well, to make it another great night of TuckChatter and solid poker.

Our local usual suspects made appearances for the most part. With brudder Carson, Jony2Pair, The ever lovely Redneck TuckFard, the red hot Suzy_Q and my favorite pair 'o' T's, TotalTilt all out for the fun. Then much to our delight and despite being in the worst hotel in Michigan as far as internet connections go, Da' man DonKaaa showed up to complete the TuckFardian SeptDonkulous family home game. Oh and by the way Donkette, I KNOW he didn't forget that he was adopted into the "Donk" family too! (What an honour!!! Score DonKaaa.)

I did my fair share of damage in this knock-out format. Taking out about a 1/4 of the field as I built my stack up. The best, (sorry good Sir!) was ANI's cry's of "SHOVE" as Astin had pushed his entire stack into the pot, while UTG. I held A-K and there's alway's that voice ringing in my ears when I hold that hand, "it's Ace high for Christ sake." But I have to admit that it felt like a good race considering the chips tossed out into the pot. (read, POT ODDS for the big stack) YES!!! It was un-called for. YES!!! I considered my options and then decided to race. But sometimes you win those ones, and sometimes you don't. Official sorry to take you out is offered up now. In particular, 'cause I've been asking you to come out whenever you can, ALL THE TIME! (but thanks for the knock-out!)... ;o)

The HORSE game sucked for me. I honestly couldn't focus. My connection was on 79 miles of dial-up life support and, I had to choose between games. I thought I could win the Open so, that was the game of choice. I donked off chips at an alarmingly fast pace, while chasing as hard as I could in RAZZ. If I made a stack, (logic error here?) I'd sit out until the other game was over. If not, I focus on one game and one game only. MEH !!! It was a one game kinda' night, as my A-2 burried with a 4 door, turned into A-2-4-6-5-J-6. How can that compete with a hand like Q-3-7-A-2-5-4 when I bet on every street? All for the better though, it let me focus more on the Open and I needed that. I donked the rest off to Carson in STUD/H as a pair of Queen's was good enough to call down every one of my bet's along the way. Once again I say MEH !!! lol.

Legit congrats go out to ANIguy because as far as I know, he's the first player to win both games on the same night. Not easy to do, what with a mix of TuckFards, some other Bloggers and a few "just dropping in" players no one can know anything about in both games.

One things for sure. You all coming out to support the games, put's a great big smile on this little kid's face, every single Monday.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by....

4/28/2008

I love my life... I hate poker....

What a weekend.

The good –

I took my baby down the road a bit and we spent our weekend being all touristy in Niagara Falls. We had a blast. Yes we got misted by the falls. No! No one made me go over it in a barrel and YES! We got one of those rooms with a great big Jacuzzi tub and the amazing falls view. ;o)

We also stumbled across two fantastic restaurants and had some of the best Mexican and Brazilian meals we’ve had in a very long time. The Burrito at Taco & Tequila’s was by far, the best Burrito I’ve ever bought in a restaurant. The atmosphere of the place helps to actually make you feel like you’re a lot farther South than just Niagara too. Great tunes, a raised floor, open patio feel and a view of the street and everything that’s going on. I will warn you that just like Mexico, it’s a little hard on the eyes when it comes to too close of an inspection for cleanliness. But again, it’s basically an indoor patio.

Dinner was at the Copa Cabana. If you’re in Niagara, don’t miss this one. We went in around 8:00pm and almost immediately, the band started playing. Some Salsa and Meringue were definitely on tap for Peb’s and I, as the boys really had a hot Latin beat going on that night. Speaking of on tap, this was also another chance for Peb’s to wash down her food with one of her favorite cocktails of choice, the Brazilian specialty, Caipirinha. It’s one of those drinks that really need’s to be made the right way to be good. Judging by the look on her face at first taste and the added happy factor after, I’d say the bartenders there were getting it done right. So we drank, we ate and we certainly danced the night away. All on a beautiful outdoor patio dancefloor, that we often only shared with one other couple. Like us, they obviously didn't want to waste the moment either. And we could really see the love in their eyes as they danced.

In our rush to get the weekend going as soon as possible, it was highways all the way down to the falls. It does make for a quick trip for sure but, it’s all business and the view really tends to suck. So on the way home, I took us off on a little detour. OK, a huge detour! Having been born basically dead center of the two, (Bedrock and Niagara) I have a lot of local knowledge of the back road routes you can use to get away from it all. So that’s what we did. We back roaded it through as much of our beautiful countryside as we could. As we drove along, I realized that I’d forgotten two very cool things. How truly breathtaking some of our country really is and, how much I enjoy talking with my wife and seeing her so happy.

We didn’t really need to be talking about anything in particular to be honest, but we got on one topic that had our full attention, and the discussion was amazing! I will keep my promise and keep our little secrets to myself here but one thing I know for sure, we have a few big surprises in store in the not too distant future. We got on a roll as we’re sometimes known to do and usually when that happens, some pretty fun things can happen along the way is all I’m ready to say for now.

The bad –

When we got back home yesterday, Peb’s wanted to fire up a game of poker. She jumped into a game that she’s been crushing of late and settled in for what was hopefully, going to be a long afternoon of on-line cards. Turns out it was too but then there was, “the miss-click.” Coming down to final table, Peb’s had a dominating hand to what appeared to be an obvious draw. Wanting to get the player off his draw, Peb’s decided to make a bet that he just wouldn’t see worth the chase. Long story short, he was allowed to come along for free and of course, he hit his draw. Both of their hands were very strong after the river, his was just stronger and she was money bubble-girl.

I asked her to leave it up for me, as I was feeling kind of “pokery” myself. Then I went on the FullTilt express to hell, as one by one and over and over again, I lost monster pots on a river card. Boat over Boat, the Nut Flush cracked by an 8 high flush, turned into straight Flush. Pocket Aces turned into a set on the flop, improved to nut Boat on the Turn loses to Quads on the river. Then a poooshfest specialist jamming the pot for the 5th. time in a row on my BB. He gets two callers and I am holding A-A. The quadruple up seems appealing to me and I stick my money into the middle. My opponents who are all in are holding, 2-2, 4-4 and A-2. Flop = crap. Turn = crap but the river….. case deuce of course.

5 games, 5 finishes within 3 spots of the money including 2 money bubbles and an unreal, 5 losses on the river while at least a 4:1 favorite. So rigged!

I’m glad I had a great weekend otherwise…… ‘cause the dinner time Donkery yesterday evening, could’ve seriously tilted me any other time.

My sincerest thanks for dropping by….