Entries from June, 2008
The Week at FTP: Another Week, Another Bracelet
Posted by Big Donkey | Filed under The Week at FTP
Just when you thought it was safe to get back on the Interwebs, Big Donkey is back with another wrap up of all things FTP. Aren’t you lucky?
Considering the big news in the poker world is still centered on that little city in the desert, I figure we should start with a quick update from the WSOP. In short, the pros are kicking ass, and the FTP pros are kicking more ass than anyone else. The latest WSOP winner is none other than David Degenayamine Benyamine, who took down yet another loaded final table to claim his first career bracelet in the $10K World Championship Omaha Hi/Lo Split 8 or Better event.
Bond18 - Around the World in 90 Days: Day 47
Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18
Waking up today is pure pain. I am over half way done in my poker trip, but this portion where I have something to play every day with no breaks in between is the toughest physically and mentally. I’ve fallen significantly behind in my writing as a result of having so many long and exhausting days at the Rio, and I think the quality has fallen off as well. In Europe I had time to sit and think things over and try to be clever, but with the WSOP it feels more mechanical, closer to reporting than creative writing. Still, at least I am cashing in things and not just wasting a ton of time then bubbling, and I feel like I’m still playing mostly well with occasional hilariously bad mistakes. Live and learn though.
Tags: Bond18
Bond18 - Around the World in 90 Days: Day 46
Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18
By far, the least enjoyable tournaments during the WSOP are the $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em ones, of which there are an infinite amount. If the word donkament was created to describe a single type of tournament, these are the ones. The fields are enormous and the Rio is crammed with people that, during the break, make the hallways so packed you can barely move. The tournaments only start you with 60 BBs and if you don’t increase that by the third level, you’re sitting with just 15. Although it’s encouraging to see so many new and bad players in the field, sitting there while they Hollywood with the nuts or legitimately think about folding with 90% of their stack in pre-flop does reach a point where incompetence becomes bothersome. Navigating another one of these tournaments is my task for the day, except this time I don’t show up 90 minutes late. I’m early in fact.
Tags: Bond18
Random Thoughts
Posted by Big Donkey | Filed under Bloggers Corner
It feels like I haven’t posted a lot lately. That’s not because I haven’t wanted to, but rather, because other commitments have kept me away from the blogging keyboard and – honestly – I just don’t have anything really coherent to ramble on about. Shocking, I know. (I’m often capable of ranting/rambling about anything, by the way, which is why… oh, never mind….)
Tags: Howard Lederer, WSOP
Bond18 - Around the World in 90 Days: Day 45
Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18
I was hoping to play the Venetian $2,500 today, but when I came home from the Rio yesterday I feel asleep nearly instantly around 10PM. I woke up at 1AM and, as a result, couldn’t fall back asleep until around 7AM. I decided to pass on the Venetian and set my alarm to wake up in time for the Bellagio $2,000 at 2PM.
A glance around the Bellagio confirms this was definitely a good idea. There’s almost no young players here and the only guy I recognize is friend and 2+2 poster ‘mikej’ who has flown in from California for a few days of tournaments before he goes back to school and being legitimate. We agree to swap 5% and with the field strength today, I like both our chances. Unfortunately the Bellagio elects to start us out 11 handed and still has no dinner breaks or a stoppage of play until a second day - you have to just play right on through. My first table is full of unknowns and we get under way with a 20,000 stack at 25/50 blinds and 40 minute levels.
Tags: Bond18
Heads Up: Berry Johnston Versus Jared Hamby
Posted by One Angry Monkey | Filed under Heads Up
Welcome to another round of the Full Tilt Poker Heads-Up Challenge, where we deliver the best in non-poker related heads-up play. Today we’ll be bringing you the first of our 6 seed versus 11 seed matches, all of which pit some of our more “old school” players versus some of our “young gun” Internet players. This match features Berry “Classy and respectful is no way to play poker” Johnston versus Jared “I’ve been wearing the same hat for the past 10 years” Hamby. Old school versus new school, experience versus youthful exuberance – whatever you want to call it, this titanic clash of cultures should be a fun ride to take. Let’s get this party started:
Tags: Berry Johnston, Jared Hamby
Reader Mail: The All FTP Final Table
Posted by One Angry Monkey | Filed under Reader Mail
Welcome back to another round of Reader Mail, where we take simple concepts and turn them into mind-boggling nonsense. Things might be all WSOP around here at the office, but that doesn’t mean we won’t take time out of our busy day to make some small talk and kick around the finer points of living. Email us at pokerfromtherail@fulltiltpoker.com with any comments, questions, or hate mail aimed at me for messing up your favorite Simpsons quote. On to the show:
Tags: Iron Man Challenge, WSOP
Bond18 - Around the World in 90 Days: Day 44
Posted by Bond18 | Filed under Bond18
I arrive at the Rio well in advance for my 2pm start time. I’ve drawn a table with Raj and my friend StevoL, though ours will be one of the first in the breaking order.
At the beginning very little happens. A fair bit of the table is short stacked and players are moving in preflop and occasionally getting called. The only slightly interesting pot I play is with Raj, when I flat call his preflop raise with TT and take the pot on an 8 high turn. Our table breaks and we begin drawing very close to the money.
Tags: Bond18
The Pros Speak: Paul Wasicka
Posted by The Captain | Filed under The Pros Speak
Between the cameras and commentators, it’s pretty easy to keep track of everything that’s going on at any table that’s getting media coverage. Even with that, there’s still one aspect that can’t be covered until after the fact: what’s going on in someone’s head when they’re making decisions that could double them up or send them to the rail.
Recently, Paul Wasicka was good enough to let us in on what was going through his head as a particularly memorable hand played out against Gus Hansen at the 2007 Aussie Millions. Here’s what he had to tell us:
Tags: Gus Hansen, Paul Wasicka
Battle of the Bloggers: And the Blogger on The Rail Is…
Posted by The Captain | Filed under Bloggers Corner
The end of the Write Your Way to the 2008 WSOP competition has finally arrived. First of all, many thanks to those of you who submitted entries – your posts were well received across the board and got a lot of laughs around the office.
