Computer Programmer Makes Late Decision to Play in Tournament and Wins $72,500

Last in Chips at Start of Final Table, University of Washington Grad Wins Huge Late Hand, Earning First Major Tournament Victory

In poker, it can be said that the very first decision one makes is the toughest, especially when it occurs long before the start of a tournament. Indeed, the most critical judgment any player makes is the decision to actually play. Many tournament winners who have achieved fame and fortune contemplated doing other things on what turned out to be a fateful day.

Ryan Osborne, a 27-year-old computer program manager knows the feeling. A few days ago, he was at his home in Orlando, FL hanging out with his friends when he was talked into coming to Atlantic City to play in a World Series of Poker Circuit event. A colleague mentioned that the first few events held at Caesars would be an excellent investment opportunity. With huge turnouts expected, a trip to Atlantic City seemed just the right move at the right time for the young player who had to that point achieved some success in tournaments, but who had yet to earn his first major victory.

Two days later, Osborne was standing near the final table, high-fiving his colleagues, $72,500 richer for having made a wise decision. Osborne topped a competitive field and overcame a number of disadvantages along the way – including being short-stacked during much of the final table – en route to his biggest payday ever. On a cold and cloudy day on the Atlantic City boardwalk, never had the sunshine back in Orlando looked so stale by comparison.

The $500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament (Event #2 of ten events on the schedule) attracted exactly 500 entries, generating a prize pool totaling a quarter-million dollars. After 491 players were eliminated on the first day, nine finalists returned to the feature table to continue on day two. New York City poker player David Zeitlin arrived with a substantial chip lead. However, the large number of players with a near-average ship stack made the final table a wide open competition. Osborne, the eventual winner arrived dead last in chips. Players and starting chip counts began as follows:

Seat 1: Victor Johnson 195,000
Seat 2: Artie Smith 171,000
Seat 3: Bryce Carroll-Coe 260,000
Seat 4: Jake Neff 346,000
Seat 5: Sallie Stohler 234,000
Seat 6: Adam Steinback 267,000
Seat 7: Ryan Osborne 154,000
Seat 8: John Doran 225,000
Seat 9: David Zeitlin 654,000

Players were eliminated in the following order:

9th Place – About 20 minutes into play, the classic hold’em confrontation came up when Artie Smith with Q-Q raced against Sallie Stohler, with A-K. All suspense was shattered when a king flopped, giving Stohler a higher pair. An ace on the river was overkill, making two pair for Stohler. Smith became the day’s first elimination. A furniture maker who has “three children and four dogs” living at his North Carolina home, Smith picked up $5,000 for ninth place.

8th Place – Victor Johnson went out next when he was getting seriously low on chips and moved all-in with A-Q. Ryan Osborne had Q-Q and called immediately. The pair of ladies held up, which meant a dreaded walk for Johnson off the final table pier. The 49-year-old retiree from Middletown, NY collected $7,500 in prize money for eight place.

7th Place – The next player to hit the rail was John Doran, from nearby Woolwich Township, NJ. Doran was desperately low on chips and saw a four-way pot develop when he was dealt J-7. Hoping to quadruple up and jump back into contention, Doran called the bet but failed to improve. Doran ended up busting out in seventh place, good for $10,000 in prize money. Doran, a mortgage broker had previously made it to a final table at the WSOP in Las Vegas.

6th Place – When six-handed play began, the chip lead was shared by Sallie Stohler and David Zeitlin, who were about even. Then, Stohler lost a big pot when Jake Neff doubled up. Adam Steinback was not so fortunate. In fact, he took a bad beat when he was all-in on his final hand of the tournament with A-Q against Jake Neff’s A-10. Neff had barely enough chips to cover the bet and was absolutely delighted when a ten fell on the turn – hitting a three-outer good for a pair. The previously dominated hand ended up winning the pot, which meant a rude departure for Steinback. The 23-year-old poker dealer – who had previously won other poker tournaments held in Atlantic City – ended up collecting $12,500 for sixth place.

5th Place – Meanwhile, Jake Neff was on fire. He had doubled up twice in just five minutes. Then, he managed to double up again, taking K-J up against A-K. Neff spiked a jack which catapulted him into a close call for first in chips. When Bryce Carroll-Coe fell below 100,000 in chips with blinds and antes escalating, he decided to make a bold move with 9-5 and jammed the pot with a raise. David Zeitlin made an instant call – and flipped over K-J. The flop destroyed any hopes Carroll-Coe had of staging a comeback. The board cards showed A-Q-10 and gave Zeitlin a straight. Carroll-Coe was gone. The guitarist from Detroit, MI ended up with a royalty check totaling $15,000.

4th Place – Sallie Stohler is usually quite busy this time of year. She works as a full-time political consultant based in Washington, DC. She advises many successful Senatorial and Congressional candidates. But Stohler also likes to play poker in her spare time and she decided to make a weekend visit to Atlantic City. That turned out to be a wise investment of both her time and money as she ended up cashing out for $17,500. Unfortunately, Stohler went card dead in her final half hour at the table and ultimately went out holding 2-2 against A-J. A jack flopped, meaning defeat for Stohler. Remarkably, Stohler has a very impressive record of results given her limited exposure to tournaments. She also finished in-the-money in the 2007 WSOP main event.

3rd Place – The three remaining players were relatively close in chips, which meant anyone could still win. Yet the $48,000 money swing between first and third places did not dissuade some aggressive play by the finalists. After Ryan Osborne won a big hand against David Zeitlin (who had been chip leader most of the way), Jake Neff put a final nail in Zeitlin’s coffin. Neff’s A-K ended up hammering Zeitlin’s A-8. A king flopped, which was the decisive card in bouncing Zeitlin out of the tournament. Zeitlin, an ex-lawyer, is certainly no stranger to the pressure of making it to the final table. He finished as the runner up in the Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em World Championship at last year’s WSOP held in Las Vegas.

2nd Place – When heads-up play began, Jake Neff (with 1,700,000) enjoyed about a 2 to 1 chip lead over Ryan Osborne (with 780,000). The two finalists battled back and forth for nearly an hour before the tournament’s most exciting hand unfolded. Essentially, the outcome of the two-day event came down to a single card.

It all started when Osborne raised pre-flop, Neff re-raised all-in, and Osborne called. Neff showed 8-8. Osborne revealed A-10. Once again, the standard confrontation (a pocket pair versus two overcards) would determine the fate of the finalists. The flop came K-J-9, presenting some added possibilities for Osborne. Short of hitting a pair, this was still a favorable flop for Osborne. But Neff, holding the only made pair, still had the lead. A seven on the turn created even more outs for Osborne, with added straight possibilities. Then, Neff hit the card he dreaded most – a third eight which made trips. However, the final board showed 7-8-9-J-K which meant Osborne had rivered a straight, which scooped the largest pot of the tournament.

The river eight was the tournament’s most decisive card and accelerated Neff’s defeat. Desperately low in chips, Neff was finally eliminated a few hands later, making Osborne the champion.

As the runner up, Jake Neff collected $38,250. No stranger to being a poker bridesmaid, the Philadelphia-based marketing manager previously came in second at the United States Poker Championships.

1st Place – Ryan Osborne was paid $72,500 for first place, plus the coveted gold and diamond ring, presented to each WSOP Circuit winner at this year’s Caesars Atlantic City series. A native of Seattle, Osborne is a University of Washington graduate. He now lives in Florida where he works in the computer field.

“I’m going to pay for my sister’s wedding,” Osborne stated when asked what he would do with part of the prize money. “I told her before we started this tournament that I would pay for her wedding if I won.”

When told that weddings can sometimes costs tens of thousands of dollars, Osborne remained optimistic about his future plans in poker. “Well then, I might have to play in a few more poker tournaments, too” he said.

by Matches Malone

I'm here today to tell you about, well, "Tells." Those physical reactions, both voluntary and involuntary, given off in reaction to the cards in your hand, or on the board. An involuntary tell shows up in a physical reaction, either a facial tick, a jittery hand, an arched brow, or a sly smile, to name a few.

Voluntary tells are more frequent, and where the acting comes in. Acting is one of the few professions around where you're actually paid to lie. The same could be said of poker. The art of deception occurs more frequently on your way to winning No Limit Hold 'Em tournaments.

So, how can you know when your opponent is bluffing? Most acting tells can be boiled down to the following statement: Weak is Strong, and Strong is Weak. If he slams his chips into the pot, his hand is probably not that great. If he acts disinterested or relaxed, he may have the nuts. A stare down may occur when your opponent is attempting to psyche you out, as he doesn't believe his cards are good enough. If he looks away after he bets, chances are he likes his holdings.

Verbal cues are important as well. A chatty person that suddenly clams up after the flop, likes what he sees. Conversely, a quiet player that starts talking is attempting to cover something, most likely, a bluff. It may also be important to listen to what he or she is saying, as an abrupt subject change could be another indication of either a strong hand, or a cover up.

One should remember that not only he who hesitates is lost, but he who is lost, hesitates. Watch for betting patterns, and when they break. The way that someone stacks their chips may be significant. Do they keep nice even stacks? Or, are their chips stacked randomly, and without purpose? This would be an indication of a tight or loose player, respectively. Sometimes, a player will be nervous when they bet, and knock over a chip stack. This usually shows a surge of adrenaline in the body, indicating what they believe to be a strong hand. Be wary. Also, watch for players that fidget with their chips. Some will do the one handed chip stacking they just learned on tv. Although, this may be part of a routine the player has. Be observant of this tendency, and react accordingly.

Another type of betting tell comes after a poker player loses a big pot. He may not be on tilt, however, he may be steaming. Which is one step below full blown tilt. A steaming player will tend to loosen up his starting hand requirements, and start betting with everything an anything, in a futile attempt to win back the money he just lost in the big pot. These players are easy to spot, as well as the ones that continue betting after winning a big pot, falsely thinking they have achieved some momentum. It is at times like this you should remember that patience is a virtue, and there is no shame in waiting for a good starting hand.

What Else To Watch For

At the beginning of a hand, everyone is dealt two cards. My theory is, they aren't going anywhere, so, you don't have to look at them until it is your turn to act, and maybe, not even then. I look for other players looking at their cards, and the initial reaction they have. The eyes truly are the windows to the soul, and in many cases, your hold 'em hand as well. Where do they look after they see their cards? A quick glance at their chip stack may indicate they're about to bet. Most of the time, you'll see players getting ready to toss their cards in the muck, when it is their turn to act. There's that word again. However, most of the rest of the tells you'll see, will be involuntary.

Flop Sweat

There is a scene in Total Recall where an agent comes in, and attempts to convince our hero, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, that his current hero fantasy is exactly that, a fantasy. And it would've worked, too, if it hadn't been for the bead of sweat dripping from the temple of the agent, portrayed by Roy Brocksmith. In the reality of the movie, a person in a virtual reality simulation wouldn't sweat, and the agent was lying, as Arnold was indeed attempting to rescue Mars from itself.

But I digress. A demonstration of flop sweat is only slightly related to sweating after the flop. Look for players still in the hand that become suddenly interested in the board, by either leaning in, or glancing at their poker chips, as if ready to bet as I mentioned above. Conversely, someone may grab their chips before it is their turn to act. This may be an indication of weakness, and an attempt at intimidation. Do they look at their cards again after the flop? This could mean they may have paired, or, if three of the same suit come out, they have a fourth card of that suit. Rest assured, if someone has two of the same suit in their hand, they will indeed remember, and won't have to look at their hand again.

Also check facial reactions. I have a tell that I have yet to get rid of, wherein I smile when I my hand is made, although, I am working on it. Look for similar facial expressions in your opponents when the flop, turn and river hit the felt. Another subconscious act occurs when a player leans back in their chair after betting, appearing disinterested. This is generally a sign of strength. Proceed with caution. Player's hands shaking when he grabs his chips? A surge of adrenaline could be the cause, which usually comes from being excited from their hole cards. A player's demeanor may shift as they become anxious, ready for a confrontation. This could be an indication of a marginal hand. I usually ask a question of this player, attempting to bring out further tells. A head tilt to the right, or taking their eyes off of you, will probably mean a bluff. Touching of the face could be another indicator of a lie.

What Does All This Tell You?

Focus. Take in everything that's around you. Watch for patterns, both in body movement as well as betting., The above should be enough to get you started There are several more tells, however, most of these are individual to a particular player. I could let you know what they are, but of course, that would be telling.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Disclaimer: The above tournament tactics will probably not work in a cash game. Let me know if they do.

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a few years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

by Matches Malone

Good things come to those who wait, and revenge is a dish best served cold. Nowhere are these three bromides more relevant than at the poker table. In a game where ultimately, you'll only be playing about a sixth of the time, you should consider turning waiting into an art form.

I play only in tournaments, and consider myself to be always in the tournament, even if I'm not currently in the hand at play. I pick up the most information on others when I don't have cards in front of me. I look for obvious tells, as well as betting patterns, keeping in mind that when a pattern breaks is the most important thing to figure out, and what to do with al that information once I have it. I keep my head in the game, as it were.

Which is why I don't understand when people bring books, newspapers, racing forms or sudoku puzzles, to the table, just to name a few. I’ll be one of the first to admit that my game is almost 100% psychological, and giving me a weapon like this is akin to you telling me you want me to have all your chips.

However, it is a slow process. In fact, Sam Farha has said that Texas Hold'em is a boring game. Personally, I don’t see how this can be true. You’ve got eight, sometimes nine other players at the table when it’s full, acting and reacting to the cards in front of them. What are they doing with the cards in front of them? I played a hand the other day, totally blind, based on information that I had about the two players to my left, as they were in the blinds, and I was on the button.

This was after the rebuy period had ended, and we had taken a break. About four hands after we had started back up, the button came to me. Now, most at this particular table were of the type that couldn’t wait to see what cards they had in front of them. As for me, I don’t think my cards are going to go anywhere, so, I don’t really look at them until it is my turn to act. However, on this hand, I didn’t even do that, as everyone had folded to me. I grabbed a handful of chips of my stack, counted out 600, and pushed them in. “600,” I announced, and looked at the small blind who mucked immediately as I knew she would. The guy in the big blind looked at me, looked at his cards again, and finally figured out that they hadn’t changed, and tossed them to the dealer.

After the dealer pushed the blinds to me, I said to the table, “I should probably look at my cards,” which I did, and saw that I had an Ace Ten off suit. How did I pull off this almost psychic feat?

Easy. I can tell you in one word: Observation. The eyes are truly the window to the soul, and most players can’t hide their initial reaction to their holdings, and these two were no different. I had picked up almost imperceptible nuances of disgust from observing facial reactions during the tournament up to that point, and used the information to my advantage.

Now, these weren’t obvious tells that you’ll read about in any book, as they were specific to these particular players. And I probably won’t see them again anytime soon. It is about here that I should give you some sort of warning like, “Don’t try this at home.” As I honestly can’t tell you what I would’ve done had either of them called, and we had seen a flop. What I can tell you is that I would’ve followed my pre flop raise with a post flop bet, however, I can’t rightfully tell you that they would’ve folded at that point, as we never got there.

Could I have done this, had I too been reading or distracting myself in some other way, instead of paying attention to the game at hand? Probably not. So, to review, wait, observe, and wait some more. At some point your patience will be rewarded, and hopefully, you won’t be bored.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Disclaimer: The above tournament tactics will probably not work in a cash game. Let me know if they do.

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a few years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

The Three P's of Poker

by Matches Malone

The Three P's of Poker are: Patience, Persistence, and Point of View. Okay, poker would be a fourth P, however for purposes of this discussion, does not count. Because obviously, you wouldn't be reading even this far if you didn't want to know about poker. And, you've probably already read about the Five C's, which I wrote about back in October of '05, and started me down the long journey to where we are now.

Patience

Recently, I saw a promo for a set of nature books aimed at the children's market. Right in the middle, there was a bear standing in the middle of the stream, waiting for something. After a couple of seconds, a salmon jumps seemingly into the bear's mouth, and he eats it.

I thought to myself, "Wow. Bears play poker, too!"

Ever been at a table where someone plays almost every hand, bets wildly, and takes almost everyone else out of their game? You may have heard the term calling station before, however, this is a variation. This person will raise with nothing, and with the nuts, and you seemingly can't tell which is which. They'll call every bet, and they'll make every raise, and they can't be bluffed. You might have heard the term maniac applied to this type of player.

It's at this point, you have to be patient, and wait for a monster, or in this case, the fish.

Like the bear.

Wait for the salmon to come to you, move all in, and take the pot away from them. If it's a tournament, you may or may not have to deal with them again, in case they had your money covered, however, it might make them think twice about going upstream again.

The next time you sit down at a poker table, ask yourself the question, "Are you patient like the Bear, or a maniac like the Salmon?"

Persistence

The top pros all have this in common. Because if at anytime they had given up because of a few bad beats, or wild swings in their bankroll, you wouldn’t be following them online and on TV. I find this quality is especially important after taking a bad beat in a tournament. If it doesn’t bust you out, your attitude playing the hands following your bad beat will dictate whether you get back into the tournament, or end up on the rail in the next orbit or two. Knowing that bad beats are part of the game, means that how you handle them is key. You can play through your bad beat, and remain focused on winning, or you can steam and eventually go on tilt, and bust out momentarily thereafter if you haven’t already. If you do end up busting out, by all means, enter the next available tournament, and continue to play your best game.

Persistence also applies to how you play throughout the tournament itself. Or more likely, how you play the hands you’re dealt. I never vary my bet according to the strength of my hand, and I also believe that if a hand is worth betting, it’s worth raising. I choose an amount that’s roughly three times the big blind, and also take into account the size of the antes, if any. Of course, there’s a P that you want to avoid, and that’s Predictable. Don’t get yourself into a routine where you become an easy read for the others at your table. Your persistence can be shown by never giving up, and being consistently inconsistent.

Point of View

You perceive yourself in a certain way, however others my perceive you differently. You have your point of view, and they have theirs. This will necessarily affect how a given opponent will play a hand. You may have tells that you don’t even know about. Or, there may be things that you do that aren’t tells, that others will read as such. Understanding these things will bring you to the next level of play. Understanding your opponents’ POV of yours, will bring you to the next level of play above that.

You can get to the next level above that, when you start to manipulate others’ POV of you. We’ll leave that for another article, and at another time.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a few years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

The Five C's of Poker

by Matches Malone

Having recently completed a discourse at church of the five C's of The Bible, I felt it only natural that Poker may have the same five C's: Confidence, Character, Connection, Compassion, and Commitment.

Confidence

I believe that I'm the best player at any table that I sit down at. It may or may not be true, however, it's what I believe. You may believe that you're the best player at the table, and if I'm not there, it might be true as well. Someone has to be the best, it might as well be me. Call this what you want, hubris, arrogance, or smugness. Call it what you want. I call it confidence. This part of the game goes to what some call the third level of play, "What can I make you think that I have?" Confidence shows at the table in the way you act, the way you look at your cards, and how you bet, among other things. And it's very tied into the next C.

Character

There's a scene at the beginning of Batman, the one with Michael Keaton as the title character. Without going into the relative merits of the movie itself, Batman has just apprehended a purse snatcher, and lifts him up into the air, atop a five story building. The criminal believes he's about to die, and pleads for his life. In what he thinks will be his last breath, he looks Batman in the eyes and screeches, "Who are you?" Now at this point, it should be obvious to everyone in Gotham City, not to mention the movie going audience, that he is indeed, Batman. For emphasis, he throws the criminal onto the roof, spreads his cape like wings, casts an ominous shadow on the far wall and utters, "I'm Batman." He knows who he is, and he's not afraid to let everyone else know, either. When I sit at the table, everyone knows, it's me, including myself. Know who you are, and why you're there. I'm there to win the tournament. Which brings me to

Commitment

You're dealt two cards. Look at them. Remember them. They won't change for that hand. You don't need to look at them again. When the action comes to you, you have three choices, depending on how strong you believe your hand to be. Call, raise, or fold. I believe any starting hand worth a call is worth a raise, so, for me, I'm committed to one of two choices, raise or fold. Most of the time, I fold. Why? My hand isn't up to snuff, relative to my position, size of the blinds, and the bet before me. However, if I do raise, I'm committed to the flop, and maybe beyond. This commitment goes further, if it's the first hand I play. I go all the way to the end, and make sure everyone else at the table knows that I can't be bluffed out. This allows me to project a certain table image that I spoke of above. It also allows me to connect.

Connection

You've committed to your hand. The flop comes down, and hopefully it connects. But that's not all. Are you connected to what's going on around you? Did someone have a bad reaction to the flop? A minor nuance, a faint smile or frown. Did they blink or shrug? Are they talking a lot, and suddenly, clam up? If you're not aware of what's going on around you, you're not connected, and you have no business being at the table. If it's not a tournament, put your chips back in the rack, get up, and walk away. You're probably having an off day, since you are the best player at the table, right? I only play in tournaments, so, I can't do this. If I don't feel connected, I better get back in it fast. The last time I felt this way, I got up from the table, went outside, and took a walk around the casino, before I sat back down. This gave me time to eat an orange, and refocus. I missed two hands, however, I didn't lose any blinds, and was able to reconnect, and go on to win the tournament. How did this make me feel?

Compassion

There's no room for this at the poker table. Except when you bust out your fellow player, as you shouldn't throw it in his face. Get up, shake his hand, and be cordial. Alternatively, if you get busted out, go over to the other player, and congratulate him. In between, take them for all they're worth. With the proper table image, again, what I spoke of previously, you can even get them to smile as they give you the last of their chips. Remember to shake their hand.

Conclusion

Ok, this is a sixth C. However, it's not really part of the other five. To review, your character will promote confidence that your connection and commitment will allow you to have compassion.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

Playing in the Bicycle Casino WPT Legends Poker Tournament

by Matches Malone

I started the day well, at home, looking for a book to read on the long bus ride to The Bike, and found the latest Robin Paige mystery that I have yet to read, and at the same time, noticed that I hadn't finished the previous one, so, I picked that up too.

I finished that one about the time the bus dropped me at the corner of Eastern and Florence, which is a short block away from the main entrance of The Bicycle Casino located in Bell Gardens California, and the site of the Legends of Poker WPT tour event every year. I was there to play in the Media Invitational Event. This tournament was named after Doyle Brunson, who won the event two years ago, and I was hoping to see him there, as all past Legends winners were invited to attend as well. The part I missed was the fact that it was all past winners of any Legends event, so, the only face I recognized in the tourney itself was Mel Judah, whom I spied in the high roller section earlier.

When I arrived, I walked around, got my bearings, and found out I was an hour early for check in, so, I picked up the latest issue of Card Player with Jamie Gold on the cover, as well as the latest issue of Poker Player, found a quiet place to read in the deli, and sat down to try to scope some of the latest poker tips.

I read this newspaper cover to cover, starting with Mike Caro's current strategy article, and finishing up with John Vorhaus' column, which usually appears on the last page before the full page ads on the inside and outside back cover. It was an interesting read, as always, made even more interesting, when he sat down at my table at the start of the event. We got to talking about it, and he even asked me for contact info, which was cool. As a result, his strategy columns also appear in this magazine.

As for the tourney itself, it did not go well for me. In addition to John, Jennifer Newell of American Poker Player magazine was seated two seats to his left. Two other media types were at our table as well, along with five no name winners of previous Legends events over the past ten years, filling out our table of ten.

The first hand, I was deal AQo, and mentioned that I never liked playing the first hand, although, after John and another called, and a really blank flop, my continuation bet took down the pot. If only they were all that easy.

I played a few more pots before the hand that took me out of the tournament. I say took me out, as I didn't bust out, however, this left me short stacked, which is never a good place to be. In those previous pots, I picked up a straight on the river in one of them. I was head to head with one of the aforementioned Legends, so I felt pretty good at that point. Had another pot that I took down with a 'check in the dark,' a play I use on occasion. John remarked that it's the most powerful play in poker, although, I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not?

So, I'm under the gun, and after my usual remark of, 'I'm first to act? I'm not an actor, I'm a movie star!!!' I look down and find pocket Kings. I come in for my standard raise, and Jennifer calls. Three folds to the Big Blind, who promptly moves all in.

I call, 'Time,' and immediately go into the tank. I put Jennifer on AK, which I find out she indeed had after the hand played out. It's at this point that I got myself into trouble, and over thought the situation. The odds are that if she has an Ace, it's 25% there's no other player at the ten handed table with another Ace, much less two. Knowing this, I call.

And immediately regret my decision and run into the other 75%. Mr no name Legend Big Blind did indeed have pocket Aces. Fortunately, I had him covered, but unfortunately, not by much. This put me on the short stack at the table, and I found out after the break, that I was the short stack in the tournament as well. I did manage to win another pot that got me back to around what I started with, but with the blinds at 200/400, that didn't last too long. Found a hand that I liked, moved all in, and even got two pair on the turn, however, that filled out the guy's straight, and I busted out around 60th out of an original field of over 120.

You can decide whether or not I didn't embarrass myself too severely. I did manage to last longer than John, who had busted out several hands before.

What all this means is, when the main event started a few days later, I was on the rail, instead of an active participant, as The Bike's hospitality extended only so far. 466 others put up $10K, creating a prize pool of $4,520,200 for them to play for.

460 bust outs later, and we were down to our final televised table of six: Hoyt Corkins, Randy Holland, Scotty Nguyen, Frank O'Dell, Kevin O'Donnell, and Joe Pelton. Three of those names you've probably heard of, and the other three you haven't. I'll let you decide which three. After several hours of play that will be boiled down to about 20 to 30 hands when this tourney is televised, Joe Pelton from Newport Beach CA took home a check worth over 1.5 million dollars. It should've been me.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach.

Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

The Poker Player Who Knew Too Much

by Matches Malone

I may have touched on this here, as well as elsewhere before, however my recent experience confirms that it is possible to have too much information. With an average of a new poker book coming outevery week, and literally millions of websites both selling and giving away the latest Texas Hold'em "Secrets", whom should we believe?

Much of the information out there conflicts with other information available elsewhere. Phil Hellmuth Jr. and Matt Matros have both admitted in various places that much of poker is a crap shoot. In fact, Phil goes so far as to contradict himself in the same book. Again, I ask, who should we believe?

Ultimately, I believe in myself. I wouldn't be sitting here, writing this to you, if I didn't. I also have several others that believe in what I write, otherwise again, you wouldn't be reading it. What I'm attempting to say here in my borderline psychotic way is simply this: Develop your own style. If what you come up with the first time doesn't work, try something else. Eventually, you'll find what works for you, and you'll become a winning player.

And then you might be, the poker player that knows too much....

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

Without A Net

by Matches Malone

It occurs to me that in my entire tournament career, I've only played in two tournaments without a rebuy, not counting freerolls. As opposed to three strikes and you're out in baseball, in an NLHE tourney, sometimes you only get one bad beat. The difference is striking. The wild west atmosphere of the rebuy period is gone, and
suddenly, you're confronted with an entirely different game, and playing style. All the chip stacks are the same, and most don't move all in during the first several levels, if at all.

I believe as David Grey does, that it's better to bust out early, than to spend a few hours making it close to the money, and then not to cash. Which is what I did last week. What this means is, I won't be playing for awhile, and as such, I may have to miss the WSOP again this year....

Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and if you'd like to contact him with your opposing views, he can be reached at Batman@azteca.net

Poker Books I'd Rebuy After a House Fire

by jbharshaw

You've probably heard the old adage about what three books you would most want to have with you if you were on a deserted island after a shipwreck?

Well this is along the same vein except that when it comes to poker, there are simply too many good books out there to read on the subject, and I seriously doubt I could limit carrying only three books with me should I go on a long sea voyage.

So let's look at this as if I were just returning from a sea voyage, got out of the taxicab at what was supposed to be my home, and come to find out that it has burnt completely to the ground.

Believe me when I say that I thought about this for quite a bit. There are many good books out there, also many not so good, but I chose the ones that are the most valuable to me. These books aren’t the best for everyone. In fact I’m doing a much shorter list of books for beginners, but for the advanced player, this is a pretty good starting library (these books are not in a particular order).

Books I'd replace right away:

- The psychology of poker -Shoonmaker
- Harrington on Hold’em 1&2 -Harrinton
- Internet Texas Hold’em -Hilger
- Secrets of Texas Holdem - Krieger
- Phil’s little Green book -Phil Gordon
- Play like Chan -Chan
- 52 Tips For Texas Hold’em -Shulman
- Seven Stud the waiting Game -Percy
- Seven Card Stud Poker –Ohlmer
- Book of Tells –Caro
- The Gambler’s Guide to Taxes – Lewis
- Texas Hold’em Beginner to Winner 1&2 – Krieger
- Pot Limit & No Limit Poker –Ciaffonne

Books I would replace later:

- Everything by Sklansky
- SuperSystem2 - Brunson
- Play Poker Like the Pros - Helmuth
- Killer Poker –Vorhaus
- Championship NL & PL hold’em, -Cloutier & McEvoy.
- Everything Krieger except Online poker.
- The Everything Poker Book
- Beyond Tells - Mckeena (Haven’t finished this yet, Expect it to move up. Looks real good.)

Just as an aside, these are books I definitely would not replace:

- Online Poker – Brunson
- Winning Secrets of Online Poker –Frye
- Online Poker – Krieger

I have about a dozen instructional DVDs by assorted pros. I would not replace any of them.

For the beginners:

- The everything Poker book. (For absolute beginners)
- Seven Card Stud the waiting game
- Play like Chan
- Texas Hold’em Winner to Beginner
- Play like the Pro’s (Do not read past the chapter on pre flop play.)
- Internet Texas Hold’em winning strategies.

Would also add Helmuth’s first video, but again don’t watch the “after the flop” play.

The poker program I'd replace is - Poker Academy Pro 2 for a computer simulator.

Good Luck.

jb


Editor's note: jbharshaw has written articles with us for several years now, and you can read more about books he has reviewed in the 'Advanced books' section of his website - Best Poker Guide / Advanced Books

All News and Press Release information on the pages of PokerAllStar.com is cited from public sources on the internet. Articles appearing on PokerAllStar.com are written by contributing authors, and the views and opinions expressed are those of the author only.

What I Learned From Watching the WSOP This Year

Absolutely Nothing.

Ok, that's not entirely true. What I can tell you is that twelve hours of TV coverage of the Main Event can't begin to compare to the fifteen hour days times seven, that those that made it to the final table had to spend. And the fact that you were seeing an infinitesimal number of hands compared to those actually played probably didn't help either.

After all, it's TV, so they broadcast only the highlights, as it's not a live event. As most of you know, The WSOP ended in August this year. They do this to allow time to edit, and lay down the commentary tracks. That's right, the "expert" commentary provided by Lon McCaren and Norman Chad is all done after the fact, which is probably one of the reasons it sounds like they know what cards are coming.

They also have filler, which consists of player interviews, and, "The Nuts." Anyone that believes they can learn how to play poker from watching only this, is deluding themselves, and I've written about this before.

However, there are some things to be learned, especially when watching the antics of the eventual winner, Jamie Gold. Say what you want about his tactics, but they definitely worked. His constant chatter put some players on tilt, or at least got them steamed, and instead of concentrating on their cards, they were focusing on him. He was able to coerce calls when he wanted them, and at the same time, get players to fold when he needed it as well. Combine that with one of the greatest runs of cards I've ever seen in my lifetime, and you have this year's WSOP. Oh, and did I forget to mention in one of the above referenced player interviews it came out that he learned everything he knows from Johnny Chan? He was wearing a T-shirt promoting what I guess is his new site, ChanPoker.net. Jamie is on the front page there.

But I digress.... One memorable hand came when the flop came down three queens. Gold held a 54 off-suit, and his opponent had him crushed with a JTo. They both checked, and a nine came on the turn, and they both checked again. An eight fell on the river, making the straight for Gold's opponent. Gold bet about half the pot, and his opponent, folded!!! A lot of Gold's usual table talk preceded his opponent's fold. Had his opponent been paying attention to the cards and not the player, this hand would've and should've played out differently.

When the flop comes down three of a kind, usually the first bet takes the pot. However, in the above case, Gold's opponent was afraid of him, which brought the checks at the flop and the turn. By the time his opponent had caught his straight, it was too late.

Or, put another way, when betting, you're telling a story, or having a conversation, which goes something like this:

"I'm betting 3xBB because I like my starting hand. After the flop, I'm betting again, as I believe I have the best hand." His opponent might reply, "Well, I have a good hand too, so, I'm going to call." After the turn, you'll continue with your story. "That card didn't help you, so, I'm going to bet again, and you should fold." "Oh yeah? Well, that card gave me a hidden straight, so, I'm going to raise!!!" At this point, you might want to change your tactics. "Well, ok, if you think you have a better hand, I'm going to call, as I still think I have you beat." The river comes, and they both check, as they're thinking to themselves, "I probably have the best hand, but I might not, so, I don't want to lose any more money."

Gold's stories that he was telling with his betting patterns were belying the cards he actually had, however, he was distracting his opponents with his constant table talk for them to notice. Prahlad Friedman actually picked up a tell on Gold, and used it to his advantage, however, he caught a bad beat on the river to get knocked out.

And I'm sure most of you have read about the resulting controversies from this year's tourney as well. Apparently, at some point, an extra two million in chips were added in during one of the color ups. As of this writing, no decisions have been made about that. The bigger issue is, a friend of Gold's claimed he was due half his winnings, because he staked him. I'm not one to judge, and I'm going to leave this one for the courts to decide, however, I do remember last year that the broadcast featured Steve Dannaman's friend Jerry Ditzell who staked him, and they even played this year, and got a feature themselves. No such feature existed this year during Gold's rise to fame. What we did get were multiple shots of him palling around with Johnny Chan.

So, to review what did I learn? Absolutely nothing.

72 and sunny in Redondo Beach. Next time, I'll write about poker. Be there. Aloha.

Mike "Matches" Malone

Editor's note: Matches Malone has been writing for us for a couple years now, and you can read his blog notes at PokerAllStar.com

All News and Press Release information on the pages of PokerAllStar.com is cited from public sources on the internet. Articles appearing on PokerAllStar.com are written by contributing authors, and the views and opinions expressed are those of the author only.