MLB Picks, May 31st

Four games on the MLB docket today worth a look, two in each league.

$15 on Seattle (Bedard) over Baltimore (Guthrie) @ -$125

Bedard hasn't lost in his last three starts and sports a 0.47 ERA. Guthrie is 2-6 on the season and gave up 4 runs in 7 innings in his last start. The Mariners have won 8 of 10 and the Orioles have dropped 4 straight.

$15 on Milwaukee (Greinke) over Cincinnati (Reineke), -1.5 @ +$135

Greinke is 2-0 in his last three trips to the bump, but has a hefty 6.00 ERA. Reineke is making his first start of the season. The Brewers have won 8 of 10 and the Reds have dropped 7 of 10.

$10 on LA Dodgers (Lilly) over Colorado (Mortensen), -$115

Lilly carries a 3.79 ERA in his last three starts. Mortensen is 1-2, 4.82 in his last three, including surrendering 4 runs in 6 innings in his last outing. The Rockies have had it rough lately, losing 8 of 10.

$10 on Texas (Wilson) over Tampa Bay (Cobb), -$130

Wilson is having a decent year with a 5-3 record and a 3.25 ERA. Cobb has only started one game and gave up 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings. The Rays have dropped 7 of 10.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$122.05>
Current Bankroll     $1,387.95

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

Full Tilt Account Unfrozen

Tom Victor and Stephen Carter have the by-line on this article I saw on the EGR magazine website a couple days ago.

The United States Department of Justice has unfrozen one Irish account belonging to Full Tilt Poker (FTP) and its co-founder Raymond Bitar, freeing up more than a third of the US$100m to $150m still owed to US players, eGaming Review has learned. A FTP source, however, told this publication US players would not immediately be paid despite this development and that no date had been confirmed for when this might happen.

I don't know if this means much, but hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 30th

Three games on this Memorial Day that are worth a look.
$10 on San Diego (Harang) over Atlanta (Hudson), @ +$175

Harang is 5-2, 3.96 ERA this season on a pedestrian Padres team. Hudson is winless in his last three starts, posting a 7.47 ERA. Do I really think the Padres will win this game? Probably not, but the price I'm getting on this one as a slight dog makes it a +EV play.

$15 on Seattle (Fister) over Baltimore (Arrieta), @ -$110

Fister hasn't won many games this year, but has pitched well, sporting a nifty 3.18 ERA on the season. Arrieta has won two of his last three starts, but has a 5.74 ERA in them. The Mariners have won 8 of 10 and the Orioles have dropped three straight.

$15 on Milwaukee (Narrveson) over Cincinnati (Wood), @ +$115

An even pitching match-up in this one, with both pitchers 1-0 with similar ERAs in their last three starts. The Brew Crew is playing some good baseball right now, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. The Redlegs, not so much, dropping 8 of 10.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$138.05>
Current Bankroll     $1,361.95

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

Fast Start, Slow Finish

Seven of us met at J-Dawg's last Thursday for his Poker Extravaganza. A few chicken strips and fries with cream gravy, plus chocolate cookies for dessert and we were ready to pitch some cards.

I had a good seat at the table, one with the best view of the Heat/Bulls playoff game on the tube. We were all rooting for the Bulls to extend the series and give our Mavericks an extra day or two to rest their old bones and get ready for the NBA Finals.

Woody's son Joe came again and was seated to my left, followed by J-Dawg, Ray-Ray, Riverboat J, Ollie the Accountant, and Farmer Harry.

Things started well for me, winning a big pot on the first hand with aces full of queens. Plus the Bulls had taken a seven point lead over King James and his court.

The most interesting hand of the night for me in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game, was one I would just as soon forget. We were involved in a hand of Omaha high when I looked down at K-K-9-4, with one of the kings being suited. I raised and four of us saw a flop of A-6-6 rainbow. J-Dawg bet out, so I folded my second pair since I had no flush of straight draws and I figured i was drawing pretty thin.

The turn... King.

River? King again.

I know I'm not supposed to be "results oriented" when looking at my poker hands decisions, but damn. It was hard to see Joe rake in the High Hand Jackpot for the evening with quad jacks, knowing it could have been mine.

I went card dead and watched my chip stack shrink while watching the Bull's lead over the Heat shrink. But, unlike the Bulls, I did walk away with a $5 profit for the evening. The Bulls just walked away.

They won early, I won early. They lost the last four games of the series, I lost most of what I won on the first pot. I guess you could say we both started fast, but finished slow.

Joe was the big winner for the night, pocketing a $25 profit. Riverboat J took the biggest hit, losing all but $1.50 of his starting stack, which is unusual since he is one of the top players at the table. But he kept getting rivered time after time. Some nights are like that.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 29th

A couple of afternoon games on the schedule that are worth putting a few sawbucks on the line.

$45 on Texas (Ogando) over Kansas City (Duffy), -1.5 @ +$100

Ogando enters the game undefeated on the season at 5-0 with an impressive 1.81 ERA. Duffy starts his third game of the year and sports a respectable 3.86 ERA with no decisions. The Royals continue to struggle on the highway and have lost 7 of 10 overall.

$15 on Toronto (Romero) over ChiSox (Danks), -1.5 @ +$145

Romero is 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA in his last three trips to the bump, including a one run effort in 7 innings his last start. Danks is 0-7 on the season and has a 5.59 ERA in his last three efforts. The Jays have won the first two games of the series.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$114.80>
Current Bankroll     $1,385.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

Philly Phanatic's Excellent Poker Adventure

We had eight runners show for Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney on Friday. Tin Man was playing a tournament in San Antonio, so Lil' Annie Okie ran things for us.

From left to right on your radio dial we had Big Daddy, Lil' Debbie, Rick, Philly Phanatic, Lil' Annie Okie, Lucki Duck, Ms. Lucki Duck, and Bluffin' Bev. Ms. Duck played a tight game throughout the tourney and finished as the "Bubble Boy."

Big Daddy was a card rack in both the tournament and later in the cash game, but his night ended in third when he pushed his third pair on the flop. Philly Phanatic made the easy call with top pair and it held up. Since Philly and I were about even in chips and the blinds so high, we agreed to chop first place. The bounty had not been knocked out, so we decided to cut for high card to see who would take the $8 bounty prize. Philly was first to draw and pulled a nine, which made me a slight dog. I was unable to overcome the odds when I drew an eight and Philly shipped the bounty.

I doubled up early in the $2 buy-in cash game, before getting into a good sized pot with Big Daddy. I raised to seventy cents from UTG with A-Q with Big Daddy calling. A flop of Q-J-4 rainbow hit me pretty good and I bet a little over half pot. Big Daddy pushed for an additional $2.50, I called, and he tabled J-9.

An $8+ pot, my wife of 30+ years dealing the cards, and my opponent drawing to five outs. Life is good!

The turn? Nine.

ARRRRRGH!!!

I should have gone home then.

My daughter and her beau dropped by to play in the cash game for a little while, with her winning a nice pot with quad queens. Nice. But she ended up giving it all back, plus hitting up ole' Dad for a couple of re-buys! Not nice.

Philly Phanatic was the big winner in the cash game, taking home $14. Added to his tourney profit, he went home a $30+ winner. Definitely an excellent adventure on the felt!

Big Daddy and Lil' Annie Okie both cashed out north of $10, with Lil' Debbie winning a couple bucks and Bluffin' Bev breaking even. I ended the night with a $3 profit if you don't count the re-buys for my daughter and Ms. Duck, plus buying into the tourney for my wife. If you add that in, I think I lost about $2,500! :)

Another fun night of poker with friends and family. There are worse ways to spend an evening.

Till next time, win the flips!

MLB Picks, May 28th

There are three games worth looking at today.

$30 on St Louis (Garcia) over Colorado (Nicasio), @ -$125

Garcia is a perfect 5-0 this season and sports a nifty 1.93 ERA. Nicasio makes his first start. The Cards remain hot, winning 8 of 10. The Rockies have dropped 4 straight and 8 of 10.

$15 on Texas (Harrison) over Kansas City (O'Sullivan), -1.5 @ +$110

Harrison is starting to pitch better, going 1-1, 2.11 in his last three starts, including 8 1/3 innings of shutout ball his last trip to the mound. O'Sullivan was rocked for 7 runs in 4+ innings his last time out and carries a 9.56 ERA in his last three starts. The Royals have lost 7 of 10. Can they really beat the Rangers twice in a row at home? I hope not!

$10 on Tampa Bay (Shields) over Cleveland (Carrasco), -1.5 @ +$120

Sheilds continues to be one of the top pitchers in the game, posting a 5-2 record with a 2.00 ERA thus far this season. Carrasco has a 5.51 ERA in his last three starts, including surrendering 4 runs in 6 innings in his last trip to the bump.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$91.30>
Current Bankroll     $1,408.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 27th

Quite a few games worth looking at on today's schedule.

$20 on Texas (Lewis) over Kansas City (Adcock), -1.5 @ +$110

Lewis is throwing well, posting a 2-1 record with a 1.17 ERA in his last three starts. The Royals have had a rough go of it lately, dropping five straight and 8 of 10.

$15 on Arizona (Hudson) over Houston (Myers), -1.5 @ +$140

Hudson has won two of his last three starts. The Astros' Myers is winless in his last three, with a 6.27 ERA and gave up 5 runs in 6+ innings in his last trip to the bump. The D-Backs are on fire, winning three straight and 9 of 10.

$10 on Baltimore (Tillman) over Oakland (Gonzales), @ +$155

A good price on a toss-up game. Both pitchers are undefeated in their last three starts and both have ERAs below two. The O's have won five in a row. The A's have lost 7 of 10. The Birds could easily pull the upset.

$15 on St Louis (Westbrook) over Colorado (Jimenez), @ +$140

Westbrook is coming off eight innings of shutout ball in his last start and is 2-1, 3.12 ERA in his last three. Jimenez is 0-4, 5.44 ERA on the season. The Redbirds are hot, winning 8 of 10.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$67.30>
Current Bankroll     $1,432.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 26th

Only one game worth a look today on a short schedule, but if I'm right, my friend lightning will be pleased when it's over..

$10 on ChiSox (Humber) over Toronto (Morrow), +$125

Humber hasn't lost in his last three starts, posting a tidy 3.15 ERA. Morrow has struggled lately, going 1-1, but with a 7.53 ERA in his last three trips to the hill, including surrendering 4 runs in 6 innings in his last outing. He's also winless at home this season, giving up over 7 runs per start. A good price on the pale hose in a toss-up game.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$79.80>
Current Bankroll     $1,420.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 25th

Hat tip!

There are a couple of interesting match-ups on today's schedule that are worth putting a few sheckles on.

$20 on San Francisco (Bumgarner) over Florida (Volstad), -$115

Bumgarner is 1-1, 2.18 in his last three trips to the bump, giving up only one run in 8 2/3 innings in his last start. Volstad is winless in his last three starts, with a 5.29 ERA. The Giants have won 5 straight going into last night's game.

$25 on Seattle (Bedard) over Minnesota (Duensing), +$110

Bedard has a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts, including 8 innings of shutout ball in his last outing. Duensing is winless in his last three, with a hefty 11.45 ERA. The M's have won 7 of 10 and the Twins have dropped 7 of 10.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$87.30>
Current Bankroll     $1,422.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

MLB Picks, May 24th

Tuesday seems like a good day to bet against the Yankees.

$10 on Toronto (Romero) over NY Yankees (Sabathia), +$175

An even match up on the mound with both starters winning twice in their last three starts and sporting an ERA in the threes. The Jays have won 7 of 10 and are a good bet at this price against the Bronx Bombers.

Starting Bankroll     $1,500.00
Profit/Loss               <$77.30>
Current Bankroll     $1,432.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at you own risk.

Good luck!

DOJ Strikes Again!

From Subject: Poker website.

Charged in the affidavit are two companies and their owners: ThrillX Systems Ltd., owned by Darren Wright and David Parchomchuk and K23 Financial Services (BMX Entertainment), run by Ann Marie Puig. The charges include running an illegal gambling business and money laundering. These charges are noteworthy because bank fraud is absent.
Ten domain names and eleven bank accounts were seized in six different countries. Here is the full list of seized domain names:

• Bookmaker.com
• Truepoker.com
• Doylesroom.com
• Beted.com
• Betehorse.com
• Betgrandesports.com
• Goldbnarchcasino.com
• Funtimebingo.com
• 2Betdsi.com

Go to Subject: Poker for the latest updates by clicking here.

MLB Picks, May 23rd

There are two games worth betting on the docket today.

$40 on Milwaukee (Gallardo) over Washington (Gorzelanny), -1.5 @ +$125

Gallardo is 3-0, 1.80 ERA in his last three starts. Gorzelanny is 1-3, 4.70 ERA on the road this season. The Brew Crew is hot, winning 8 of 10. The Nats are cold, losing 7 of 10.

$20 on Texas (Ogando) over ChiSox (Danks), -1.5 @ +$130

Ogando is undefeated this season (6-0), Danks is winless (0-4). However, the Rangers aren't hitting the ball well lately, so I'll bet light on this one.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$153.30>

Current BR           $1,346.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

Art Lesson- "The Course of Empire"

Sonny Boy and I headed to Ft. Worth Saturday to take a look at a traveling art exhibition at the Amon Carter Museum. Titled "The Hudson River School," the paintings were on loan from the New York Historical Society and featured over 40 works from the first half of the 19th century.

The exhibition focuses on the American landscape and how we (mankind) interact with nature. The centerpiece of the show is Thomas Cole's series of paintings, titled "The Course of Empire." Taking three years to complete (1834-1836), each of the five paintings is of the same scene, but depicts the effects of civilization over time. Below is a quote from Mr. Cole as he was considering painting this series.

A series of pictures might be painted that should illustrate the History of a natural scene, as well as be an Epitome of Man—showing the natural changes of Landscape & those effected by man in his progress from Barbarism to Civilization, to Luxury, the Vicious state or state of destruction and to the state of Ruin & Desolation.

The philosophy of my subject is drawn from the history of the past, wherein we see how nations have risen from the Savage state to that of Power & Glory & then fallen & become extinct...

For more information on this exhibit, visit Amon Carter's website by clicking here.

The works below are titled, "The Savage State," The Pastoral State," "The Consummation of Empire," "Destruction," and "Desolation."

Click here for full-sized goodness. Even the full-sized pictures do not do justice to these masterpieces. If you get the opportunity to see these, run, don't walk!





This is the end of this art lesson. Beats losing to a two outer on the river... at least it does for me. I hope you enjoyed it too!

 


 

MLB Picks, May 22nd

Now that we're all relieved that the world survived another day, let's take advantage of it and look at a few ballgames.

$10 on NY Yankees (Nova) over NY Mets (Pelfrey), -1.5 @ +$120

Nova is 2-1, 2.87 ERA in his last three starts. Pelfrey has struggled on the highway, going 1-3, 8.87 ERA. I thought about a larger bet here, but the Mets are playing well, winning 7 of 10.

$10 on Philadelphia (Oswalt) over Texas (Harrison), -1.5 @ +$130

Oswalt is 3-1, 3.09 ERA this season. Harrison is 0-2, 5.52 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. Philly has won the first two games of the series and the Rangers have dropped three straight overall.

$10 on Arizona (Hudson) over Minnesota (Liriano), -1.5 @ +$135

Hudson is 2-1, 1.74 ERA in his last three starts. Liriano has had a rough go of it so far this season, posting a 6.12 ERA. Going into Saturday night's game, the D-Backs had won 4 straight and the Twinkies had lost 7 of 10.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00

Profit/Loss            <$145.30>

Current BR           $1,354.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 21st

Just in case the world doesn't end today, let's look at a couple of ballgames.

$50 on Toronto (Morrow) over (Myers), -1.5 @ +$110

The Blue Jays have won 7 of 10, the Astros have dropped 7 of 10 and are 7-16 on the highway. Myers is winless in his last three starts with a 7+ ERA.

$20 on NY Mets (Capuano) over NY Yankees (Burnett), @ +$170

Capuano has a 3.00 ERA in his last three trips to the bump, Burnett is 0-2, 4.12 ERA in his last three. The Mets are 7-3 in their last 10 games, with a three game winning streak. The Pinstripes are 3-7. +$170 is too good to pass up.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$180.30>
Current BR           $1,379.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

Full Tilt Account Activity!

Recieved this message from Full Jilt Friday morning. It's good to know there's another $1.08 in my account that I can't use!

This is an automated message sent from Full Tilt Poker.

   Affiliate Username:  Rakebackpros
   Player ID:          Lucki Duck
   Date and Time:       2011-05-20 08:39:43
   Transfer Number:  
   Amount:              $1.08 (USD)

   Status:              APPROVED

This affiliate transfer has been approved. The funds transferred are
now available in your account.

Thank you for partnering with Full Tilt Poker

And thank you Full Jilt for partnering with me! I can't tell you how pleased I am with your customer service.

Really, I can't.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 20th

As interleague play begins, there's only one lonely game worth betting today, and unfortunately I have to go against my Dis-Astros once again.

$30 on Toronto (Reyes) over Houston (A.Rodriguez), -1.5 @ +$140

Neither pitcher has won a game this season, but Reyes has thrown better lately, posting a 3.86 ERA in his last three starts versus Rodriguez's 6.00. Rodriguez also gave up 5 runs in five innings in his last start. The Jays have won 7 of 10 while the Astros have dropped 8 of 10 and five in a row.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$150.30>
Current BR           $1,349.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 19th

A couple of games on the docket today that are worth a look.

$30 on St Louis (McClellan) over Houston (Happ), -1.5 @ +$125

McClellan is 5-1 this season, Happ is 1-2 with an 8+ ERA on the road this year. The Redbirds have won 3 straight and the 'Stros have lost 8 of 10. St Louis is good, Houston is bad.

$10 on Cleveland (Carmona) over ChiSox (Floyd), +$125

Carmona is 1-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last three starts after a rough beginning to his season. Floyd is 1-2, 5.40 in his last three trips to the hill and sports a 7+ ERA at home.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$177.80>
Current BR           $1,322.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 18th

There are four games that I'm going to put a little scratch on today.

$15 on Cincinnati (Arroyo) over Pittsburgh (Morton), -1.5 @ +$140

The Reds continue to win, 5 in a row and 8 of 10. The Buccos have dropped 6 straight.

$15 on Cleveland (Masterson) over ChiSox (Peavy), +$105

Masterson is 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA this season. Peavy has only started one game this year, giving up four runs in six innings. Cleveland is on a three game winning streak and is getting a good price with a +EV pitching match-up.

$20 on Texas (Ogando) over Kansas City (Duffy), -1.5 @ +$115

Ogando has been a pleasant surprise for the Rangers, posting a 4-0 record and a 2.06 ERA. Duffy starts his first game for the Royals.

$20 on Oakland (McCarthy) over Minnesota (Pavano), -1.5 @ +$130

Pavano is 0-2 with a 7+ ERA in his last three trips to the bump. The Twins have struggled all season, giving up 92 more runs than they've scored. But never more than currently, as they have dropped 9 of 10 games.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$107.80>
Current BR           $1,392.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

May 18, 1999

Today is the 12th anniversary of my father's death. I wrote a short tribute to him a year ago, which you can read here.

If you've never witnessed someone die of lung cancer, let me assure you that it's not a pretty picture. If you smoke, quit. Today.

OK, the PSA portion of this post is over.

Miss you Dad.

Quad Jacks Not Good Enough

We had a light turnout at J-Dawgs Poker Extravaganza tonight. Farmer Harry brought three flavors of pizza with pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon on the menu. J-Dawgs future mother-in-law had made a "Cool Sweet" dessert. It's served in a dish and combines a pie crust, chocolate pudding with cream cheese and a Cool Whip topping.

Very tasty!

Since there were only six of us, we were able to add 7 card stud and Mexican sweat to the rotation in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice, limit game.

I thought I had the High Hand Jackpot wrapped up when I rivered quad jacks with an ace kicker in Omaha high. But with seven minutes to go before we shut down the game, J-Dawg took it away from me when he hit the magical Royal Flush on the river when the jack of diamonds hit the board. It was almost worth losing the jackpot just to see a royal!

Almost.

I still ended the night $10 to the good. J-Dawg won the most, cashing out for $45. The other four players left with lighter wallets with Farmer Harry getting hurt the worst, dropping $17, Dealer Larry lost $10, with Stamps down $5, and Ray-Ray $3.

Another fun night on the felt, but I sure miss playing online.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 17th

Three games of interest on the docket today.

$20 on Tampa Bay (Shields) over NYY (Nova), -1.5 @ +$135

The Yanks have dropped 6 straight and are facing one of the best throwers in the game in Shields (4-1, 2.08 ERA). The Rays have won 7 of 10.

$10 on Baltimore (Britton) over Boston (Wakefield), +$105

Britton is 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA this season and threw a complete game shutout in his last start. Wakefield got blasted for 6 runs in four + innings his last time out and brings an 8.53 ERA in his last three starts to the hill.

$20 on Cincinnati (Volquez) over ChiCubs (Garza), -1.5 @ +$165

The pitching match up is a push, but the Reds are hot right now, winning four straight and 8 of 10. The Cubbies are going thru another Cub-like year, and that's not a good thing.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$120.80>
Current BR           $1,379.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

Latest "Update" From Full Jilt



"US players are lined up at your doors, just like people did during the bank runs that started the depression. No money inside anymore?"- darlingm on 2+2



If you have any of your bankroll tied up at Full Jilt (I'm guilty), you are probably aware of the update concerning payouts to it's players the site had promised.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

When are we getting our money back?
- Here's the official statement about where we currently stand on US withdrawals:

"Since April 15th and the days immediately following, Full Tilt Poker faced numerous challenges and hurdles to ensuring the smooth operation of its international business and the orderly return of US player funds. FTP has worked tirelessly to address these issues and has made significant progress on both fronts.

FTP's international business operations are returning to normal while we focus on ensuring the safe and orderly return of US player deposits. We are absolutely committed to making sure that US players are refunded as soon as possible. We apologize for the delay and the fact that we underestimated the time it would take to work through these issues. We will update our US players when we have more specific information to provide."

So, basically the update is that "we're working on it and will have another update ... sometime."

Feel better now?

And I loved this Q & A.

What about my cashout on april 15th that obviously hasn't come AND has not been put back into my account?!

- All cashouts that were never received (or checks that were received but couldn't be deposited) should be placed back into your Full Tilt account this coming week.

Holy cow! They're showing the withdrawals, but not sending the money? Wow.

Another concern I have is the Poker Players Association's stance in all of this. If they're looking out for our rights, why are they not putting pressure on Full Jilt to get this situation resolved?

Nothing but crickets from the PPA.

What's that you say? Two of Full Jilt's representatives are on the PPA board? Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson? The hell you say! Can you say "conflict of interest?"

How can we take the PPA seriously when part of the problem is sitting on their board? And they want more of my money? Do something for me, then we'll talk. Until then, it be as foolish to send money to you as it would be to make a deposit at Full Jilt.

Full Jilt, we already know you were unethical when you co-mingled player funds with operation funds. At least have the decency to tell us what's going on at your company. Tell us when to expect our money, or be honest enough to tell us the money is gone.

PPA, get Lederer and Ferguson off your board. Today.

Till that happens you can count me out!

(Hat tip to 2+2 for the quotes)

MLB Picks, May 16th

There are quite a few interesting games on the schedule today. Unfortunately, I'll have to pick against my Astros today,(rapidly becoming known as the Dis-Astros around my house) as they take their last place carcases on the highway to Atlanta.

$10 on Detroit (Scherzer) over Toronto (Drabek), -1.5 @ +$140

The Tigers are the hottest team in basball right now, winning 7 straight and 9 of 10. Scherzer is 6-0 so far this season. Drabek has struggled lately, posting an 0-2 record, and an 8.31 ERA in his last three starts.

$25 on Atlanta (Hanson) over Houston (Myers), -1.5 @ -$110

Houston has dropped 7 of 10, with Myers being a big contributor to the slide, sporting a 0-3 record and an 8+ ERA in his last three starts. Hanson takes the ball for the Braves and brings a 2-0 record with a 1.45 ERA in his last three trips to the bump.

$10 on Cincinnati (Bailey) over ChiCubs (Zambrano), -1.5 @ +$155

Two good pitchers face off in this one, but the Reds are playing better baseball right now, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. Bailey is 2-0 this season, with a 0.69 ERA. Zambrano has a 2-0 record in his last three, with a 3.00 ERA.

$10 on Cleveland (Tomlin) over Kansas City (Davies), -1.5 @ +$125

Tomlin brings a 4-1 record to the hill with a tidy 3.20 ERA on the season. Davies, on the other hand, is 1-5, 7.08 so far this year. The Tribe just keeps winning. It's almost enough to make you believe they're for real.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$133.80>
Current BR           $1,366.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 15th

I don't see much worth betting on today, but since I didn't make any wagers yesterday I thought I would nibble on one game.

$10 on Oakland (Cahill) over ChiSox (Buehrle), -1.5 @ +$140

Cahill is undefeated this season (6-0) with a 1.72 ERA. Buehrle has struggled on the highway, sporting a 5.68 ERA in enemy territory. He also has a shaky history against the A's going 4-13 in his career.

If you're a baseball fan, and if you're reading this you probably are, take a gander at Gary's new site, RedSox101. It has everything you want to know about the Boston Red Sox. From the latest game stats to the line ups for tonights game, it's all there. Plus Gary's humorus musings. There's even a rumor that Very Josie writes for the site. The BoSox better play well. Heaven help 'em if they have to withstand the wrath of Josie!

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$123.80>
Current BR           $1,376.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

Fun On The Felt

Ms. Duck

We got together over at J-Dawg's for his Poker Extravaganza last Wednesday. We usually play on Thursday, but J-Dawg had a softball game, so we moved it up a day.

Ray-Ray brought his father-in-law and he fit right in with the rest of the gang. Bobby Dee built a nice stack early in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game, but frittered most of it away by the end of the night. Stamps was the big winner on the evening, walking away with a $25 profit. J-Dawg won the High Hand Jackpot with aces full of queens, but still managed to lose a few bucks on the night. Dealer Larry was a winner, along with Ray-Ray and Craig (Ray-Ray's father-in-law).

I lost $6 and Farmer Harry was the biggest bleeder, dropping almost $30. Ouch!

                                            ***

Friday night at Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney was a lot of fun. Music Man showed for the first time in a while. Seems he's been working hard on his music degree. Priorities, or some such nonsense.

Ms. Lucki Duck got off to a quick start, taking half of Philly Phanatic's stack when he flopped top pair, which was jacks. Unfortunately for him, Ms. Duck had pocket kings and crippled him early. She managed to hang on to her chips for quite a while before dropping out in fifth.

With blinds up to $25-50, I was down to 1 1/2 BB when I called an all-in from the BB with A-2 offsuit. I hate naked aces and this time was no different, as Joseph tables A-8. An eight on the turn felted me in third and Joseph and Lil' Okie Annie were heads up.

The final hand of the tourney was sick. Both players got it all-in pre-flop with pocket queens. Lil' Okie Annie took the hand and the victory when she rivered a flush. Wow, what a way to lose, but Joseph took it well.

There weren't any huge pots in the $2 buy-in cash game, but I'm proud to tell you that Ms. Duck walked away with a $3 profit. Not exactly a big haul, but it's the first win she's booked in her young career. Way to go dear! And she's starting to feel more comfortable at the table. I can tell because she's starting to talk crap to the other players, much like Very Josie does on the virtual felt. It's a sight to behold. Fun times!

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 13th

Definitely Friday the thirteenth for the blogger folks. I'm glad we're finally up and running again.

There are four games on the schedule worth looking at.

$35 on Chi Cubs (Dempster) over San Francisco (Bumgarner), -1.5 @ +$190

Bumgarner is winless this year. He hasn't pitched bad, but the Giants just don't score when he's on the bump. Dempster has thrown well in his last couple of starts, sporting an ERA south of two.

$20 on Cleveland (Carmona) over Seattle (Fister), -1.5 @ +130

Carmona takes the ball for the Tribe, and is 2-0, 1.23 ERA in his last three starts. The Indians have won 14 of their last 16 at home. Fister got blasted for 14 hits in five innings of work in his last outing. The M's have dropped five in a row.

$10 on Washington (Gorzelanny) over Florida (Volstad), -1.5 @ +$175

Gorzelanny is 2-0, 1.27 in his last three starts, which includes a 7 inning outing in which he limited the Fish to two hits. The Nationals have won four of their last six. Volstad has a 9+ ERA on the highway this season. A good price on the Nats.

$10 on Tampa Bay (Hellickson) over Baltimore (Guthrie), -1.5 @ +$140

Hellickson shut out the O's for five innings in his last trip to the hill. Guthrie is 0-2, 5.50 ERA in his last three starts. The Rays are playing as good as anyone right now.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$174.30>
Current BR           $1,325.70

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 12th

There are two games of mild interest on the docket today.

$10 on St Louis (Garcia) over ChiCubs (Coleman), -1.5 @ +$105

Garcia is undefeated this year, sporting a 4-0 record and a 1.99 ERA. Coleman is 0-2, 7.90 ERA in his last three starts.

$10 on NYY (Nova) over Kansas City (O'Sullivan), -1.5 @ +$100

Both pitchers are throwing well. Nova is 2-0, 1.35 ERA in his last three starts and O'Sullivan is 0-1, but has a 2.70 ERA in his last three. But the Royals are  6-29 in their last 35 games at Yankee Stadium.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$174.80>
Current BR           $1,325.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 11th

I like a couple of road teams today, with both Seattle and Oakland looking strong in their pitching match ups.

$15 on Seattle (Hernandez) over Baltimore (Tillman), -1.5 @ +$125

Hernandez is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA this season. Tillman is 1-3, 9.53 ERA in his last 4 starts. The O's have lost 4 of their last 5 games. I would normally bet a little more on this game, but the M's have lost 3 straight.

$30 on Atlanta (Hanson) over Washington (Lannan), -1.5 @ +$110

The Braves have won 7 of 9 overall , and Hanson is hot, going 3-0, 1.35 ERA in his last three starts. Lannon is 0-3, 7.53 ERA in his last three and has a 7.64 ERA this season on the highway. The Nats have dropped 8 of 12 overall.

$25 on Oakland (Gonzalez) over Texas (Harrison), @ -$102

Harrison has been a train wreck lately, 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in his last three outings. The A's are 9-3 against southpaws this season. Oakland has won 6 of their last 10 games. Thr Rangers are 3-7 in their last 10.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$129.80>
Current BR           $1,370.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

Poker Stars Check Arrives

I was pleased to find a check from PokerStars for $487 in my mailbox yesterday. I'll take it! Under the circumstances, I think PS has done an admirable job of getting the American players' money refunded.

Full Tilt is another story. They were supposed to have a refund plan announced early last week and thus far, I haven't gotten any information from them other than "trust me, your money is safe."

Uh-huh.

The longer FT delays, the more worried I get.

What about it Full Tilt?

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 10th

There are a couple of match ups on the schedule today that I like.

$25 on Boston (Lester) over Toronto (Drabek), -1.5 @ +$110

Lester toes the rubber for a hot Red Sox team and brings a stellar 3-0 record and a 1.29 ERA in his last three starts to the mound. The Jays start Drabek, who has been roughed up in his last four starts. The Sox have won three straight, while Toronto has dropped three in a row and 7 of 10.

$10 on Atlanta (Hudson) over Washington (Marquis), -1.5 @ +$100

Hudson is on the bump for the Braves tonight. He hasn't lost in his last three starts and sports a 1.52 ERA. Good stuff. Marquis takes the ball for the Nats and has struggled on the highway this season, with a 5.40 ERA in away games. Atlanta is hot, winning 7 of their last 10 games.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$94.80>
Current BR           $1,405.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

2011 Sertoma Kite Festival

The community service organization I work with just staged our Sertoma Kitefest last Saturday. Kitefest is our largest fundraiser of the year and this year grossed a little over $11k with an attendance in excess of 2,000 people. We'll take these proceeds and purchase hearing aids for hearing impaired kids here in central Texas. In the last year we have provided aids for 17 children.

I've included a few pictures from the festival to (hopefully) give you an idea of the all the fun that was had by local families.

Look at all the smiles! Enjoy.


Lucki Duck's daughter with her boyfriend Jonathan



Parachute races!

Fun time with Grandpa





MLB Picks, May 9th

Only one game of interest on the docket tonight.

$20 on LA Angels over ChiSox, -1.5 @ +$145

The Pale Hose are starting to hit the ball a little bit and have strung together 2 wins. That should end tonight when Jackson takes the ball. He's 0-3 with a 7+ ERA in his last three starts and his season stats aren't much better. Santana gets the start for the Halos.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$74.80>
Current BR           $1,425.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 8th

The Twinkies continue their series with the Red Sox today and the A's are also on the highway, playing in Kansas City this weekend. Both games are worth a look.

$15 on Boston (Matsuzaka) over Minn (Pavano), -1.5 @ +$110

Matsuzaka has an ERA a little north of two in his last three trips to the bump, while Pavano sports an 8.47 in his last three.

$30 on Oakland (Ross) over Kansas City (Francis), -1.5 @ +$155

Ross carries a 2.38 ERA this season. Francis has a 10.66 in his last three outings. Look for the A's on the road to take this one.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$137.80>
Current BR           $1,362.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Picks, May 7th

Today was a busy one and I wasn't able to take a look at the early games. The only one of the late games I like is the Mariners and White Sox.

$25 on Seattle (Fister) over ChiSox (Floyd), -1.5 @ +$190

Fister is throwing the rock well, with a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts. Floyd is coming off a rough outing, surrendering 6 runs in 7 innings. The White Sox just can't score many runs right now and are losing at an alarming rate. Odds are that will continue tonight.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss            <$112.80>
Current BR           $1,387.20

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

"I've Never Seen That Before!"

We had nine runners show up to pitch some cards at J-Dawgs Poker Extravaganza Thursday night. Bobby Dee smoked a brisket which was delicious. Of course, it always is! A few Lay's on the side and you've got some decent grub.
Ray-Ray was the big winner again this week, pocketing a $33 profit in this $20 buy-in dealer's choice limit game. He also won the High Hand Jackpot with quad sevens. The boy has been en fuego the last couple of weeks!

One interesting incident occured when J-Dawg got rivered. We play with Kem cards, which are plastic and are considered to be a very high quality product. When he saw he was beaten by a miracle card, he slammed his cards on the table... HARD!

And the corner of the 9 of hearts BROKE OFF! About a 3/8" wedge snapped.

"Damn, I've never seen that before," J-Dawg laughed!

Me neither.

We pass the deal along with the button and it was Farmer Harry's turn. The previous dealer shuffles the second deck while the current hand is being dealt. Harry pitches five cards and I holler "STOP."

"What?" Harry asks.

"You've got two cards with red backs and three with blue Harry." "What the hell?"

We all got a big laugh at Harry's expense, but Riverboat J was really the culprit because he was the one that shuffled the deck.

A couple hands later, it was Stamps turn to deal, but he had fallen asleep. LOL! We woke him up and then he proceeded to win the hand.

"You play better when you're asleep!" said Bobby Dee, which brought the house down. It was definitely an interesting night of poker.

As an aside, Woody's son Joe showed up to play. He had played with us before, but it was the first time since Woody had died and we all were glad he came.

I think he was glad as well.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, May 6th

I'm pretty excited. I actually get to pick my Astros to win a game. Thank you Pittsburgh!

$15 on Houston (Rodriguez) over Pittsburgh (Maholm), +$108

Rodriguez is coming off an impressive outing, throwing seven shut out innings and has a nice 2.05 ERA in his last three starts. The Astros closer Lyon is injured, but has blown 4 saves already this season and has a 7.15 ERA. Melacon is the new closer for now, which is a good thing. In almost 16 innings this year, his ERA is a tidy 1.72. Hopefully, the Houston bullpen will actually hold on to a late lead. the Pirates Maholm is 1-2 in his last three trips to the hill, with a 6+ ERA. Go Astros!

$20 on Florida (Nolasco) over Washington (Zimmermann), -1.5 @ +$140

Nolasco is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in his last three outings. Zimmermann hasn't fared as well in his last three, going 1-2 with a 6+ ERA. Also, the Nats have dropped three straight.

$10 on Seattle (Hernandez) over ChiSox (Humber), -1.5@ +$130

The White Sox are 4-17 in their last 21 games, scoring 2 runs or less in 12 of their last 19. Hernandez has thrown shutouts at the Sox in two of his four starts at Safeco.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss              <$99.00>
Current BR           $1,401.00

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!

MLB Pick, May 5th

I like two road teams today, the Giants and Marlins. Both play well on the highway and are playing teams that aren't that strong at home.

$20 on San Fran (Sanchez) over NY Mets (Pelfrey), -1.5 @ +$150

Sanchez has only lost once this year and carries a tidy 2.23 ERA into today's game. Pelfrey has won once this season and has a hefty 7+ ERA.

$15 on Florida (Johnson) over St Louis (Westbrook), -1.5 @ +$135

Johnson takes the ball for the Fish. The ace of the staff brings a 0.88 ERA to the table. Not too shabby! Westbrook's ERA is 6.53, but he has pitched better in his last two outings. Florida is 9-5 on the highway this season while the Redbirds are below .500 at Busch.

Starting Bankroll  $1,500.00
Profit/Loss              <$64.00>
Current BR           $1,436.00

Action is considered dead unless both listed pitchers start.

All picks are for entertainment purposes only, with no guarantees implied. Any money wagered is at your own risk.

Good Luck!