PokerStars Acquires Full Tilt. FT Players to be Paid!

And the Full Tilt saga continues.

Players who have had their money frozen in their Full Tilt accounts since April 2011 may finally be seeing light at the end of the tunnel. It appears that PokerStars will be acquiring the remaining assets of Full Tilt through the Department of Justice. PokerStars has agreed to reimburse monies owed to Full Tilt players everywhere except in the US. Players in the US will have to go through the Department of Justice to claim the money owed. 

Here's the meat of the statement from PokerStars:

The total amount to be paid by PokerStars is USD$547 million which will be payable over a period of three years. The money paid to the US Government will in part be used to reimburse former Full Tilt Poker customers in the United States, through a remission process to be administered by the Department of Justice. PokerStars repaid all amounts owing to its own U.S. customers shortly after it closed its U.S. operations.

Please take a look at the Diamond Flush Poker site for the full statement.

At the very least this is encouraging news. Having to deal with the DOJ (or any government entity) is sure to be a slow, frustrating process. Plus filing a claim for money they are claiming was obtained outside of the law will probably make a number of players think twice before they jump on that train. I guess we'll have to wait a little longer here in the states to see how it all unwinds.

For those who are interested, there's also a FAQ thread at 2+2.

For now there's a ray of hope, which is more than we've had for the past 15 months.

MLB Picks, July 31st

Two games of interest on today's MLB schedule.

$10 on St. Louis (Lohse) over Colorado (Francis) -1 1/2 @ +$115

Lohse is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA this season and is just as good on the highway, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.81 ERA. Francis is a lefty with a 3-2 record and a 4.97 ERA this year and is 1-1, 5.12 at home. The Cards are 7-3 in their last 10 games and 19-11 this season versus southpaws. The Rockies are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

$10 on Oakland (Milone) over Tampa Bay (Shields) -1 1/2 @ +$185

Milone has been stellar at home, posting a 5-1 record with a 0.91 ERA. Shields has been the subject of trade rumors lately, which has hurt his focus. He has struggled in his last three outings, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. The A's have won 13 of their last 15 games. LVH has the best line on this one.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 206.50
Current Bankroll            $1,706.50

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!

Tournament Pokie in Okie

Choctaw Poker Room

When last we met, Tin Man, Lil' Annie Okie, Philly Phanatic, Ms. Duck and I had left the Choctaw Casino to head over to the local Hampton Inn to check in and rest for a little while. The plan was to get back to the casino in time for the $135 buy-in poker tourney that was scheduled to begin at 7 pm.

Both Tin Man and Annie decided not to play at the last minute which meant that Philly and I would be the lone representatives for our contingent. For our $135 we received $5K in chips, with blinds beginning at $25-50 and 20 minute levels. There was late registration available through the fourth level and by the time we got there we had 170 players.

Philly busted out pretty quickly when his pocket aces got cracked by a flush. I was card dead for the first couple of hours and pretty much aggravated my carpel tunnel mucking cards. But when I did get a hand I would get paid off and was able to keep a respectable stack and by the first break after level six, I had better than doubled my stack to a little over $11K.

With blinds and antes becoming significant, play got more aggressive with a lot of pushing with marginal hands. I picked one player off when he shoved with A-7 and I peeked down at Rob's favorite hand, K-K.
I wondered if the poker gods that had been making life miserable for lightning had opted for a change of scenery and joined me in Oklahoma when an ace appeared on the flop. But all was well when a third wise man showed on the turn and held on the river.

Unfortunately I went card dead again late in the tournament, which is never good. I couldn't even get a hand worth considering a push until I finally saw a 7-8 suited and shoved. One player hemmed and hawed for a while, but eventually folded and I was able to steal the blinds and antes.

My final hand was a call rather than a push, which I hate to do, but I thought my hand was strong enough to warrant it. I was down to six BB when a player from middle position shoved for seven BB. He had played solid poker throughout the evening, but I knew he was waiting for any opportunity to get his chips in the middle (as was I), so his range would be wide. I peeked down at pocket tens and winced (just a little) as I made the call. His hand was certainly at the top of his range as evidenced when he flipped pocket queens on their backs. I wasn't able to improve and finished in 33rd place. But only 17 paid, so although I was able to play a little over four hours of poker, I was still out 135 smack-a-roos. On the other hand, 33 out of 170 ain't too bad.

Now after 11 o'clock, Ms. Duck and I still hadn't eaten and found a deli in the casino, split a turkey sandwich and headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.

Our plan was to meet the rest of the gang in the lobby at 9 am for the free breakfast at the Hampton and then head back over to the Choctaw for a little more poker and then drive home after lunch. My poker session that morning includes one interesting hand which I will detail in my final post on our Oklahoma trip.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, July 30th

Only one game on the schedule today that's worth a look.

$20 on Texas (Oswalt) over LA Angels (Santana) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Oswalt is 3-1 with a 5.22 ERA this season, and is 2-0, 3.44 at home. Santana is 0-2 with a hefty 16.00 ERA in his last three trips to the bump and is 2-4, 6.96 on the highway this year. Baseballs seem to fly out of the Rangers home park with ease and Santana has surrendered 23 taters already this season. LVH has the best price on this one.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 226.50
Current Bankroll            $1,726.50

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!

A Little Pokie in Okie

Choctaw Casino and Resort

Ms. Duck and I joined Lil' Annie Okie, Tin Man, and Philly Phanatic for a road trip to the Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma for some poker and casino games.


We left Friday morning for the three hour drive and arrived hungry, so we headed to the casino buffett for a bite. With our newly minted players card, lunch was only $5.99 and included quite a few choices. Southern, Italian, Mexican, and Asian were all available. In addition, there was a nice salad bar and dessert bar.

I started with the chicken tortilla soup, which is one of my favorites. The soup was excellent, one of the best bowls I have eaten anywhere with plenty of meat and a decent kick. There were a few beads of sweat on my forehead by the time I finished, which I take as a good sign. For the main course I selected a sauerkraut baked chicken, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and corn. The chicken was very tasty, but a little dry, and the potatoes were obviously made from scratch and were delicious. 

For dessert I chose a small slice of red velvet cake. Again, the food was excellent and quite a value at less than six bucks.

With full stomachs, Tin Man and I headed upstairs to the poker room only to find a waiting list for the $1-2 NLHE cash game, but a new table was opening as we approached the counter and we were seated immediately. Even better, we were able to sit next to each other, which was nice.

There was a lot of limping early, but the table eventually got a lot more aggressive. I got involved in two or three pots, but whiffed the flop on all of them, and ended up making most of my money on two hands.

In the first hand I made a tough river call when my opponent bet big. All I had was TPTK, which I will usually fold to a sizeable bet in this situation, but this particular villain had been playing aggressively, so I made the call. He mucked his hand and said "nice call."

I raised to $12 from the button on my second big hand. There were four or five limpers in front and I had established a tight aggressive table image, so I thought I might be able to steal with a squeeze play here. I got one caller, which I didn't really like because I was holding A-8, not exactly a stellar hand.

The flop of A-Q-8 hit me hard and things got even better when my opponent tossed $15 in the pot. I raised to $40 and he pushed for $113 more. I didn't like his 3 bet, but I thought that he would raise with either A-Q or Q-Q preflop, so I eliminated those hands from his range. He could have pocket eights and hit his set, but since I had an eight myself, I thought it was unlikely and thought a call was reasonable. He tabled Q-8 for bottom two pair and was drawing to two outs. Amazingly, he didn't hit either one of the other queens and I pulled in a nice pot.

Tin Man and I had been playing for a couple of hours and still needed to check in at a nearby Hampton Inn (rooms were over $300 a night at the Choctaw), so we found the rest of our crew and headed out. Tin Man left $40 to the good and I was up a cool $225.

Our plans were to return to the casino after an hour or two of rest and play in the 7 pm $135 NLHE tourney. Philly Phanatic and I were the only ones in our group that actually played, but I'll save that story for another post.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, July 27th

Two games on the docket today that are worth a peek.

$15 on St. Louis (Lynn) over Chi Cubs (Wood) -1 1/2 @ -$105

Lynn is 12-4 with a 3.10 ERA this season and is 2-0, 0.47 in his last three starts. In his last outing he threw six innings of shutout ball against these same Cubs. Wood is a southpaw that has struggled recently, going 1-2 with an 8.64 ERA in his last three trips to the hill. The Cardinals roughed him up for six runs in six innings in his last start. St. Louis has won seven of their last 10 games and is 18-10 versus leftys.

$15 on Pittsburgh (Karstens) over Houston (Lyles) -1 1/2 @ +$110

Karstens is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last three outings and threw seven innings of shutout ball against Miami his last time out. Lyles is 2-7 with a 5.50 ERA this season. In his last start he gave up five runs in five innings against Arizona. The Pirates have won seven of their last 10 games and are 7-1 versus the Astros this season. Houston has lost 10 straight and 23 of their last 25.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 227.25
Current Bankroll            $1,727.25

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, July 26th

Two games on today's menu that look tasty.

$10 on Seattle (Vargas) over Kansas City (Mendoza) -1 1/2 @ +$180

Vargas is 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last four starts, including six innings of shutout ball against Tampa Bay his last time out. Mendoza is 1-2, 3.66 in his last three trips to the bump. The Royals have lost 7 of their last 10 games. Seattle is 3-1 versus Kansas City this season.

$15 0n Pittsburgh (Burnett) over Houston (Keuchel) -1 1/2 @ -$105

Burnett is 11-3 with a 3.59 ERA this season and gave up only one run in seven plus innings against the Marlins in his last appearance. The Pirates are 13-1 in his last 14 starts. Luechel is 0-2, 6.60 in his last three starts and surrendered six runs in three plus innings his last outing versus the D-backs. Pittsburgh is 6-1 against the Astros this season. Houston has dropped 22 of their last 24 games. 

Trust me, it's hard to be an Astros fan right now, but the new GM is doing what has to be done to make them competitive in the future. That being said, it sucks at the moment.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 195.00
Current Bankroll            $1,695.00

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!

Eating Beaver

Yeah, I thought that headline would get your attention. But it's not what you think, so get your mind out of the gutter.

At our Pokerpalooza Tuesday, my daughter made beaver cupcakes.

Gotcha :)

The hand of the night was between Gentleman Jim and Ray-Ray. The game was Omaha High and when the cards stopped flying, Jim beat Ray-Ray's quad 7s with a straight flush to the J. Wow!

No one really won much money. Ray-Ray, Farmer Harry and J-Dawg all won $6 each. Jim dropped a couple bucks, Glass Man lost $5 and I lost $9.

Stay tuned, heading to Oklahoma Friday!

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, July 25th

Only one game on the menu today, but what a mismatch on paper.

$15 on Cincinnati (Bailey) over Houston (Norris) -1 1/2 @ +$105

Bailey is 4-0 with a 2.64 ERA in his last four starts. Norris is 0-7, 8.91 in his last seven outings. The Reds have won 6 straight and 13 of their last 15. The Astros have been awful, losing eight straight and 21 of 23.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 179.25
Current Bankroll            $1,679.25

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!

"The President Is Dead"

 That's Eddie on the left.

A little piece of history died yesterday.

Chances are you've never heard of Eddie Barker unless you're from the north Texas area. Eddie was the first to report President Kennedy's death on November 22, 1963, scooping the national boys by five minutes.

"Barker spoke often about the killing of Kennedy; after all, it fell to him to break the grim news. As he told our John Anders in September 1993, “I pretty much get credit for coming on the air first. This doctor from Parkland came up to me at the Trade Mart and whispered, `Eddie, he’s dead."

After Eddie told a nationwide CBS audience of the President's death, the network quickly went back to Walter Cronkite in New York. Cronkite immediately stated, "You know, that ain't us folks. That's a hotshot saying he's dead. It's not CBS saying he's dead."

Barker also got the first interview with Marina Oswald, scooping the network boys again.

Click here for more details from the Dallas Morning News on how Eddie got his info first.

Goodbye to a top flight journalist from a bygone era.

MLB Picks, July 24th

Two games in the AL look good today.

$10 on Detroit (Fister) over Cleveland (Jimenez) -1 1/2 @ +$145

Fister is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last three trips to the bump, including a stellar eight inning performance against the Angels in which he only gave up one run. Jimenez has lost some velocity on his fastball and is having control issues, a bad combination that has resulted in a 9.64 ERA in his last three starts. The Tigers have won five straight and 8 of 10. The Tribe has dropped 7 of their last 10. The LVH (formally the Las Vegas Hilton) has the best price on this game.

$10 on Seattle (Hernandez) over NY Yankees (Garcia) -1 1/2 @ +$195

Hernandez on the mound at home and getting almost 2-1 on the run line. I wish I could make this bet every day! Hernandez is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in his last three outings. Garcia is 2-1, but with a 4.15 ERA in his last three. LVH also has the best price on this one.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 169.75
Current Bankroll            $1,669.75

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!

Tin Man Poker Tournament

We only had five runners show for Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney last Friday, which meant it was a short one.

Seated from left to right were Big Daddy, Philly Phanatic, Lil' Annie Okie, Tin Man, and your humble reporter.

Big Daddy was the first to fall on his sword when Philly's two pair was a little higher than Big Daddy's. Annie was Philly's next victim and was the bounty player for the tournament, which meant a $5 bill for Philly.

I KO'ed Tin Man when he pushed with pocket fours and I snap called with Rob's favorite hand, K-K. And just like would happen to Rob, the window card was another four. However, unlike Rob, there was also a third K on the flop and Philly and I were down to heads-up play.

I held a 2-1 chip lead as we started HU play, and was able to win the tournament when my pocket fives held against Philly's A-2.

I dropped my $2 buy in at the cash game, but I played over two hours on that two bucks. I built my stack to almost $10, but the Annie became a card rack and pretty much destroyed the table. On my last hand of the night I got my stack in on the turn with a king high flush and was called by Annie with her nut flush draw. Of course she got there on the river to take down a huge pot.

Women.

Overall I made $7 on the evening, so no complaints.

I'll be heading to Oklahoma for some casino poker this Friday. Ms. Duck and I are going with Tin Man, Lil' Annie Okie, and Philly Phanatic to see if we can separate the Okies from some of their cash. CardPlayer magazine is hosting a tournament series, so if we get there in time on Friday I may sign up for one of them. Whatever happens I'll be filing a report when we get back. Hopefully, it'll be a profitable report :)

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, July 23rd

Two games on the menu today that are worth a peek.

$15 on Washington (Zimmermann) over NY Mets (Young) -1 1/2 @ +$125

Zimmerman is 2-0 with a 0.47 ERA in his last three starts. Young is 0-3, 5.63 in his last three. The Giants have won 6 of 9 versus the Mets this season. NY has dropped 9 of their last 10 games.

$10 on San Francisco (Vogelsong) over San Diego (Richard) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Vogelsong is 4-2 with a 1.43 ERA at home this season and is 7-2, 2.15 in his last 9 starts. Richard is 1-2 with a 4.98 ERA in his last three outings. Both teams have won 7 of their last 9 games. Richard is a lefty and the Giants are 20-9 versus southpaws this season. San Fran has won 4 of the last 5 against the Padres.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 135.50
Current Bankroll            $1,635.50

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 Lost A Kid

But in a good way.

Since there has been several in our blogging circle tackling weight issues to improve their health, I wanted to share a couple of success stories.

Almost two years ago my daughter ended a relationship and decided it was time to drop some weight. A lot of weight. She started on a vegan diet and combined with an exercise plan, has lost 70 pounds. And has kept it off. She now eats chicken, fish, and turkey, but has stayed away from pork and beef.

Sonny Boy, not to be outdone, tipped the scales on New Years Day at 250 pounds. Although he didn't opt for the vegan diet, he did cut out red meat and started on the PX90 exercise program. Yesterday he told me he was down to 180. His goal is 170, then hold there.

Between the two of them, that's 140 pounds. So I figure that equals one kid.

I know losing weight in your twenties is easier than when you get older, but the fact that both of them were able to formulate a plan, then have the discipline to stick with it makes me a proud papa!

Way to go youngins. Good job!

MLB Picks, July 22nd

Getting started a little late today, but the late game looks interesting.

$10 on Texas (Harrison) over LA Angels (Haren) -1 1/2 @ +$145

Harrison is 12-4 with a 2.87 ERA this season and is 9-1, 1.34 in his last 10 starts. Haren is coming off the disabled list, but has struggled most of the year, posting a 6-8 record with a 4.86 ERA. The Halos are 2-7 at home this season in games Haren has started. LA has dropped 6 of their last 9 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 145.50
Current Bankroll            $1,645.50

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!

Driving Across The Ocean

I just saw a Fiat commercial in which a car in Italy (home of the Fiat) drives off a cliff into (presumably) the Mediterranean Ocean. The next scene shows the car driving onto the beach in California. Written at the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial is "Dramatization. Do not try this."

Really? You mean you can't really drive a Fiat across the bottom of the ocean?

Gee, thanks for the tip! That's a handy piece of information to know.

Just how stupid do you think I am?

Wait... don't answer that.

MLB Picks, July 21st

I got home too late for the afternoon games, but there is one night game that looks promising.

$15 on Seattle (Vargas) over Tampa Bay (Cobb) @ +$140

Lefty Vargas is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last three starts. Cobb is 1-2, 5.52 in his last three. The Rays have struggled against southpaws this season, posting an 11-18 record.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 124.50
Current Bankroll            $1,624.50

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, July 20th

 Two games on the schedule today that look interesting, and I'm taking the dog in both.


$10 on Oakland (Milone) over NY Yankees (Nova) @ +$115

Milone is 5-1 with a 1.03 ERA at home this season. Nova is 1-2, 5.00 ERA in his last three starts, including a 6inning, 6 run effort against the Halos his last outing. The A's have won 8 of their last 10 games.

$10 on Chi Cubs (Dempster) over St. Louis (Lohse) @ +$135

How can you bet against Dempster right now. He hasn't allowed a run in 33 innings and has a 0.95 ERA on the highway this season. Lohse is no slouch, posting a 9-2 record and a 2.80 ERA this year. The Cubbies have won 6 of their last 7 games and the Redbirds have dropped 5 of 6.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 123.00
Current Bankroll            $1,623.00

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!

Remote Controled

As I mentioned in a previous post, my Tony Bennett CD was stuck in the player in my truck and Tony was refusing to leave the stage. Well, a few days ago the player quit playing the CD altogether, so I decided to bite the bullet and buy a new unit.

I'm now the proud owner of a brand spanking new Pioneer AM/FM radio with CD player and MP3 compatible, so I can now use my Ipod in the truck. It's got all the bells and whistles, but one accessory in particular grabbed my attention.

A remote control.

Just how lazy do you have to be to use this thing?

"Oh, I don't feel like leaning forward to change the CD, where's my remote?"

Good grief Charlie Brown.

MLB Picks, July 19th

Two games on the docket today that look good.

$20 on Tampa Bay (Price) over Cleveland (Jimenez) -1 1/2 @ +$130

Left handed starter Price is 12-4 with a 2.80 ERA this season and is 4-0 in his last five starts. In his last four he has a 1.76 ERA. Jimenez has a 6.49 ERA on the highway this year and is 1-2 with a 7.31 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. The Tribe is 10-18 against port siders this season. Wynn has the best line this morning.

$10 on Seattle (Hernandez) over Kansas City (Smith) -1 1/2 @ +$115

Hernandez is 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his last six outings, including a complete game shutout against the two time defending AL champs his last start. Smith is 1-2, 9.00 this year and gave up 7 runs in 4+ innings versus the Twins in his last start. KC has lost 7 of their last 8 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                      $ 92.00
Current Bankroll            $1,592.00

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!

BOOM Box!

I found my old 1970s Montgomery Ward boom box under a desk while cleaning up our warehouse at work. I was hoping it would still work and it did, even the cassette player!

How scary is it that I still had a few cassette tapes around to test the player.

The best news is that the radio still works ... sort of. Problem is that it only plays disco tunes, but "that's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh!"

MLB Picks, July 18th

Only one game to my liking on today's MLB schedule.

$15 on Washington (Zimmermann) over NY Mets (Young) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Zimm is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his last four outings. Young is 1-3, 4.91 ERA in his last five. The Nats have beaten the Mets 9 of the last 11. New York is mired in a five game losing streak.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 107.00
Current Bankroll            $1,607.00

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!

Pokerpalooza!

We only had seven runners at the Tuesday night Pokerpalooza at the Duck Blind. Bobby Dee brought some burgers that he had just grilled. Add some chips and an interesting dessert and we were ready to pitch some cards.

My daughter said something about making cookies for dessert tonight. "I'll take the cookie cutter that is shaped like a dog bone. I'll cut off each end and decorate them with colored icing," she said.

"Sounds good," I answered, not really thinking about it. The results are below.

Guess next time I'll listen a little closer!

Seated from left to right at this $20 buy-in, dealers choice limit game were Stamps, Farmer Harry, Gentleman Jim, Ray-Ray, Bobby Dee, Snowman, and moi.

Snowman is the newest addition to our poker group, but he has been one of my closest friends for many years. He dealt blackjack as a young man in Atlantic City, but has played very little poker. We did travel to Vegas with our wives several years ago and played in a tournament together at Planet Ho. He was down to about 6 or 7 BB by the first break and I told him his poker vocabulary should be limited to two words, "All-in!"

The first decent hand he got was pocket eights (snowmen), which he pushed and doubled up. At that moment I dubbed him "Snowman" and the name stuck.

Snowman completed his second round with cancer three months ago. The cancer was in his neck, in the ear area, and traveled north near his brain. He went through a rough surgery, did the radiation and chemo, and lived to tell about it. He is currently in remission, but when I visited him when he was in the middle of his treatment, I was very concerned he was not going to survive. He was one sick puppy, so having him over to play poker tonight was very special.

As I've mentioned before "Cancer sucks," and it was a hard thing to see him go through. Linda Lou also has an interesting post on cancer.

Ray-Ray won the High Hand Jackpot with quad sixes and was the big winner of the night, walking away with a $36 profit. I was next in line with a $14 profit. Harry and Stamps broke even, Bobby and Snowman both dropped about $10 each, and Gentleman Jim took the biggest hit, losing $25.

A fun night with good friends. That's hard to beat!

(I may have made up the part about the cookies... possibly.)

MLB Picks, July 17th

Two games on the menu today that are worth a peek.

$20 on Chi Cubs (Wood) over Miami (Sanchez) @ +$100

Wood is 3-0 with an impressive 0.87 ERA in his last three starts. Sanchez has a 5.00 ERA in his last three. The Cubs have won 4 games in a row and 7 of their last 10. Wynn and the Station casinos have the best price on this match up.

$10 on Oakland (Colon) over Texas (Oswalt) @ +$110

Colon has a 1.62 ERA in his last three outings and 3.80 for the year. Oswalt is 1-1 with an 8.27 ERA in his last three and has a 6.26 ERA for the season. The A's have won 9 of their last 10 games. The Station casinos have a little better line than the rest of them this morning.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 137.00
Current Bankroll            $1,637.00

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 Picks, July 16th

Two games on tap today that look good.

$15 on Cincinnati (Arroyo) over Arizona (Miley) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Arroyo is 1-0 with a 1.99 ERA in his last three trips to the bump, including a complete game shutout against the Padres in his last outing. Miley is 0-2 with a hefty 10.12 ERA in his last three starts. The Redlegs have won 6 straight and the D-backs have lost 7 of their last 10 games.

$10 on Detroit (Porcello) over LA Angels (Santana) -1 1/2 @ +$155

Porcello is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last three trips to the hill. Santana is 0-2, 9.42 in his last three and is 2-4 with a 7.45 ERA on the highway this season. The Tigers have won 7 of their last 10 games.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 136.50
Current Bankroll            $1,636.50

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!

Six Shooter Fires A Blank

We had all 10 league members seated for the seventh tournament of the Vegas Or Bust Poker League. Seated from left to right on your radio dial were Philly Phanatic, Stamps, Tin Man, Lil' Annie Okie, Ollie the Accountant, J-Dawg, Big Daddy, Bobby Dee, Dealer Larry, and Lucki Duck.

The tournaments occur monthly, always of the second Friday, with a total of 16 tourneys. The top two players at the end of league play, which is next April, will win a seat in the 2013 WSOP in Vegas. Airfare and hotel is also included for the winners.

I've started quickly by winning five of the first six tournaments. After finishing third in the inaugural tourney, I had reeled off five wins in a row going into last Fridays contest. I was shooting for number six and knew winning six in a row was a stretch, but so was winning five!

Big Daddy was off and running early, winning several pots with either the best cards or aggressive betting and was the chip leader after the first hour. His aggressive play backfired as the blinds increased and he was the first player eliminated when he ran into two big hands, both held by Ollie.

I was pretty much card dead for the first two hours, only getting one premium hand, which was A-K. I opened raised and got two customers. The flop was all low cards, with two of them suited and all of them connected. I c-bet, trying to sell an overpair and was called by Stamps, who is a very tight player. I checked a blank turn card and folded to Stamps bet. After two hours I had not won a single hand and had lost over a third of my starting stack.

Now into the third hour of play and down to seven BB, I raised 2.5X from the button with K-J and got a call from J-Dawg, who had limped. I whiffed the flop, but had already decided to push any flop that J-Dawg checked to me. He did check and I pushed, causing him to fold his bottom pair. It was only the second hand I won and turned out to be my last.

Lil' Annie Okie and Tin Man were both eliminated, thinning the field to seven. I peeked at my K-T hole cards and open pushed for four BB from the button, getting a call from Bobby Dee who tabled pocket nines. I was actually pleased to be in a coin flip situation, but another nine on the flop left me hoping for a runner-runner straight draw to save me. I was drawing dead after a blank on the turn, but Bobby rubbed salt in the wound by hitting the fourth nine on the river.

Now that's just showing off!

My seventh place finish is by far my worst to date, but it was mainly a lack of cards. I felt like I played pretty solid, but still left the table disappointed.

Stamps won the tournament, with Bobby taking second and Philly third. You can click here if you are interested in the complete standings.

Even though I didn't do well this time, I still have a nice lead through seven months. I'll be looking forward to redeeming myself in August.

I was able to get a few cards in the $2 buy in cash game and walked away $9 to the good, most of it from Big Daddy. Everytime he had a decent hand, mine was a little better. I was also able to win a nice pot from Tin Man when my A-K held over his A-J.

My next night of poker will be our Tuesday night Pokerpalooza. Hopefully I'll have a profitable report for you!

I hope you enjoyed reading my 700th post. I never realized there were so many words floating around in my cranium!

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks July 14th

I don't really see anything I like on today's MLB schedule, though I thought about nibbling on the Cubs/D-backs match up. The Cubs Dempster has an ERA below two this season and hasn't given up an earned run in his last three outings. The Cubs' are hot right now and the D-backs are cold . But Chicago is only 8-18 versus leftys this year and Arizona is sending a southpaw to the hill today, so that is a deal breaker for me.

I hope everyone has a great (and profitable) weekend!

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 136.50
Current Bankroll            $1,636.50

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!

Six Shooter

If you look closely, there really is

a six shooter in this picture.

Tonight is the seventh of sixteen league tournaments in our Vegas Or Bust Poker League. The top two finishers both win seats to next summers WSOP, airfare and hotel included.

Thus far I am leading the standings just short of the half way mark. After finishing third in the inaugural tourney, I have run off five straight wins. Tonight I'll be shooting for number six.

A "six shooter" if you will :)

MLB Picks, July 13th

Two games look interesting on this Opening Day of the second half of the MLB season.

$10 on Cincinnati (Latos) over St. Louis (Wainwright) - 1 1/2 @ +$155

Latos is 7-2 on the season and is 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA in his last three trips to the hill. Wainwright is 2-1 in his last three, but has a 5.00 ERA.

$10 on Chi Sox (Quintana) over Kansas City (Chen) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Quintana is 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA for the year. Chen is 1-2, 7.31 ERA in his last three outings, including a 3+ inning start in which he surrendered 6 runs to the Tigers his last time out. The Pale Hose are a good road team, going 23-16 this season, while the Royals struggled at home as evidenced by their 14-23 record. The White Sox have won 9 of their last 12 games and KC has dropped 8 of 10.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 131.00
Current Bankroll            $1,631.00

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!

Memory Lane

I was going through some old family pictures earlier today, which brought more than one smile to my face as I remember both some great times and great people that have blessed my first 54 years.

Can't wait to see what the next 54 bring :)

Join me on my trip down memory lane. Keep your feet and hands in the car at all times.

This is my parents in high school. One of

my all time favorites.

My Mom on her pony. Mom's 83 now,

so that would make the pony...dead!

My daughter (second from left) and Sonny Boy

(far right) with their cousins, chowing down on

some Bugs Bunny popsicles.

 

 My Dad (center) with my cousin James (left)

and uncle Budge. Oh the stories these three

could (and did) tell!

Me as a duckling with my sister.

The family superheroes, Sonny Boy 

and his cousin Rebecca.

Thanks for sticking with me through this. I enjoyed the trip, hope you did as well.

Now back to our regular programing.

Tuesday Night Pokerpalooza

We had eight runners at the Duck Blind tonight, getting together for a bite to eat and pitch a few cards.

Bobby Dee brought burgers and chips, and my daughter made a delicious Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.

Ollie the Accountant won the High Hand Jackpot for the evening on the very first hand when he hit Aces full of jacks and it was never beaten. He was able to finish the night with an $18 profit, mainly due to the HHJ.

Ray-Ray took the biggest hit, dropping a little over $20, followed by Dealer Larry with a $17 deficit in this $20 buy-in, dealer's choice limit game. Bobby Dee and Farmer Harry both made small profits, and Stamps won $14. J-Dawg lost $16 and I was the big winner on the night, walking away $21 to the good.

My favorite hand was raising from late position with 2-4, betting the flop and turn, then bluffing Bobby Dee off his pair of queens. Of course I had to show my power hand :)

We have our Vegas or Bust Poker League tournament this Friday, so you can expect a report this weekend.

Till next time, win the flips.

Half Time

Although technically we're a little past the half way mark, the MLB All-Star game is generally considered as the conclusion of the first half of the baseball season.

My goal is to turn a $300 profit from my wagers each season. That's a healthy return on a $1,500 bankroll. As you can see below, I'm a little behind the pace I need to make my goal, but there's a lot of baseball left to be played. I just hope July gets better, it's been ugly thus far.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 131.00
Current Bankroll            $1,631.00

Here are some highlights from the first half.

 

 

And don't forget, all the NFL teams open training camp this month!

Tin Man Poker Tournament

We had five runners for Tin Man's $5 NLHE Tourney last Friday.

Seated from left to right on your radio dial were Ranger Rick, Philly Phanatic, Lil' Annie Okie, Tin Man and yours truly.

I was able to build a nice stack early when both Annie and myself hit trips in a hand, but I had her out kicked and took down a nice pot. It didn't last long as I lost most of what I had won when Philly out kicked me when we both hit trips. Deja vu.

Easy come, easy go.

Philly won the bounty by felting Annie. He also knocked out Rick, but was toe tagged by Tin Man.

Once we got to heads up play, I had a 3-2 chip lead, but blinds had gotten so high that we decided to chop the prize money (with me taking slightly more) and move on to the cash game.

In an early hand in the cash game, I open raised from the cut off with the Grump (4-2). Both blinds called and we saw a flop of A-3-5. Bingo! Unlike last week, everyone folded to my bet, but I did take the opportunity to show the hand, which got a big giggle from my table mates.

All in all, it was a good night for me and I walked away with an extra $21 in my pocket. I didn't mind bringing Presidents Jackson and Washington home at all!

It looks like a few of us might head up to Oklahoma later this month to play a tourney or two and some cash games. If we do I'll report how we fare.

Till next time, win the flips.

MLB Picks, July 6th

There are a couple of AL games today that are worth a peek.

$20 on Cleveland (Masterson) over Tampa Bay (Cobb) -1 1/2 @ +$150

Masterson is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his last three trips to the hill. Cobb is 1-2, 5.31 in his last three and is 1-2, 5.85 on the highway. The Rays have dropped 7 of their last 10 games. Caesars has a little better price than everyone else on this one.

$20 on Oakland (Milone) over Seattle (Millwood) -1 1/2 @ +$150

Milone throws from the port side and carries a 2-1 record with a 0.86 ERA in his last three starts coming into tonight's match up. He has been tough to hit at home, going 5-1 with a 0.99 ERA. Millwood is 0-1, 6.39 ERA in his last three trips to the bump. The Mariners are 10-16 versus leftys this season. Caesars also has the best line on this game.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 121.00
Current Bankroll            $1,621.00

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!

The Glenn Miller Story

It was late to bed at my house last night. Around ten o'clock I was channel surfing and came across an old movie that I hadn't seen in a while and decided to watch for a few minutes.

"The Glenn Miller Story," starring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson was on the Turner Classic Movie channel. Although my father liked to listen to Artie Shaw, Ray Coniff, and Jackie Gleason, Glenn Miller was always his favorite.

One of my fondest memories is of him playing his little green tonette to every song on Miller's playlist. He didn't read music, but had an amazing ear for it and never missed a note. Glenn Miller is so closely tied to my memory of my father, that it was 12-18 months after his death before I could bear to listen to a Miller tune.

Because of his love for Miller's music, every time the movie was on TV he would watch it. And last night I was up past midnight doing the same thing. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all.

I've included a video of a Miller classic (my Dad's favorite) to get you in the mood and also a cover of the same tune by one of my favorite bands (BSO).

Enjoy!

 

 

MLB Picks, July 5th

Although there's a pretty heavy schedule today, I don't see any match ups I like well enough to put any scratch on, so I think I'll sit on the bench and watch today. I hope everyone had a great 4th!

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 121.00
Current Bankroll            $1,621.00

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 Picks, July 4th

I see two games I like on today's holiday schedule.

$10 on Cincinnati (Leake) over LA Dodgers (Harang) -1 1/2 @ +$125

Leake is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last three starts. Harang is 0-2, 5.87 ERA in his last five. The Dodgers are 4-13 in their last 17 games.

$15 on Miami (Johnson) over Milwaukee (Wolf) -1 1/2 @ +$140

Johnson is 2-2 witha tidy 1.87 ERA in his last five trips to the bump. Wolf is 0-1, 9.19 in his last three starts, including a four inning, seven run effort his last time out.

Starting Bankroll           $1,500.00
Profit/Loss                     $ 146.00
Current Bankroll            $1,646.00

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!

Full Tilt Executive Arrested In New York

Full Tilt's Ray Bitar was arrested yesterday in New York by federal authorities.  Bitar's statement is below.

Today, I returned voluntarily to the U.S. from Full Tilt’s headquarters in Ireland to face the charges against me. I know that a lot of people are very angry at me. I understand why. Full Tilt should never have gotten into a position where it could not repay player funds. for the last 15 months, I have worked hard on possible solutions to get the players repaid. Returning today is part of that process. I believe we are near the end of a very long road, and I will continue to do whatever is required to get the players repaid.  I hope that will happen soon.

Thank you.

The full story is posted at DiamondFlushPoker.com.

I feel so much better knowing Mr. B will "continue to do whatever is required to get the players repaid."

Uh huh, sure you will.