Cranky Olde Coot's blog

World Series of Poker: Survivor's Prayer List

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:44:53 +0100

Let's be honest, there are WSOP officials on their knees every morning praying that at least one BIG name player makes it to the November final table. Nevermind what they say in public, ESPN programmers are burning incense and killing chickens hoping that someone everyone knows makes it to the final nine.

I heard a veteran poker writer say the other day that if a big name pro gets as close as Scotty Nguyen did last year, they would drag him away from the table so he can't donk off his chips and miss the monster TV event.

So who is still around to fulfill this fantasy?

Dag Martin Mikkelsen 931000
Alexander Kostritsyn 887000
Matt Matros 822500
Jon Turner 726500
Shawn Sheikhan 724000
Brandon Cantu 710000
Jeff Kimber 632500
Phil Hellmuth 475000
Victor Ramdin 471000
Mark Vos 468000
Hoyt Corkins 439500
Mike Matusow 438500

World Series of Poker 2008: Mixed Championship Questions (Updated)

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:45:44 +0100

Well they got through the record breaking 3,929 players in Event #2 with a couple of very long nights and I think they learned their lesson that a "four day event" with two day ones is really just a three day event with a very nasty, long day two.

Today is the brand new $10,000 Mixed Game Championship. Eight different poker games in one event. A really interesting event they have created here. But there is (was?) ~~a big problem with the structure.~~ [see late ADDENDUM below]

The games are:

1) Deuce-to-seven triple draw;
2) Fixed-limit hold'em;
3) Omaha-8 (hi/lo split);
4) Razz;
5) Seven-card stud;
6) Seven-card stud (hi/lo split, 8 or better);
7) No-limit hold'em;
8) Pot-limit Omaha.

This is the structure:

Tables are eight handed. Each level is one hour. The games changes every eight hands BUT they also change based on the clock. In the first twenty minutes of each round, games 1, 2, 3 are rotated. In the second twenty minutes, games 4, 5, 6 rotate every eight hands; the last twenty minutes of each hour, games 7 & 8 are played.

Here is (was) the problem. Both Hi/Lo games are (were) going to be shorted hands. With only twenty minutes to play three games (24 hands) they simply are not going to get full rounds of either Omaha 8 (game 3) or Stud 8 (game 6). In fact, at some tables they would not even get to games 3 or 6 in rounds slowed by a couple of action hands in the early games.

Players are (did?) going to complain but once the event has begun, it is difficult to change the structure sheet. They should just play eight hands of each game and use the clock to change the blinds, antes and bring-ins but not the games.

ADDENDUM: The published (currently published) structure sheet for this event does not have the 20 minute per set limit as originally stated. The games are being played 8 hands each and the time clock adjusts the blinds and antes during whichever round the tables are on. This means that tables will be playing different games at different times as the event progresses, which is why other mixed games, like H.O.R.S.E. are played by the clock and not by the number of hands and perhaps why this event was structured differently at some point. Congratulations to the WSOP staff for making this modification.

One question: When there are redraws for seats will all tables restart at the beginning of the structure sheet with game one? And if so, what happens to the clock?

Satan Speaks on U.S. Online Poker Ban

Thu, 01 May 2008 03:48:26 +0100

The chief architect of the Internet gambling ban on Tuesday said he is losing patience with the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury as they struggle to craft regulations to enforce the ban.

Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said the regulations are a year overdue, according to the 2006 prohibition statute. Kyle is quoted as mumbling:

"The longer it goes the less certainty there is. I mean, the people who are violating the law need to know that they're not going to be able the get away with it, and I think that the failure to get these regulations promulgated on time has perhaps given some hope, and it's given life even to an idea over in the House of Representatives to put a moratorium on the regulations."

Kyl was referring to a bill introduced April 11 by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas. The Frank-Paul bill would block the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department from completing regulations to enforce the ban.

The legislation followed a financial services subcommittee hearing April 2 in which Federal Reserve and Treasury Department officials said the regulations are difficult to complete, partly because the 2006 ban does not define unlawful Internet gambling.

Louise Roseman, director of bank operations and payment systems for the Federal Reserve, also testified that the prohibition of Internet gambling cannot be "ironclad."

Another bill, which Frank introduced last year, would repeal the Internet gambling ban and require the Treasury Department to regulate Internet gambling in the United States .

Despite his frustration with the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, Kyl said he is not worried about efforts to block the regulations and roll back the online wagering ban.

"I would be concerned if something like that were to be adopted by the House ... I'm not sure that the momentum is there to actually get it done."

Jay Lakin, vice president of Poker Source Online and an opponent of the Internet gambling ban, said he reluctantly agrees.

"While many efforts have been made on behalf of overturning (the ban), so far it's just been bills and words on paper," Lakin said. "Nothing has moved forward. Until there's a change in Washington , I don't think we'll see much of a change."

(North) Latin America Poker Tour

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:41:11 +0100

When the Latin America Poker Tour was first announced it was hard not to notice that about half of the tournaments were going to be played in South America. Now if I remember correctly the term "Latin America" refers to a particular portion of the geography of the Americas and some residents of South America are a bit touchy about being included under the designation of "Latin" America. Well now that has all been remedied because the promoters of the LAPT have announced they will be adding tournaments in the United States and Canada. Apparently Mexico has been left out because the tour directors couldn't find it. Hint: Look in the southern portion of North America, just north of Latin America but do not use the map provided above. Oh nevermind. Here is the official sounding announcement.

Vega Promotional Systems announced it is expanding its Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) to include North American venues. The name of the Tour has changed to become the "Poker Tour of the Americas" (PTA). As a result of increased interest from cities all over North and South America, Vega has agreed to expand the Tour's reach to include cities in the United States and Canada.

The plan for the inaugural season remains the same. The company is currently negotiating with venues in several Latin American countries, including Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica.

Israel to Block Poker Sites

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:58:14 +0000

We have all heard a phrase that goes something like: "Hold'em is a game that takes a moment to learn and a lifetime to master." Or something similar to that. Well here is a new one for Poker in the Twenty-First Century:

"Internet Poker a moment to learn and a million years to regulate by every dumbass bureaucrat with half-a-brain and a moral compass made out of silly putty."

I must say the proposed Israeli solution, which is rumored to have no chance to pass the High Court of Israel, but I must say this new solution is not all that bad an idea. The proposed law unfortunately lumps poker in with pornography and "violence websites" but the idea is that they all will be blocked from any internet connection in all of Israel. However, one phone call will allow you to access any blocked site. In this way, the children are protected.

Its certainly better than an outright ban. And it really doesn't seem like much of a burden to make a call and say: "Give me naked fat chicks!" Opps! I mean: "I want my online poker please."

Whether it passes or not, this latest proposal will go into the ever growing ledger of Internet prohibition proposals by politicians who hate to allow citizens to actually exercise personal freedom. Chalk up a venial human rights sin for the Israelis.

Cheating at Online Poker

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:44:58 +0000

It is way past time that someone had a few sane words to combat all of those "high moral" opinions being yelped about all over the web. Our topic today: cheating at poker on the internet. By the way I respect your right to find my words insane or at least devoid of morals or standards. I will exercise those same rights when your four letter responses arrive duct taped to the back of turtles. These are opinions, you have the right to hold different ones, which does not make mine any less valid or logical. So here goes:

There is very little real cheating in online poker.

What we have are a bunch of very stupid rules that do not take into consideration either the reality of the internet or the basics of human nature. Time and time again, it has been proven that making rules which have no possibility of being enforced is a fool's errand. We don't need to have this legal and social debate again in the tiny world of online poker. Governments have gone through this redundant exercise for centuries to the same conclusion: If you can't enforce it, don't legislate it. So here are the rules.

If you can see the other players cards; you are a cheat, a crook and a thief.

Because I am in the middle of a rant, I will refrain from any absolute comments on this topic, other than to say that this is the ultimate example of cheating and must be prevented and when it does happen there actually ought to be real punishment.

One player to a hand is a incredibly stupid and unenforceable rule.

Base on the nature of the internet, no rules should be written that cannot be enforced. I had my nephew play my hand for nearly an hour this past Sunday, while I finished cooking dinner. He would call out the cards and I would tell him what to do and in the process he learned a bit about early MTT strategy. Some will say: "Well the intent here was not to cheat." But others claim: "Rules are rules." I agree with the rules are rules people, but they have to be rules for everyone and since certain rules cannot be enforced, they are not rules but suggestions for high moral behavior, which belong in the pulpit and not at the poker table.

Multi-Accounting cannot be prevented with today's technology.

Go to any wired college dorm in the world and you have the ability for multiple player accounts with different ISP tags. Or stay at a certain Las Vegas casino hotel and discover you cannot play on one of the bigger poker websites because several months ago two players in different rooms tried to play the same tournament and now the hotel's ISP is blocked. Same logic as above, if it cannot be monitored and prevented then it should not be a rule. Sorry folks, I know the purists want everyone to play fair but they don't. The only way to catch people and punish them is if they are: a) stupid and allow simply software detection; or b) they talk about it in public. I am OK with punishing the stupid but making honesty a crime seems counter-productive.

Self incrimination is simply speaking the truth.

This brings me to my one solid suggestion: Players shall not be punished based on their own words. You know that thorny issue of self incrimination. Some players admit they have taken over accounts of other players. So they should be punished for telling the truth about what happens in every major tournament every weekend on the net. Why? The truth is that since account sharing cannot be prevented, it should not be illegal.

Yes, I know there are legal arguments against each of my positions. But reason and logic should prevail here not morals or wishin' and hopin'. I would like internet poker to be as fair and level a playing field as live games but that is not possible at this time. Internet gaming creates a different kind of poker with different rules and only rules that recognize the reality of the uniqueness of the internet should even attempt to be enforced.

Show one, show all. Catch one, catch all or leave everyone alone. Why is learning to use poker spy software any less of a skill than learning how to slowplay or bluff? Why..... ah enough, end of rant. I gotta get back to my game, I am leading a tournament and I am in ninth place too.

Poker Threatens United States Security!!!

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:45:17 +0000

OK, we all know that the United States government made some trade deals with the Europeans and Antigua-Barbuda and several other countries, in order to enforce the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. Now it seems some taxpayers would like to know exactly the terms of those trade deals. Seems simply enough, right?

So, it seems freelance writer Ed Brayton filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get the financial details of these trade agreements. The United States Trade Representative responded by telling Brayton that the information he requested was classified because of national security.

"Be advised that the document you seek is being withheld in full pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1), which pertains to information that is properly classified in the interest of national security pursuant to Executive Order 12958."

Brayton writes on his blog,

"Americans, according to this administration, have no right to know how many billions of our tax dollars they've spent with no legislative authorization whatsoever in order to buy the cooperation of other nations and allow them to continue to violate the rights of American adults by preventing them from gambling in the privacy of their own home."

I really want to say something witty or mean and perhaps even sound disgusted but this is just too stupid for words. The only thing that really scares me is that there probably are some Washington officials who really believe that poker is a national security issue; that and we pay these people's salaries to be this incredibly stupid in public.

And finally for U.S. voters, some actual political poker humor.

NBC Heads Up Line-up

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:00:27 +0000

NBC Television announced the 64 "Invitations" to their Heads Up Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas next month. As with any exclusive list, there were and are omissions, favorites and just some questionable choices. Appropriately cranky comments follow the list:

1. Alexander, Jason (celebrity)
2. Antonius, Patrik (player)
3. Bellande, Jean-Robert (player)
4. Benyamine, David (player)
5. Brown, Chad (player)
6. Brunson, Doyle (player)
7. Brunson, Todd (player)
8. Chan, Johnny (player)
9. Cheadle, Don (celebrity)
10. Clements, Scott (player)
11. Cloutier, T.J. (player)
12. Cunningham, Allen (player)
13. Deeb, Freddy (player)
14. Duke, Annie (player)
15. Dwan, Tom (online player)
16. Edler, Bill (player)
17. Elezra, Eli (player)

I Coulda Been Goin' to Rio!

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:00:40 +0000

OK the U.S. Congress screwed up a lot of people with that dumb ass Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act. Personally, I lost access to my two favorite online poker sites and the sites I now play on have complicated machinations to get my money in and out. I also had a nice chunk of my bankroll tied up with Neteller for nearly a year and I have to write letters to politicians who I wouldn't let in my dog's house. Yes, yes, ever red-blooded American (French, German, Turkish, Canadian, Danish, etc.) poker player has some or all or more complaints about the meddling politicians around the world, who just can't seem to leave us the hell alone.

But I have a new, very personal complaint.

Every time I log into one of the sites I play poker on, I see new promotions to win a seat in Aussie Millions or the European Poker Tour or any number of WPT or WSOP events. I take a shot once in awhile but mostly I am happy to go to my local cardroom on Friday and and to spend the rest of my poker bankroll in online tournaments. But I have had one big travel dream all of my life. I would like to go to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival.

So image my surprise and image the hate-filled nasty, nasty, nasty letter I send my congresslady when I saw the Party Poker promotion for Carnival in Rio next month. PartyPoker is sending eight players to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Me! I should be going! This was my trip to win [insert long-winded, barely coherent rant about politicians, loss of personal freedom and several four and nine letter words that should not be spoked within 300 meters of schools or churches].

Yes, you play poker to win the prize package but once you are in Rio it is pure fun. Hotel, airfare, seats at the grand parade and a big chunk of spending money.

But I live in the land of the semi-free run by brave-less weasels, so I can't open my Party account and play for the dream vacation of my life.

You Bastards!

Punishing Online Poker Players

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:39:41 +0000

Turkish daily newspaper "Zaman" has reported that the Turkish government now intends to punish any residents caught playing poker on the internet. Caught that is, not playing on the Turkish government site.

The fine will be 100 Turkish Lira for every game they are caught playing. The article hinted that over 4,000 players have already been identified as illegal poker players and that, on average, they have been found to have played 12 games online or an average 1200 Lira fine. I guess multi-screening would be a bad bankroll choice in Turkey.

Remember the Turks are not against gambling and the country's IDDAA gaming firm is partially owned by the state. They only wish to keep foreign companies out of the Turkish market.

Isn't it great that more advanced, democratic governments like the United Kingdom, France, United States and Germany are not engaging in such over zealous regulation. Oh wait, they are!

Better that the locals play the Government's game, and so allow the Government to keep all and any profits. Either that or live in a country that prohibits online poker completely.

Poker Wars: UK vs. US

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:59:21 +0000

This week the United Kingdom and the United States have escalated their previously simmering war over online poker.

The UK has the 2005 Gambling Act that regulates where companies must be in order to do business in the UK. These are the famous "White Zones". Well now the UK regulators have decided that it is illegal to offer online qualifiers for live tournaments unless the live tournament is also held in a venue that resides inside of the white zones.

The U.K. Gambling Commission issued an advisory on Friday that says gambling companies that offer seats to foreign tournaments are violating the 'current advertising rules set out in the Gambling Act 2005'.

"It has come to the Commission's attention that a number of operators are offering places at overseas poker tournaments as prizes in U.K.-based competitions."

Several UK regulated online poker sites and even some of the live casinos in the United Kingdom have been offering seats in a cash-prize tournament hosted outside the United Kingdom as prizes in their events. The offering of such prize in a regulated tournament amounts to 'advertising of non-U.K. gambling, as defined by section 327 of the Gambling Act 2005'.

"Unless the overseas tournament is based in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, or in white-listed jurisdictions, the advert is likely to amount to the advertising of 'foreign gambling,' which constitutes an offence under Section 331 of the Gambling Act 2005."

When translated into a language that can be understood on both sides of the pond:

"The World Series of Poker takes place in Las Vegas and Las Vegas is definitely not white! Nor are Macau, Sydney or Melbourne."

Leave it to the US trade negotiators to pull a stunt even more brazen. The US has agreed to give up billions of trade dollars to keep all EU gaming sites out of the US market. So the war is on and the citizens on both sides will pay for the conflict in higher taxes and less access to leisure cyber activities because the politicians are more interested in legislating conduct than serving their constituents.

Poker Skill vs. Luck

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:48:29 +0000

I have probably said this before, I think the whole Luck vs. Skill discussion is stupid. First of all, there is no luck in poker; what everyone calls luck is actually variance. Variance is a measurable constant, subject to regular laws of mathematics and not some random happening of the univese. Second and more important this Skill vs. Luck debate detracts from the more important issue of personal freedom. No one and I mean no one has the right to restrict my personal freedom when I am not harming anyone else. Playing poker harms no one. Just drop the "Saving the Children" drivel and the "Terrorist Laundering Money" crap. Individuals earn their money and have the right to use that money any way they choose. It's call freedom.

I bring this up today because of a BBC piece that aired the various views in the Luck versus Skill conversation. Below you will find a few of the semi-salient points in that discussion. Take a moment and read it through and I hope you have the reaction I did. Someone is having a debate about all the wrong issues. Doesn't matter what country you live in or where your server is or how far you have to drive to find a "legal" cardroom. Somebody in some government office is looking for a way to stop you from playing poker. Don't you want to do something about that?

U.S. Poker Player Challenge

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:26:34 +0000

This is my favorite time of year because this is the only time of the year when my favorite fictional character gets any honest acknowledgment by the media.

I mean who doesn't love a guy who makes the spirit of the holidays evident to everyone?

Now to all the poker players in the United States, it is well past time that you gave someone a lump of coal in their stocking; so take a look at the following list, if you do not find the name of your Congressperson on that list, then it is well past time to act.

Just click the link below the list and take five minutes to get your poker rights restored.

Oh and I guess if your representative is on the list, you could write them a nice note of thanks but that is so not in my nature.

LIST: 45 co-sponsors of the Frank Bill to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, these are the good guys:

Poker Sites You Never Heard Of...

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:02:37 +0000

It makes sense that you don't advertise a product in a market where you cannot sell the product. But if you live in single restricted market you might never even know that another, perhaps better, product exists.

Due to various governmental interventions the ability to play online poker is restricted in many countries. The United States, of course, has had the UIGEA law for over a year. France continues to limited access to its internet public, as does Turkey, Sweden and several other EU countries. The UK has some bizarre advertising regulations based on where you put your servers and there are the still unclear but heavily controlled or banned practices in China, India, Indonesia and the rest of the Far East. Governments in South America and Africa are each devising more or less restrictive regulations to control how citizens there will access the "free" internet.

So if you live in one of these restricted locations (and you do!) not only are you prevented from playing poker on some of your favorite sites, you will not even know that many new poker sites are appearing everyday. Contrary to the common perception in heavily regulated areas, the choices for online poker are increasing worldwide not decreasing.

High Stakes Poker

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:43:37 +0100

When I am in the US, I try to watch episodes of High Stakes Poker. In the UK we don't get any TV coverage of the show, which is a shame because this is one of the best televised poker shows around with all the big name players. There is big entertainment value with all of the side chat between the players. It seems like the players actively participate in making the show lively and interesting.

For those with no access to the television show, let me point you to a website that has all of the first three seasons and each of the season 4 shows, just a day after they air in the US. What I like about this site is that the shows are unedited and run just as they did in the televised version. Turn your sound up, some of the side chatter is the funniest.