LET US GOGOGO

Alright so tonight I played in this private donkament on Stars. $11 no-limit. As usual, played well in the beginning and then blew up at the end. There were two questionable hands. With the blinds at 75/150, and 8 handed, UTG+1 opens for 300. I am next to act and have A J . I consider moving in but the UTG player was pretty passive. I decide to flat call the 300 with only 1355 effective stack behind (I have him covered by 600 chips). Luckily for me everyone else folds.  Flop comes down K 4 4 . He checks, I put him all in, he calls with AA, and of course I can't hit my flush. My bet was more than pot sized, but anything commits me there, so I figured I'd put him in and if he had something like 99/TT/JJ, maybe he folds since it's for all his chips. I think my mistake though was preflop, shouldn't have even been involved in the hand. If I had unsuited AJ, I would have folded without much thought. Two hands later I'm UTG with the blinds the same and I move in for 600 wi

Straight from duplicatepoker.com: Dear players, Duplicate is sadly bidding farewell to its players. Caught in the middle of the global financial situation the company is not able to continue to provide service. We are a small victim of the global financial crisis. Regretfully as of the today, October 5th, 2008 we are closing our service. We thank our players for being with us. Hopefully at later time and in a better economic climate Duplicate Poker will re-appear. Sincerely, The Duplicate Poker Team Customercare@duplicatepoker.com --- I requested a withdrawal of my $.48 balance. Maybe I should have let them keep it, they clearly need it more than I do.

I was suffering from a case of insomnia last week so I turned on NBC and watched Poker After Dark. During the broadcast there was a commercial for a poker site I had never heard of. The setting was a funeral, where the deceased had died of "too many bad beats". Then a spokesman came on and said, "Don't let this happen to you" and gave the plug for Duplicate Poker. The next day I went online, downloaded the software and checked it out. There was a short video explaining how the site worked. There are different games and tournaments, but the basic format is the same. You get into a game and sit at a table. At the same time other players take their seats at other tables, but in the same game or tournament. All of the tables have the same number of players. For the duration of the game every table gets dealt the same cards. So if you're on the button and get A J , the player on the button at the other table or tables are looking at the exact same hand. And the

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 * Spring 1903 * Fall 1903 * Spring 1904 * Fall 1904 * Spring 1905 Negotiations: Yeah, about that.... Every player is on his own at this point. I am fighting Italy, but don't want Russia to win the game. Italy is now fighting Russia, but in the process of stabbing me also. Meanwhile Russia is on his way to a solo victory, so he clearly benefits from this arrangement. I just have a wait and see approach. If Russia makes it to 18 centers by this turn, good game. If not, I'll see if I could get Italy to ally against him. Truth be told, I didn't mind if Russia ended it here though. It would be a long fight ahead, and if my citizens were still speaking en francais at the end, that's good enough. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE Norwegian Sea -> resolved Wales MOVE Liverpool -> Bounced FRANCE Burgundy MOVE Marseilles -> Bounced English Channel HOLD -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean MOVE North Africa ->

Time for another update. * Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 * Spring 1903 * Fall 1903 * Spring 1904 * Fall 1904 Negotiations: After stabbing my only ally, I go back to Russia and offer him support. I tell him that I will help him achieve a solo victory. I was a little sour towards Italy since he is attacking me in the south so I was happy to have Russia win instead of an Italian victory or Russia/Italy split win. However, I still wasn't conceding defeat at this point. I figured if Russia could get up to 15-16 centers, I could go back to Italy and say "Hey, if we don't work together Russia is going to win." Anyway, Russia asks for support into the North Sea and I agree to give it to him. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE North Sea -> Attack broken by f nwy - nth Wales MOVE London -> Bounced FRANCE Burgundy HOLD -> resolved English Channel SUPPORT Norway to North Sea -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean SUPPORT Marseilles to Spain (Sout

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 * Spring 1903 * Fall 1903 * Spring 1904 Alright, got some time to update this before I go to bed. Matt, appreciate the comments so far. Certainly makes this much more interesting to do. Negotiations: Germany wants me to support him in Munich (holding) and support HOL-KIE. I tell him I will do so. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE North Sea -> Bounced Liverpool MOVE Wales -> resolved FRANCE English Channel SUPPORT Wales to London -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean MOVE Western Mediterranean -> Bounced Burgundy MOVE Marseilles -> Bounced Spain HOLD -> resolved Ruhr MOVE Belgium -> resolved Wales MOVE London -> resolved ITALY Aegean Sea MOVE Smyrna -> Bounced Piedmont MOVE Marseilles -> Bounced Tyrrhenian Sea MOVE Gulf of Lyons -> resolved Western Mediterranean HOLD -> resolved Kiel HOLD -> resolved Tyrolia MOVE Munich -> resolved Albania MOVE Tunis -> resolved Constantinople

Not so long after my last post I checked my email and find that UB gave me a free $10 to play with. Take that along with the other $2.25 in my account and sit at the highest stakes possible, NL $50 full-ring. It just so happens to be a Bad Beat Jackpot table as well. Need to lose with quad 8s or better to qualify. Jackpot was around $189k, but some of that gets split between the other players at the table. Anyway, sit down, post in the CO. First hand 85o. Get a limper and a raise to $2.50 in early position, so fold. Fold the next crappy hand, and then get A 6 . Limper in EP, I decide to muck. Nice looking hand if I was deeper stacked. Flop comes A68 with 1 , turn blank, river 6. Would have coolered a guy who had 86. Someone else went to showdown as well, forget what he had. But Lame. Next hand I get dealt T T . Folded to me somewhere in middle position, I make it $2.50, five times the big blind. It gets folded to the blinds, who both call. Again, lame. Flop comes Q 7 2 . Checked to me

In the ever continuing journey to find other games besides poker, I have landed on Moola (well, I actually landed there last summer but I have just recently starting playing again after a long hiatus). For those who are unfamiliar, it is a site where you can make money playing games (and doing a few other things as well). The site starts you off with $.01 and you play games at different levels and try to keep doubling up. When you get to $10, you can cash out. There's 3 games, and the one I enjoy most of all is gold rush. It's a fun game and involves psychology and probability like poker. You start with 6 gold nuggets, representing 1,2,3,4,5, and 6 lbs. Your opponent gets the same, and the mine has 1-6 lb. nuggets as well. One by one, the nuggets are drawn from the mine and you bid with your opponent on each nugget. There's 6 rounds, winner of each gets the value of all 3 nuggets and you need 32 lbs to win the game. Here's an example from a game I played earlier. Here

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 * Spring 1903 * Fall 1903 Wanted to update this earlier, especially with some added insight, but it's been a busy week. Here goes. Negotiations: I have a tough decision to make at this point. Russia contacts me and tries to persuade me to grab a few German centers while I can. Meanwhile, I maintain contact with Germany and try to put a plan together, while I'm thinking about stabbing him. The other option is helping him regain a few of his centers and setting the Italian back while Russia grows. That way we may be able to form a 3-way alliance against Russia to stop him from winning outright. Also, while that is going on I still have to worry about Italy in the south. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE North Sea -> Attack broken by f lon - nth Liverpool HOLD -> resolved FRANCE English Channel SUPPORT London to North Sea -> resolved Irish Sea MOVE Mid-Atlantic Ocean -> resolved Burgundy SUPPORT Bohemia t

So Cardboard Poker gave me $10 free to play with, so I went in there and fucked around. Basically didn't feel like grinding it out, so I'm going for broke here. I needed 2500 points to clear the bonus, so my plan was to just play at the highest level possible until I cleared the bonus or went broke. Played a few nights ago at NL $25, got the roll up over $20, got bored so quit and tonight went back in and played NL $100 full ring. I'm down to $18 when the following hand comes up. I'm on the button holding the K Q . It's folded to me. I raise to $4. SB calls, BB (new to the table who I have absolutely no read on) shoves for $22 and change. I call, what else can I really do?. SB folds, and we're all-in. Before the cards dealt, a pop-up appears and asks me if I want to run it twice. I of course click yes as fast as I could. Fortunately, my opponent agrees and the money is split into two pots. The cards are turned over and I'm in horrible shape, as he shows th

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 * Spring 1903 Negotiations: My main negotiation this turn is to plead with Russia to let me keep Liverpool. As previously mentioned, he can help England get it back and there's nothing I can do about it. I urge him to set his sights on Edinburgh instead. Orders: ENGLAND Yorkshire MOVE Edinburgh -> resolved Wales MOVE Liverpool -> resolved Norwegian Sea MOVE Norway -> Bounced FRANCE English Channel MOVE Wales -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean MOVE English Channel -> resolved Liverpool HOLD -> Retreat Burgundy HOLD -> resolved Belgium HOLD -> resolved Spain HOLD -> resolved ITALY Greece SUPPORT Ionian Sea to Aegean Sea -> resolved Ionian Sea MOVE Aegean Sea -> resolved Venice MOVE Piedmont -> resolved Tyrrhenian Sea MOVE Western Mediterranean -> resolved Tyrolia MOVE Munich -> resolved Bulgaria HOLD -> resolved Albania SUPPORT Greece to hold -> resolved GERMA

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 * Fall 1902 Negotiations: The alliances are pretty much set. I exchange pleasantries with Italy and Russia, but Germany and I talk strategy. I agree to help him into London this turn. Orders: ENGLAND London SUPPORT Liverpool to Wales -> Support cut by f nth - lon Norwegian Sea CONVOY Norway to Clyde -> resolved Liverpool MOVE Wales -> resolved FRANCE Irish Sea MOVE Liverpool -> resolved Picardy MOVE Burgundy -> resolved Brest MOVE Mid-Atlantic Ocean -> resolved English Channel SUPPORT North Sea to London -> resolved Belgium HOLD -> resolved Portugal MOVE Spain -> resolved ITALY Albania MOVE Trieste -> Bounced Tyrrhenian Sea SUPPORT Naples to Ionian Sea -> resolved Venice MOVE Tyrolia -> resolved Rome MOVE Venice -> resolved Naples MOVE Ionian Sea -> resolved Serbia MOVE Bulgaria -> resolved Greece MOVE Aegean Sea -> Bounced GERMANY Holland HOLD -> resolved Munich MOVE Boh

Drafted my fantasy baseball team today. 10 person league, standard 5x5 categories. Here's my 25 players. 1. (9) Chase Utley 2B Best player available at that point, but arguably a top 5 pick. Offers good AVG, RBI, and R, but should be good for 10+ steals and ~30 homers as well. 2. (12) Carl Crawford OF Clearly the steal king of MLB with four stolen base crowns in five years. Offers around 80 RBIs as well and a batting average around .300. 3. (29) Mark Teixeira 1B .300-30-100 player last year, but with a full year in Atlanta (and a FA year to boot) he should thrive. Good for production in every category but SBs. 4. (32) Carlos Lee OF Another strong power hitter who had a career high 119 RBIs last year. He even gives you 10+ SBs. 5. (49) Nick Markakis OF Filled my outfield in the first five picks, but hard to pass on this rising star. A bargain at #49. 6. (52) Brian McCann C Catcher posi

Won't bother giving you my whole bracket, but here's my final four and championship picks. Elite Eight: UNC over Louisville Georgetown over Vanderbilt Pitt over Stanford UCLA over Xavier Final Four: UNC over Georgetown UCLA over Pitt Final: UNC over UCLA

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 * Spring 1902 Negotiations: I t alk to three countries. Germany obviously, but also Russia to finally stab England in Norway and Italy to keep our non-aggression pact. Orders: ENGLAND North Sea MOVE London -> resolved Liverpool MOVE Irish Sea -> Attack broken by f mid - iri Norway MOVE Norwegian Sea -> resolved London MOVE Wales -> resolved FRANCE English Channel SUPPORT Mid-Atlantic Ocean to Irish Sea -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean MOVE Irish Sea -> resolved Picardy SUPPORT Belgium to hold -> resolved Spain MOVE Portugal -> resolved Belgium HOLD -> resolved ITALY Albania SUPPORT Ionian Sea to Greece -> resolved Ionian Sea MOVE Greece -> resolved Serbia SUPPORT Ionian Sea to Greece -> resolved Venice MOVE Trieste -> Bounced Tyrrhenian Sea MOVE Ionian Sea -> Bounced GERMANY Heligoland Bight SUPPORT Denmark to North Sea -> resolved Munich MOVE Bohemia -> Bounced Kiel MOVE Denmark -> reso

* Intro * Spring 1901 * Fall 1901 Negotiations: My main alliance is set , but there is still much to discuss with Germany. We make our plot against England. I tell him I will make an attempt at London and that he should get his fleet in Kiel out to the Heligoland Bight so he can reach the North Sea in the fall. I also try to convince Russia to take that newly formed unit in St. Petersburg and march right into Norway. I also check in with Italy and make sure our neutrality pact is upheld. England sends me a message saying "That fleet in the channel makes it impossible for us to cooperate". I don't bother to reply. Orders: ENGLAND North Sea MOVE Irish Sea -> Square iri is not reachable Liverpool HOLD -> resolved Norway SUPPORT North Sea to hold -> Supported order does not correspond London MOVE Denmark -> Square den is not reachable FRANCE English Channel CONVOY Belgium to London -> resolved Brest MOVE Mid-Atlantic Ocean -> resolved Paris MOVE Picar

* Intro * Spring 1901 Negotiations: Discussions start heating up with Germany, England, and Russia. Germany and I discuss an alliance, while England discusses an alliance with Russia and myself against Germany. I tell Germany I would like to slip into the channel, and forgo capturing Portugal this year. He tells me to go for it and will allow me to have Belgium so we can each get two builds. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE North Sea -> resolved Yorkshire MOVE London -> resolved North Sea MOVE Norway -> resolved FRANCE Gascony MOVE Spain -> resolved Picardy MOVE Belgium -> resolved Mid-Atlantic Ocean MOVE English Channel -> resolved ITALY Venice MOVE Trieste -> resolved Apulia MOVE Tunis -> resolved Ionian Sea CONVOY Apulia to Tunis -> resolved GERMANY Ruhr SUPPORT Kiel to Holland -> resolved Kiel MOVE Holland -> resolved Denmark HOLD -> resolved AUSTRIA Vienna HOLD -> resolved Albania HOLD -> resolved Budapest HOLD -> resolved

* Intro Negotiations: I talked to four other countries: England, Germany, Italy and Russia. England and I agreed that we would each stay out of the channel. Germany and I agreed to stay out of Burgundy, and Italy and I agreed to stay out of Piedmont and the Western Med. Russia just wanted to say hi and we talked about keeping each other informed of things and such. Orders: ENGLAND Edinburgh MOVE Norway -> Square nwy is not reachable Liverpool MOVE Yorkshire -> resolved London MOVE North Sea -> resolved FRANCE Marseilles MOVE Gascony -> resolved Paris MOVE Picardy -> resolved Brest MOVE Mid-Atlantic Ocean -> resolved ITALY Venice HOLD -> resolved Rome MOVE Apulia -> resolved Naples MOVE Ionian Sea -> resolved GERMANY Munich MOVE Ruhr -> resolved Berlin MOVE Kiel -> resolved Kiel MOVE Denmark -> resolved AUSTRIA Vienna MOVE Budapest -> Bounced Trieste MOVE Albania -> resolved Budapest MOVE Rumania -> Bounced TURKEY Constantinopl

Alright, since I have nothing else to post, I'm going to start discussing this game. It's simple really. It takes place in 1901 with seven major European powers. Each player is assigned one power. The object of the game is to win 18 supply centers (the areas on the map with a dot are SCs). Each country has armies and fleets, armies can move one space per turn to any adjacent land territory, fleets can move to any adjacent sea territory or coastal land territory. There are two moves per year, spring and fall. The starting map is set up as such. The white areas are neutral countries. They want no part of this war, but they are about to be invaded anyway. Most are supply centers, but a few are not (North Africa, Albania). If a single unit attacks a neutral country, it acquires it. It however must hold that territory after the fall move to earn a build. If two countries attack the same spot, it's a bounce. Another unit can order support to gain a territory to make it 2-1, but

Fun show.

So obviously I haven't posted anything about poker for awhile. I haven't been playing much, and frankly I'm bored with the game. That's not to say I won't play again in the future, but it likely won't be for awhile; until I establish a sizable bankroll and have some desire for playing again. Even when I do go back to playing however, this blog still won't be 100% devoted to it. So what else to write about? I'm involved in a few games of Diplomacy so I'll make some posts about that at some point. Also, I have a fantasy baseball draft coming up in 2 weeks. This will be my 10th season in this particular league, and even though there's no money involved there are a lot of bragging rights so I'd like to finally win it. Also, March Madness is coming up, so I'll be sharing my bracket and also rooting for my beloved UMass Minutemen to make it to the dance and hopefully surprise some people. I'll also throw in the occasional movie review or d

Super Bowl victory wouldn't be complete if we didn't get to hear from Carl Brutananadilewski.

I'm starting to get back into chess, a game I played in the wild days of my youth, and was quite good at. Here is a game I played earlier (I'm black). 1. e4 c5 He opens with e4, I respond with the Sicilian Defense. 2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 He's developing, I'm developing, nothing much going on thus far. 6. Nf3 Nf6 7. a3 d5 8. e5 Ng4 9. Bf4 Bc5 Trying to set up a fork here with Nf2 10. Be3 Nxe3 He sees it, but no worries. I'm going to get a bishop and pawn for a knight here. 11. fxe3 Bxe3 I complete the trade. 12. Qd3 Bf4 Good move by him here, I' m forced to retreat with my bishop. 13. Qe2 Qb6 I decide it's time to bring my queen out. 14. b4 Nxe5 I grab a pawn that was sitting there. My knight is nicely protected by the f4 bishop, though white has his queen protecting a possible Nxe5 attack. 15. Nxe5 Qd4! He does indeed capture my knight, but I have something in store for him. My queen now pins his two knights. 16. Qd3 Qxe5+ He