Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Sirfwalgman is the Greatest

Sirfwalgman is the Greatest
in the Virtual Poker nest
Not based on bankroll or trophies
but in his drive to be the Best

His Cowboy style may drive ya wild
playin by his own rules
with a manner that is anythin but mild
and his uncanny instinctive moves

Some think of him as predictable
and this may be at times
but if he's out to get ya
plan for your demise

He loves to taunt his opponents
and can type lightning fast
oh there's never a dull moment
cause he's relentless and steadfast

His mind is sharp
and he sticks to his guns
And if ya hap to hear him sing
I suggest you start to run

He's a MTT master
and definitely one of a kind
Suckouts drive him crazy
and he's protective of his blinds

The emotion is continuous
it's an amazing and exciting ride
A love and hate relationship
and there's not much he will hide

He has the natural talent
and proven abilities
If he could just stop the tilting
there's unlimited possibilities!

Veneno Gets Spanked

I really didn't need a spanking. It was a blissful period while I was the punisher not the punishee. So yesterday, Sirfwalgman was ready to take me on in a Heads Up battle. Keep in mind that prior to yesterday he had sustained the worse stats in play against me Heads Up at 1 win and 4 losses. But last night he got me goood. On his blog he stated, "In this whole world there was one person who OWNED me, until tonight". It was sure sweet being the owner. Crap! How could I let this happen? And worse..I lost another bounty..so stay posted for a tribute to Mighty Sir Waffle. Visit his blog for details. I am still licking my wounds.

On the upside, Davee gave me a rematch...when I was able to win. Thank godness..cause I was gonna be really sad to lose every HU match for the day!

Lastly, on Sunday night I had 2 additional HU matches with "Dreamy" Scott. In the first, he managed to get lucky on our 14th hand. I had AT and he had A6 with a flop of KAA..we ended up all in..and he caught a 6 on the river to take me out. In the second match he was boasting that he would take me out in less than 14 hands, then it changed to less than 25 hands, some predictions of his do not come true. I was the winner after more than 25 hands.

Good luck all...

Monday, November 07, 2005

Praises to Aussie Davee

All Hail Aussie Davee
as the upcoming Poker Lad
He's on fire at the tables
and for that he is glad

This college student from Sydney
has a new place to hide
Now it's Hold'em Poker
that has his mind occupied

He found a few Bloggers
to help with his start
But don't underestimate him
cause this young man is smart

You may be deceived
by his mild mannered ways
Just when you think you've played him
He'll come out with a blaze

He's aggressive and calculating
Yes, he knows a thing or two
So be careful when you play him
or you may pay your dues

He took out the Veneno
in a Heads Up Match one day
And now for his honor
She will give him praise

So visit the Embuscade blog
and you may become a fan
Of this sweet, handsome, and
talented Australian man

Sunday, November 06, 2005

I Found my Thrill

It is not blueberry hill..but boy am I enjoying it. Heads Up Baby!!! That is my thrill. Today I played 8 matches and won 7. The first was a $20 game against a stranger. I especially enjoy the matches with bloggers - Davee, Jordan, and Gary. All of them challenging and entertaining.

The match with Gary was a challenge as expected because he plays very few hands. The highlight however, was special bonus prize. Gary will record 4 songs on a CD for yours truly...I have been begging to hear him sing..and had just a little sample the other day..this boy can SING!

One of my most favorite bloggers to play is Jordan. He is always unpredicable and very entertaining with his commentary during the match. I find myself laughing on a regular basis during our play. Today, I finally evened the score to 4 wins and 4 losses. And again, I will receive an extra reward. Jordan will send me a poker related gift. I was very honored by his kind words in his blog post the other day. See below:

I played two heads-up matches against Veneno. I could probably play HU v. Veneno every day for 2 months and not get bored of it. I won only the first game, but it was for $10. The 2nd game was for $5, based on V's request. Her rule of thumb: if you lose one game, drop to a lower a buy-in. It's a faulty rule because it'll make it harder to climb out of the hole, but it's also pure genius, because often one loss begets another. My record against V is 4-3, which isn't too shabby, seeing as she is a blogger v. blogger Heads-Up specialist (although you wouldn't know from the HUC2).


Later today, Jordan had a sweet victory in the $10 freezeout on PokerStars. He placed 4th in the MTT tournament. It was great to witness this victory. He was very disciplined and selective in his starting hands..yes..I am talking about Jordan..Awesome job!!!

Davee and I played our first match this morning, which I won. It was 3 a.m. for him and he asked if I would like to have a HU match. He didn't have to ask me twice. He has been improving lately, so I was not surprised that he beat me on our second match. After 118 hands, I had a open ended straight and made a move. Unfortunately, he had a hand, and I was not able to bluff my way out. It was his lucky day. He also won Acorn's Private Blogger Tournament. Congrats on both scores! I will be creating a special post in his honor in the near future.

On the other hand, yesterday, the "Dreamy" Scott had the first crack in breaking my record of wins against blogger whenever an extra reward was involved. I will be rewarding him with a special poker item.

One more worthy mention is my match against poker pal Sloppier. He sent me a message tonight asking to play a HU match. I did try to warn him that I doing well in HU today. And then he remarked that he was unlucky today. The perfect combiniation for my success. It was definitely another good match. This was our first engagement and I didn't really know what to expect. This always makes it a little interesting. The cards were fortunately working in my favor for this match helping me take the victory.

Aside from my HU excitement, I was able to play in Acorn's Blogger Tournament. It seemed as though Jacks were the death hand of the day for everyone except Davee. Acorn, Gary and myself all busted on Pocket Jack's. TripJax was doing okay when he had Jacks, but when he faced Davee with Pocket Jacks, it turned into Quad Jacks! The event was great fun, but the IM chat in the background was even better. We all got to hear the voice of the Little Acorn. And despite his warning, we could understand him without a translator. Unfortunately, the USA side has not been victorious yet! We must be do better.

Last but not least, BigChief finally started a blog. This guy has great poker insight. He is a very good player. Definitely visit his site.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Veneno gets a Surprise!

It seems that whenever there is some kinda of extra incentive for my Heads Up matches, I win. Every single time. Something to think about. So yestday, I got a chance to play a match with TripJax again. Another good match. He ended up losing with two pair to my straight. But the best part is that he owes me a surprise! I love suprises. The only criteria is that it will be something poker related. So I will keep you posted. Somehow I seem to have made a good first impression with Trip. He thinks I know how to play..lol..Anyway, he said some very complimentary things on his blog about me that made me smile. So check it out sometime.

The night before, Jordan and I played another couple of matches. We went 1 and 1. The first match, I had the nut straight on the flop A - T. I pushed. He called. And he caught a flush....Ouch..Not much I could do to change that. The pot was big enough at the flop to take it down. And on the off chance he did call, I should be good...or so I thought anyway. He has the record for beating me. Of course, he has played me more than anyone. Right now it stands at 3 wins and 4 losses versus Jordan. He is always extremely fun to play..and highly unpredictable.

Sirfwalgman has made an amazing come back! Winning Pauly's Blogger event today for $294 and placing 4th on a Poker Stars MTT yesterday for $420. It only took a couple of days for him to replenish his bankroll. It was great fun to railroad and see him win. Congrats!!!

As for my play..still nothing exciting...hanging in with my low limit efforts winning small amount here and there..losing on MTTs..and enjoying my occational HU matches.

Good luck all...

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Oops He Did it Again

In case you are completely oblivious, Sirf experienced a major crash again. Ouch. So sorry buddy. Personally, I try to keep all my major mistakes to myself, but Sirf is not afraid to take a bashing. Brave man. He must really love the attention. So definitely stop by his blog and express your opinion. He may as well enjoy your remarks. It is the only upside to this cycle.

On the other hand, we have the "dreamy" Scott who continues to whoop'em good. Now he even posts his game plans on his blog and exceeds even his own targets. Yesterday in addition to his winnings at the cash tables, he took 2nd in the 2k freezeout on Titan. Take a lesson..this boy can play! Congrats again Scott.

I continue to enjoy my Head's Up Matches. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of playing 100-2-Infinity. He was definitely a good player...patiently and gradually taking my chips. After 27 hands, I was in the disadvantaged position and had KK. The flop came with middle cards to a straight..we were both in for the turn..by the river..I bet, he pushed, I paused and typed "I know I am screwed..but gotta do it"..with my last 150 I called. He had the straight on the turn and a flush draw to boot. Good game and Congrats!

Even Aussie Dave is doing good. Now that his thesis is complete, he can focus on important stuff..POKER..lol..Anyway, he won an SnG yesterday..and reported profits from the night before of $600 or something. Very nice Dave! Yes, looks like you are doing something right indeed. Keep it up.

Lastly, everyone is getting their equipment which is sooooo cool. I got to hear the voices of Gary and TripJax yesterday which was a nice treat! Just waiting for Gary to booze it up enough so that I get to enjoy his singing.

Other than that..just continuing in the low limit grind..

Good luck all..

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

I Love Heads Up

I came home in a good mood. Singing and ready to play some poker. So when I noticed TripJax on Yahoo, I couldn't resist inviting him for a HU match. We had talked about playing on Sunday and I was looking forward to a challenge with the infamous TripJax. It was an excellent game. He was a solid player, just as I had expected. The game concluded after 97 hands. For the final play, I had to make a very tough call. I had 8 5 and landed two pair by the turn. The flop came with 9 high and a possible straight if TripJax had a 6. No flush possibility. He bet the flop and turn. So when he pushed on the river. I figured that he did not have the straight. I just thought if he had it, he would have pushed on the flop or turn and taken the pot down. It was certainly worth it by the turn and not worth risking my hitting a better hand. So I called. And I was right..whew..Great game!!!

On the sidelines, we had DonkeyPuncher, GaryC, and WillyWonka. I tried to talk GaryC into being my next challenge, but he wouldn't go for it. Apparently everyone has had the opportunity to beat him except me..lol..I feel soooo "deprived". While we were chatting someone asked about my HU stats, so I gave them a recap. The stats here on my blog include bloggers and other players. The guys pointed out to me that my results against bloggers have been more favorable..12 to 8 to be exact. Interesting...

DP - Good Luck in the next round of the HUC 2!!

I didn't get around to my gloating and victory dance because in the middle of my game, I got news that was highly disappointing. It made my $10 win seem meaningless in comparison.

Lastly, I missed one of the recent blogger victories on my post the other day of winners. Congrats to 100-2-infinity who cashed on the final table in a Omaha MTT on Party Poker! Sorry buddy. That was definitely worthy of a mention!

Monday, October 31, 2005

See..Good Players Can Win!!

Watching and hearing about the successes of my poker pals is always exciting. It shows that good players can be rewarded. Congrats to the following:

1. Sirfwalman continues to win in his MTT games on Titan. He placed 4th tonight in the 1250 for $100. He also made another successful hit and run on the 30/60 yesterday.

2. Aussie Dave finished 3rd in the 1800 guaranteed on UB for $300.

3. Kip was able to work himself to mini step 5 on Party and turn a $5 investment into $200.

4. Scott continues to impress with his ability to turn small sums of money into hundreds within days.


Just waiting for my next major success..

In the meantime, my roll is moving in the right direction. Had to take a break from the continuous and boring low limit grind. Playing lots of variety of games based on whatever I am in the mood for including my new passion for HU matches. I have been having fun with these.

I have decided to track my poker activitiy in terms of profit / loss by game and by site. This will help me to see where I am more successful. In general, I have an idea. But some of the games that I love to play are not as profitable, primarily the MTTs. But I keep thinking that I will hit it big at some point...

Good luck all...

Friday, October 28, 2005

The Poker Gods have choosen Twitch

Congratulations to Twitch who beat me quite easily in 2 HU matches. I wish I could say it was a good match..but I know I played poorly. Twitch played well in both matches. I had trouble reading him that is for sure. And I paid the price for my bad reads. Good luck to you in Round 3 Twitch!

Thanks Poker Gods..I really didn't realize you liked the stuffed animal sacrifices..but I am NOT gonna go there.

I am very disappointed..chocolate here I come...

Heads Up Baby!!!

Sometimes you are HOT and sometimes you are not! Veneno finally got HOT..not that I won any big bucks mind you..but it sure felt gooooooooooood.

I think I found my niche. No Limit Heads Up Baby. That is my new specialty. Since the next round of the HUC is coming, I decided to warm up with a few HU matches. First I played a few blogger buddies, 3 to be exact, and ended up winning 3 out of 4 matches. Since that went so well..I played a couple of strangers and won 2 out of 3 of them. One guys was a total maniac..when all in in 3 of the first 5 hands..I knew he was gonna pay me...just a matter of time. Not too shabby..overall 5 wins and 2 losses and had a great time.

Then I played a SnG on Party with Davee and came in 2nd place. Once I was in the money as the short stack, one of the players kept raising to steal my blinds. So I decided next bb I was all in on anything. I won with T4o. So he types "what"...lol...I reply, "Stop messing with my blinds"..the next hand..I have pocket rockets..min raise..he calls..AA on the flop..QUAD ROCKETS..WOO HOO...I check the flop..he bets..I call..I bet the turn..he raises..I push..unfortunately, he finally got wise and folded..but it took him a few minutes.

All in all..an excellent night of poker..roll moving up gradually..I will still be stuck playing the lower limits for a while..but at least I am heading in the right direction.

My HUC match will be tomorrow at 8 p.m. PST. Can't wait!!!

Lastly, Sirfwalgman has been providing some excellent poker content on his blog...I mean really good stuff..especially liked the following:

"Poker works in weird and mysterious ways. Sort of like women. One day it makes you so happy you can not stand it, and the next day it crushes you like an insect. You can go a week, a month, a year and win like crazy and then all of the sudden you go cold for a week or a month. It is in the nature of the margins Poker players grind out. The good players, the ones who survive and make a living at it, these guys understand that. They take the long term picture. They know that eventually the cosmos will align again and they will start winning."

We have our dry spells, myself included. And I agree that keeping the "long term picture" in mind can help you make it through those periods.

Good luck all....

Oh..add one more HU win against another blogger..to cap the evening off quite nicely..

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Beware of the Poison Twitch...

All of the round one contestants for the HUC2 have finished their matches. So round 2 here I come...check out this link for the winners and round 2 players...HeadsUp2Bracket and for a full list of players and links..Heads Up Challenge 2 Blog

I will play Twitch next. He referred to me as the "mighty" Veneno lol. Here is a quote from his blog regarding the subject:

"Since I'm facing the mighty Veneno for the next match up, I'm going to need all the luck I can get. Maybe I'll sacrifice a stuffed animal or two to the poker gods for some additional good luck."

Twitch..please don't hurt the animals on my account..and just so you know..the poker gods don't really go for the stuffed animals. And yes you will definitely need some luck. My poison has been brewing just for you. You seem like a really cool guy and I have enjoyed meeting you and chatting with you..but for HU..it's NO MERCY..Oh and I find it interesting that you are having CMitch sweat you...Doesn't that defeat the purpose? I mean, this is your manhood and pride we are talking about do you really need another guy to help beat a girl?..lol..Either way, I am ready to do battle. Beware of the Poison!!!

He shared with me that he has been playing online for about 2 months and just last night won his very first place in an SnG. This could be bad for me..last thing I wanna do is underestimate him. Twitch you could have waited to tell me you were such a newbie..now you got me excited..lol..