Return of CEMfromMD

Back to betting!  Things were really tight for me after the shut down of online poker in America, but it had nothing to do with that.  Trying to sell a house in the current market that we owed way too much more then it was worth was brutal.  Long story short, we ended up getting out and short selling the house in April, so we are now free of that load.   Finally giving me the time and funds to have some fun!   I managed to get out and bet all three of the Triple Crown races, with a only $1.00 less during the Kentucky Derby, $5.00 gain during the Preakness, but my fortunes with the Ponies went down the drain during Belmont weekend, to the tune of $120 loss.   I have gotten a chance to play poker some too lately.   A nice $1/$2 cash game say me river a full house on the 2nd hand to start on the positive side, and was up $500 bucks at one time.   Was card dead most of the last two hours, so I ended with $300 profit, still not bad for the night.  A tournament last weekend that was supposed to be for a WSOP Main Event seat ended up not having enough players, so it was changed to a $100 buy-in with no seats at the WSOP on the line.   Played tight early, but lost 1/2 my stack before the first break when my AQ suited was beaten by Q9 after the QxQ flop, because the river 9 ended up giving my opponent the boat.   Did play smart and still managed to make the final table and finish 5th for $70 profit.   Finally played just this last Tuesday night in a $.50/$1.00 Dealer Choice game, buying in for a mere $16, and walking away with a $96 profit.  Also joined the PocketFives tournament on WildHog poker last night, being totally card dead (only won three hands in 2 hours) and was knocked out 82nd out of 304.  Looking to play in Al Can't Hang's advertised tournament on June 30, and will provided updates on that and other poker and betting exploits as they occur moving forward.    For those of you that follow Pro Wrestling, one of my friends will be starting his Wrestling Blog this week, I will provide a link for it as soon as it goes live for those that might be interested.    It's good to be back, and hopefully there are a few of you still there (at least once you all get back from Vegas!).

THANK YOU!!!.....or The End of Poker is I know it.....

Black Friday came and went, and I finished up an exciting night on FTP Friday before it all shut down on me. Enjoyed myself playing some 2-7TD (Finished 11th out of 65), followed up PotLimit Omaha (Finished 51st out of 928) for a little profit (like that matters now!), and finished up with a NL Hold 'em, (Finished 21st out of 826). A pretty good night for what was to be my last night online.

But I was still feeling good, cause I had my poker group that I play with, and we had a tournament on Saturday afternoon. I had run pretty bad during the series, and ended up having to win the 1 PM tournament (24 players) in order to get an automatic entry into the final tournament. Played good, but wasnt gettng much in the way of cards, but held on and made the right plays to keep myself alive. Then it happens.....we lose a player on another table and about to go on break. My table is still in a hand, and I look down and see AA. I raise to 2.5x blind, thinking there is no way anyone is even calling me. I get an all-in from the host. Everyone else folds, and I call. He flips of KK. Flop is 8-J-6, Turn is 2, River...... King. I am out of the tournament. I say my goodbyes and head home, happy with how I played.

But I am still feeling good, because at least I have a place to play live, that I dont have to drive forever (3 1/2 hour to Atlantic City), or play cash games (No tournaments yet to my knowledge at Charles Town Races and Slots).

On my way to Church on Sunday, and it all comes crashing down. I get a phone call from a good friend of mine, who actually plays in the poker group with me, and had made the finals. I ask him how he did, and he says "oh, I guess you didnt hear anything then". This seems bad, I asked what happened. The next 15 minutes become a complete blur, as he explains that less then 5 minutes into the final tournament, another player who I am friends with accuses a player of cheating, and all hell breaks loose. A player who had been running this game over for 4 years i assused of cheating. I won't go into the specifics, but they was video proof that he had been changing cards so that he would be getting AA, KK, QQ, and the like a much higher rate then you would normally see. He had won the points title the last 3 years running, and actually beat my wife in the final tournament 2 years ago. At this point, no one can say when he started doing it, but the proof is there, and now the group is done.

So in a period of 48 hours, I have gone from any number of possiblities of playing at a moments notice, to maybe playing a few times a year.

So for those of you who still may be reading. THANK YOU! I appreciate all of it. I enjoyed playing online with all of you, and reading about your games, and your lives. I hope to someday still get to meet some of you, while this year at the WSOP isnt likely due to family considerations, I have high hopes to get out there in 2012, and will now make sure to schedule it so I can meet some of you!!

WSOP Circuit Main Event

While I played well, the cards were not in my favor during the main event. I had a very aggressive table, which I can usually play well against if I am getting even a small selction of playable cards. However, for lasing 9 hours, I only got three pocket pairs the entire time (33 & 55 which were unableable considering my position and the action prior to it even being my bet. My KK ended up costing my 1/4 of my stack, as I bet 100/200 blinds I got called preflop when I re-raised to 1,900 chips and after the flop my 2,500 bet was called. I checked the turn and river when the third club showed on the turn, and sure enough was beat when I had been called on my raises by Ac5c. My only two other playable hands were A10 (which I won a small pot), and AhKh right after the dinner break (which I double up on!). I ended up finally succumbing to the blinds and pushed 78off into AJ, and the JxJxQx flop and nothing on the turn helping me ended my tournament. I did manage to finish 151st out of 442, so for as card dead as I was, I was happy how I played and managed ot outlast almost two thirds of the field!

Quick Update - WSOP Circuit Events - Atlantic City

I know I havent updated much lately, have been very busy with work and family. We decided to take a quick vacation for the last weekend of the WSOP Circuit Events, and I played in the last Mega-Satellite to the WSOP-C Main Event. Got 97 players, which then paid out 19 seats and cash for 20th place. Tough going early, as I won only 4 hands in the first 4 blind levels, with 89off in the small blind actually winning with just a pair 9's, 49off winning in the big blind by turning a straight against 3 other players, and my 99 and KK both holding up for my only two pocket pairs early. By level 6 I was down to 6 BB when I got AK, and pushed and got two callers (one all in). The all-in was short and had nothing, the other player had AK also, and we ended up chopping the pot. A few hand later I got AA, and pushed against the same guy that had AK previously, who called with JJ. I floped an Ace, but had got a flush draw on the turn, and he got there on the river. As I was getting up, it was pointed out that the club that fell also paired the board, giving me a boat and new life. From there I rode my average stack to a seat in the WSOP-C Main Event, and play that today starting at 12 Noon!

More Poker Content! And a rare winning night.

Decided to fire up Full Tilt while waiting on Survivor to start on Wednesday night. Found a $4.40 On Demand Rush tournament going, and jumped in as it was starting. Played well early, getting paid off on my good hands and staying away from the bad ones. I have found that with the $4.40's Rush that a lot of people will pay almost anything for all their chips early, so getting the nuts a few times in the first 30 minutes builds a stack quickly. Unfortunetly two tough hands just after the money bubble burst put me out in 23rd out of 264 for $6 and change. I saw the $6.60 token frenzy starting up then, and decided to jump into that. BAD IDEA. Took less than 10 minutes to get bounced from that mess. Getting JJ and QQ in the first ten hands and losing both times is not a good sign. Finally settled on a $5.50 H.O.R.S.E. tournament that started at 8:15 PM. Figured I could get some work on all the games at one time. Basically played the hold'em and omaha super tight early and was running people over in Razz. Still managed to only have just over my starting stack as we approached the bubble, but got a triple up scooping in Omaha when my AA26 ends up getting nut low and 6 high straight. This moved me into the top 5 with 15 left, where I stayed for the rest of the night. Amazining enough I took the chip lead as the former chip leader spewed 50% of his chips to me in two Razz hands, including one where I am showing 8643 and he is showing QJ75. Play got slow when we got to 5 handed, but I was able abuse most of the table in both Razz and Stud Hi/Lo, and eventually got heads up with a slight chip lead. Hold'em and Omaha heads up cost me my chip lead, and I was actually down 4:1 in chips at one point, but as soon as we hit Razz again I was able to crush my opponent and took the win for $162!

Poker Content!

Yes, I do actually still play poker! Decided to try a do or die with the rest of my Full Tilt bankroll last Wednesday, with me sitting a just under $35, I took two shots at satellites to the 50/50, since I figured if I won on of them I could play wiht the next day being a day off for me. Play a $7.70 SNG, and naviagated a minefield of bad play by others to end up in the final three. The chip lead went back and forth between the three of us, until a badly timed bluff ended the tournament for the player to my left, leaving me heads up but at a 2-1 chip disadvantage. Using a bit of agression I was able to take the chip lead after about20 hands, and 4 hands later won the tourament! So far so good, but I was already playing the $14 MTT for another 50/50 seat, and jumped out to a nice chip stack early on. Played a semi-tight agressive style throughout, and easily won a 2nd seat to the 50/50! Decided to just cash both seats out and play the Very Josie instead, which ended far to early as I was getting a too agressive and let the betting of other dictate how I was going to play (Yes, I am looking at you HeffMike and Very Josie!). Went out 8th, but still have a GREAT time playing the Very Josie and a good night on the tables. Played my WSOP group on Friday night, and as is uncommon for me in those tournament, I actually got off to a nice steady build of chips early, and was easily at on above the average chip stack most of the night until we got down to 5 players. At that point, I was 4th in chips, and was picking my spots to get my chips in. I watched as a very poorly timed Hammer bluff was by the chip leader was called down by the 2nd place in chips, leading to a HUGE stack by one player. Let everyone else take desperation shots at the new chip leader, and played my two good hands as three others were elimiated and I ended up heads up! Down 4 to 1 in chips, I ran my Pocket 3's into Pocker 4's but spiked a 3 on the river, and actually at one point took the chip lead! It didnt work out though, as my A8 was eventually outflopped by KJ, and I was crippled again and finished 2nd. Still awaiting the overall standing after 3 (of 5) events, but I am definately still in the running for the overall win and Main Event WSOP seat if I play good the last two tournaments!

It's been 2 Months??

Wow, I didnt even realize it has been that long, until I read comments on my last post from Lightning and Bam-Bam asking about my trip to Vegas, which as LAST month! It just seems like life is getting in the way of poker. I guess that is what happens when you have a kid at 39! She turns 2 in December, and is becoming more talkative and smart every day. The Vegas trip was great, I only got to play poker twice the entire trip, once finishing 3rd in a SNG. Super Turbo with the guy that won being a complete drunk who was a regular as the poker room so....
Got to get remarried in a wonderful little ceremony, saw the Freemont Street Experience again, and the fountains at the Bellagio for the first time. Generally had a great time. Have been playing very infrequently online, maybe once a week, and even then just a Steps touranment or two, currently have two Step 2 ($8.80) tokens. My life events, I have the two series I play in that both had their first events in October. The WSOP group I finished 7th (out of 20), so I am still in the running, but need to not finshing any worse then that the rest of the way out. The TDSOP group I finished a disappointing 17th out of 40, but earned a few points and feel comfortable that with a little smarter play I should easily qualify for the final tournament. Of course the wife plays in the TDSOP group also, and finished fifth, so I guess she is the better player right now!