95corolla Wins His 2nd NPP Title and Has a Shot at 1st Quarter Glory!

95corolla impressed the pants...and the shirt off of Dana Workman with his performance.

He triumphed over a host of NPP’ers desperate to win tonight. The 1st quarter leaders were MIA or early exits – like a leading marathon runner that stumbles and this gave the pack a chance to make up some ground.

With one week left, here are the contenders left in the 1st quarter race;
Pre01
ThePunk75
LittleRedElf
95corolla
K9isadog

The rest will almost assuredly have to wait until next quarter to win their seat in the NPP final. But valuable points for the two Total Points seats will still be …well, valuable!

On to the action:

19 min: Pre01 (14th) loses to T3chady’s trips.
23 min: KingBing420 (13th) hits a straight but loses to Sanster89’s full house! Ouch!
30 min: Absea (12th) goes with (QQ) but is double teamed by Sanster89 and Mikeniks-Faldo, and Faldo wins with (AA).

35 min: ThePunk75 (11th) sees his two pair get run over by 8thmile’s flush.
36 min: Tomservo2 (10th) missed it playing my hand.
47 min: T3chlady (9th) sees her (AK) get run down by a short-stacked (SS) Sanster89’s (K5) with a flop of [85384].

51 min: Sanster89 (8th) is double-teamed by Suetman123 and the winner, LittleRedElf with two pair.

54 min: A SS Suetman123 (7th) loses to Derf-63’s (88).

1st break:
Lump2 6525
LittleRedElf 4720
Derf-63 3850
8thmile 2970
Mikeniks-Faldo 2305
95corolla 630

63 min: A SS 8thmile (6th) has to go with (A6) and loses to Lump2’s (A9).

85 min: Lump2 with (AJ) flops two pair on a board of [JKA], but 95corolla is holding (KK). Ouch! Lump2 moves from 1st in chips to 3rd and 95corolla moves from 4th to 1st! Things change quickly in no-limit holdem!

98 min: Mikeniks-Faldo (5th) hits trip Kings (K9) and loses to 95corolla’s (22) full house with a [2K8K] flop and turn. To be fair, Faldo should have folded when Faldo got re-raised on the turn. Figured my trips were no good, but Faldo was in a weak 4th in chips, and Derf-63 was sitting there with less chips than a blind.

A fold probably guarantees Faldo 4th. But all the players remaining need to win to have a shot at this 1st quarter title. Faldo called looking for the nub. No nub. And NO POINTS either! Point bubble boy – a new title for Faldo.

100 min: A SS Derf-63 (4th) has to go with (A8) but falls to 95corolla’s (A4) with a [4] on the river.

2nd break;
95corolla 9960
Lump2 6235
LittleRedElf 4805

136 min: A SS Lump2 (3rd) goes with his pair of Sevens, but LittleRedElf has two pair.

Heads up: LittleRedElf 13000 - 95corolla 8000
140 min: LittleRedElf 8000 - 95corolla 13000

142 min: A SS LittleRedElf (2nd) has to go with (Ks 9s), but 95corolla has (A2).

Congratulations to 95corolla on his 2nd NPP win!

1st – 95corolla
2nd – LittleRedElf
3rd – Lump2
4th – Derf-63
5th – Mikeniks-Faldo
6th – 8thmile
7th – Suetman123
8th – Sanster89
9th – T3chlady
10th – Tomservo2
11th – ThePunk75
12th – Absea98
13th – KingBing420
14th – Pre01

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Come to the USA, the Democrats Say!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgOHOHKBEqE

If you are thinking about illegal immigration, be careful when you are choosing a nation. Because in some countries, breaking the law is frowned upon. Imagine that!

Sneak into China and they will call you a spy, and ship you off to Mongolia until you die.

In the Sudan, they will hang you and the camel you road in on.

Don't go hiking into Iran, or you may never be heard from again.

And in Mexico, you might face a firing squad.

Forget all about going to North Korea. That's a great example of a bad idea.

So when it comes down to it, there is only one option you got.

Yeah, come to the USA! There is no penalty to pay, should you get caught illegally immigrating.
Come to the USA! It will be your lucky day, cause if you get in, there's lots of goodies waiting.

Like health care, welfare, education. Help with your voter registration!
And driver's license and credit cards, and license plates for your old car.
Lots of jobs for you to do and employers that will turn a blind eye too.
Come to the USA!

No need to worry about the Constitution. The Democrats will help you start a house of prostitution, if that is the kind of work that you want to do.
You see, those crazy gringo infidels are crazy! They will give citizenship to your new baby. So you see? There is really only one choice for you.

Yeah, come to the USA! There is no penalty to pay, should you get caught illegally immigrating.
Come to the USA! It will be your lucky day, cause if you get in, there's lots of goodies waiting.

You get public housing, cable TV, food stamps, and even government cheese!
The borders are a swinging door. Go back home for a visit, then come back for more.
There is sanctuary and amnesty. Bring the whole fam-damily...eventually.

Come to the USA!

The Democrats are committed to the destruction of the American way of life.

Faldo Finishes 4th in Shark's Club Tourney; K9isadog Also Makes the Final Table!

Allison was there to cheer the NPP players on in this 40 player tournament!

Faldo managed a 4th place finish just thru his usual miser strategy with chips and a few key pot wins. Also with 6 remaining, a short-stacked Faldo spiked a [T] on the river holding (Jd Td) against an opponent who had him covered with (AQ). A [QJ3] flop put Faldo in desparate straits, but the river [T] saved him.

The 4th place finish was good for a slightly better return of doubling the entry fee ($110 = $60 gravy)

It was a standard night for Faldo in Card World. Faldo never saw AA, KK, JJ, TT or AK.

I had one (QQ) which conveniently ran into (AA) to really short-stack Faldo half way thru the tournament. And I never really got out of that position.

Only two AQ's (both suited - one took a pot uncontested and the other lost on the river) and only two (99), both of which had to be folded after the flops of over cards and heavy betting (ducking AA once).

The rest of the cards were garbage. Or a Boother36 says, "A hand full of feces."

Faldo's decisions to fold hands before they hit the flop worked out 4 of the 5 times. Faldo would have been run down if he would have called that flop and pushed after hitting the likes of two pair, trips and even a straight!

Faldo flopped a straight with (53) in the big blind and a board of [7h 4d 6d]. But even this pot win was an adventure. I check being first to act, hoping this table of maniacs would push. The button dutifully bet and all three of us behind called.

I am - as usual - short-stacked, and I am trying to milk this hand for all I can. Protecting it gets me little return if they all fold.

The turn was a rotten [8d]. Probably the worse card in the deck for Faldo's hopes. But this gets checked around.

The river is a [7]! Another bad card for Faldo. But I bet half the pot anyway, and get called in one spot and take down some much needed ammo.

It was that kind of night. Surviving every lap - barely - all the way to 4th place.

K9isadog made a move with (K3) and a board of [938] and a turn card [8]. His only opponent had to call........with (88)!!! Quads!! Ouch! K9 finished 8th.

Pre01 finished 29th as his (QQ) lost to (A4) with an [A] hitting the board.

Don't you worry NPP'ers. You were well represented this night.

A sighting of Fourbetbluff at the cash table was also acknowledged.

K9isadog’s fantastic play ….just floored Romina!

It’s a ball game now. ThePunk75 inched closer to the leader Pre01. K9isadog takes over 3rd. T3chlady stays in the race in 4th, just ahead of LittleRedElf. And another four players could still get there with a little help.

Very exciting stuff with two rounds left in the 1st quarter.

We welcome a new addition to the NPP family; Topwrench123. Thanks for joining.

And remember, NPP at the Sharks Club in Howell tomorrow night!

On to the action:

19 min: A short-stacked (SS) Tomservo2 (16th) sees his (KQ) run into K9isadog’s (AT).
32 min: A rare double kill as T3chlady takes out both Derf63 (15th) and Sanster89 (14th) with a pair of Aces.

35 min: Suetman123 (13th) goes with (QQ) but gets run down by Pre01’s straight.
39 min: A SS 95corolla (12th) goes with (Ah 7h) but cannot run down K9isadog’s (TT).
41 min: A SS Topwrench123 (11th) has to go with (KT) and runs into K9isadog’s (AA).
44 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (10th) has to go with (Kd 7d) and is called by another SS, ThePunk75 with (QT), and a [Q] hits the flop.

47 min: Lump2 (9th) sees his (QQ) get run down by T3chlady’s (77) with a flop of [774]!! Ouch!

53 min: KingBing420 (8th) is double-teamed by the K9isadog and the winner, T3chlady with (TT).

87 min: Absea98 (7th) sees his (AA) lose to a two-outer as K9isadog has (66) and a [6] hit the river! Ouch! It is interesting that the EXACT same thing happened last week to knock a player out in 7th place. Weird.

1st break:
K9isadog 7675
T3chlady 5710
Pre01 3545
ThePunk75 3520
8thmile 2610
LittleRedElf 940

63 min: LittleRedElf (6th) loses to ThePunk75’s (QQ).
83 min: SS Pre01 (5th) has to go with (Ac 3c) but runs into ThePunk75’s (KK).
105 min: A SS 8thmile (4th) has to go with (Ac 4c) but runs into K9isadog’s (KK).

2nd break;
K9isadog 10912
T3chlady 7294
ThePunk75 5794

132 min: A SS ThePunk75 (3rd) goes with (KQ) but K9isadog has (AK).

Heads up: K9isadog 15800 - T3chlady 8200

135 min: K9isadog 17800 - T3chlady 6200
140 min: K9isadog 11800 - T3chlady 12200


144 min: A SS T3chlady (2nd) has to go with (A5), but cannot catch K9isadog’s (77).

Congratulations to K9isadog on his 11th NPP win!

1st – K9isadog
2nd – T3chlady
3rd – ThePunk75
4th – 8thmile
5th – Pre01
6th – LittleRedElf
7th – Absea98
8th – KingBing420
9th – Lump2
10th – Mikeniks-Faldo
11th – Topwrench123
12th – 95corolla
13th – Suetman123
14th – Sanster89
15th – Derf-63
16th - Tomservo2

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

NPP Night at the Sharks Club in Howell Wednesday

Jodie should stop hanging around Faldo's office, playing with his cigar, and make it to the Sharks's Club this Wednesday night!

Texas Holdem Tournament (usually 30 to 50 people)

1140 South Michigan Ave , Howell
517-540-0300

Pre01 and Faldo will be there at least!

A little short notice but see if you can make it. Here are the particulars:

7pm start.
Entry = $40
13,000 chips
15 minute blinds
No Rebuys
$10 add on at 1st break

Hope to see some NPP’er there live!

LittleRedElf Moves into 2nd in All Time NPP Wins!

This lady enjoys the mastery of LittleRedElf’s poker skills from the rail!

With his usual strong play and some help from the poker gods, LittleRedElf rolled over fourteen other players to win this NPP round. With it, he moves into contention for the 1st quarter seat. An intense finish to the 1st quarter seems to be brewing.

We welcomed back Bigbrimar tonight, as his work schedule has backed off enough where he can play again. Good to see you Brian.

On to the action:

30 min: Sanster89 (15th) Working on my basketball bracket.
40 min: Derf-63 (14th) I missed it playing my hand.
43 min: A short-stacked (SS) Wingsfancurt (13th) has to go with (Kd 6d) but Douge2 has (33).

46 min: Absea98 (12th) sees his flush run into T3chlady’s bigger flush. Ouch!
48 min: Suetman123 (11th) sees her two pair lose to T3chlady’s bigger two pair.

52 min: KingBing420 (10th). I did not see it as the table closed too fast.
54 min: 8thmile (9th) sees his (TT) run into Douge2’s (AA).

1st break:
LittleRedElf 4930
Douge2 4735
Mikeniks-Faldo 2995
T3chlady 2800
95corolla 2355
Bigbrimar 2135
ThePunk75 1670
Tomservo2 880

77 min: ThePunk75 (8th) is double-teamed by the LittleRedElf and the winner, 95corolla with (TT).

87 min: Tomservo2 (7th) sees his (AA) lose to a two-outer as LittleRedElf has (QQ) and a [Q] hit the flop! Ouch!

103 min: T3chlady (6th) has to go with (QQ) but runs into Doutge2’s (A9).
105 min: Mikeniks-Faldo’s (5th) pair of Aces loses when Bigbrimar catches his flush on the river.

2nd break;
95corolla 13460
LittleRedElf 4985
Douge2 3260
Bigbrimar 795

122 min: A SS Bigbrimar’s (4th) (67) loses to LittleRedElf’s two pair.
148 min: A SS Douge2 (3rd) goes with (KJ) but LittleRedElf has (AQ).

Heads up: LittleRedElf 17500 - 95corolla 5000

150 min: LittleRedElf 20500 - 95corolla 2000

152 min: A SS 95corolla (2nd) has to go with (Ah 9h) and LittleRedElf correctly calls with (62) and hits a [6] on the flop

Congratulations to LittleRedElf on his 14th NPP win!

1st – LittleRedElf
2nd – 95corolla
3rd – Douge2
4th – Bigbrimar
5th – Mikeniks-Faldo
6th – T3chlady
7th – Tomservo2
8th – ThePunk75
9th – 8thmile
10th – KingBing420
11th – Suetman123
12th – Absea98
13th – Wingsfancurt
14th – Derf-63
15th – Sanster89

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Community Card Review - Our Nation is Getting Fluked - Literally Raped - and it is Not Pretty!

This is how it works, and most Americans are too stupid to see it - especially women voters who are more emotionally manipulated. Many women fall for the cheap magician’s trick being played on them by the Democrat Party. Or if they are already a Democrat, don’t want to see it….or like it.

George Stephanopolous, a Democrat Party hack that masquerades as an ABC (Already Big Communists) News journalist, was moderating a Republican Candidate presidential debate. And out of the blue, he asked Mitt Romney what he thought about the possibility of states banning contraception.

Romney of course had no clue why this was brought up. And neither did anyone else.

The next day, the entire media started the chant that Republicans want to deny women birth control.

Then, on cue, Barack Obama issued an edict (unconstitutional to do) that churches must pay for free contraception and abortions at their hospitals and schools (also unconstitutional).

As the churches revolted (verbally and politically), Obama ‘relented’ and changed the edict (unconstitutional – again) to making health care providers pay for it (unconstitutional again). The Republicans claimed ‘victory’, and that gave the media more fodder that Republicans hate women, and want to deny them birth control.

Which of course is not the case at all, but now that is the chant.

Meanwhile, the unconstitutional edict stood – not voted on by Congress – the constitutional way laws are supposed to be voted on. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT JUST HAPPENED? And it was not the first time either that this dictatorship has ignored our Constitution out in the open without being called on it by Congress.

Now the media has everyone off the economy, the gas prices, the collapsed housing market, the falling dollar, the billions in debt and bailouts to Democrat contributors, and focused on birth control.

Meanwhile, the Dictator in the White House is getting edicts placed into law.

Nancy Pelosi set up a press conference that looked like a Congressional Hearing, which Botox Nancy no longer has the power to call. No matter. The media dressed it up and covered it like it was one. A professional student and activist - Sandra Fluke - was presented as a struggling coed speaking on the behalf of all women.

She testified that her and her fellow coeds are having SO MUCH SEX at Georgetown University, that the cost of contraception is causing them to go broke. Fluke claims she spends $3000 on birth control and cannot afford it. Hence, someone MUST provide this coverage for her. Fluke wants the taxpayer or the Pope to pay for the birth control so she can have sex.

Faldo wants to ‘have golf’. I need a membership, a new golf bag, some driving range tokens, new golf spikes and Lord knows, some golf lessons. Where is my fake congressional hearing, Nancy? George? You two plan on speaking out for Faldo?

Or did polls show that Obama was losing the women vote and that abortion rights no longer poll well. So Democrats, with the help of the main stream media, moved it to birth control and blamed the Republicans for hating women?

And at the same time, Congress allows direct laws to be issued from the Dictator in Chief, without a peep from anyone in Congress – Democrat or Republican.

Democrats are traitors. Republicans are complicit (for those of you in Ann Arbor, this means ‘they are helping’).

Americans better prepare for servitude (for those of you in Ann Arbor, this means ‘being a slave’)…. or war.

Sometimes Improving a Country is Really...Just This Simple!

Pre01 Wins His 2nd NPP Tourney and Takes the 1st Quarter Lead!

Kendra likes NPP League leaders!

The league this 1st quarter has been the story of two players on fire and a bunch of players just hanging around, trying to stay close. This thing is not over and THAT is what makes this league so much fun!

We welcome a new player; Sanster89, who was warned about us by Derf-63, but he joined anyway! Welcome Sanster89.

On to the action:

20 min: ThePunk75 (18th) loses to Derf-63’s pair of tens.
30 min: Cpadanj (17th) has (66) and runs into Absea98’s (AA).
45 min: Sanster89 (16th) has a pair of Two’s and is out-kicked by Theedouble*d’s pair of Twos! Sanster89 gets the standard NPP introduction. Treated rudely at the table.

48 min: Douge2 (15th) is blinded out.
54 min: 95corolla (14th) I missed it playing my hand.

1st break:
Theedouble*d 4875
K9isadog 4735
Derf-63 2348
Suetman123 2210
T3chlady 1915
Absea98 1820
Lump2 1785
Tomservo2 1749
LittleRedElf 1526
KingBing420 1307
Pre01 1240
8thmile 1070
Mikeniks-Faldo 420

64 min: A short-stacked (SS) Mikeniks-Faldo (13th) has to go with (KT) and hits a [K] on the flop, but there is also a [6], and Derf-63 has (66). That about sums up my cards tonight.

71 min: 8thmile (12th) sees his (QQ) run into Theedouble*d’s (KK). Ouch!
73 min: Tomservo2 (11th) gets double teamed by LittleRedElf and Suetman123, and Sue wins it with a pair of Queens.

75 min: LittleRedElf (10th). I did not see it as the table closed too fast.
78 min: Theedouble*d does a rare double kill as his straight takes out KingBing420’s (9th) (TT) and K9isadog (8th) (TT).

101 min: Absea98 (7th) has to go with two pair, but Derf-63 has trips.
107 min: A SS T3chlady (6th) has to go with (Qd Td) but is beaten by Lump2’s (A9).
120 min: Theedouble*d’s (5th) two pair loses to Deff-63’s trips.

2nd break;
Suetman123 9593
Lump2 7509
Pre01 5327
Derf-63 4571

125 min: Derf-63’s (4th) (Ad 6d) loses to Pre01’s (99).
126 min: Lump2 (3rd) loses to Pre01’s Aces.

Heads up: Pre01 18000 - Suetman123 9000

130 min: Pre01 16900 - Suetman123 10100
135 min: Pre01 19400 - Suetman123 7600
140 min: Pre01 23500 - Suetman123 2500

142 min: A SS Suetman123 (2nd) has to go when she pairs her [7] on the flop. But Pre01 paired his [T].

Congratulations to Pre01 on his 2nd NPP win!

1st – Pre01
2nd – Suetman123
3rd – Lump2
4th – Derf-63
5th – Theedouble*d
6th – T3chlady
7th – Absea98
8th – K9isadog
9th – KingBing420
10th – LittleRedElf
11th – Tomservo2
12th – 8thmile
13th – Mikeniks-Faldo
14th – 95corolla
15th – Douge2
16th – Sanster89
17th – Cpadanj
18th - ThePunk75

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Faldo's Internet Record in February Not So Much

Ashley was unimpressed with Faldo to say the least.

Only 2 final tables reached with a 2nd and a 4th. I guess 2 FT's in only 36 tournaments is not too shabby. And they were high finishes instead of the usual 9th or 10th Faldo is famous for. The number of players in the tournaments I made the final tables on were around 250 players each.

It was the SNG performance in February that leaves Faldo wondering what is going on?

Although Faldo cashed at a nice rate [14 of 30], there was only ONE win in February! Not good. Even by pure luck, you would think there would be 3 wins out of 15 top threes.

Before hitting the proverbial panic button, let's see what March brings. Maybe the wins will come. I'm due.

But as the old saying goes, "Nothing is due.....but the rent."

Douge2’s Humor Corner – in Honor of the Golf Show this Weekend

Dead Parrot

At dawn the telephone rings, "Hello, Senor Rod? This is Ernesto, the caretaker at your country house."
"Ah yes, Ernesto. What can I do for you? Is there a problem?"

"Um, I am just calling to advise you, Senor Rod, that your parrot, he is dead".
"My parrot? Dead? The one that won the International competition?"

"Si, Senor, that's the one."
"Damn! That's a pity! I spent a small fortune on that bird. What did he die from?"

"From eating the rotten meat, Senor Rod."
"Rotten meat? Who the hell fed him rotten meat?"

"Nobody, Senor. He ate the meat of the dead horse. "
"Dead horse? What dead horse?"

"The thoroughbred, Senor Rod."
"My prize thoroughbred is dead?"

"Yes, Senor Rod, he died from all that work pulling the water cart."
"Are you insane? What water cart?"

"The one we used to put out the fire, Senor."
"Good Lord! What fire are you talking about, man?"

"The one at your house, Senor! A candle fell and the curtains caught on fire."
"What the hell? Are you saying that my mansion is destroyed because of a candle?!"

"Yes, Senor Rod."
"But there's electricity at the house! What was the candle for?"

"For the funeral, Senor Rod."
"WHAT BLOODY FUNERAL??!!"

"Your wife's, Senor Rod". She showed up very late one night and I thought she was a thief, so I hit her with your new Ping G15 204g titanium head golf club with the TFC 149D graphite shaft."

SILENCE........... LONG SILENCE.........VERY LONG SILENCE.

"Ernesto, if you broke that driver, you're in deep shit."


Golf Quotes from Bigbrimar

These greens are so fast I have to hold my putter over the ball and hit it with the shadow.~ Sam Snead

I was three over. One over a house, one over a patio, and one over a swimming pool.
~ George Brett

Actually, the only time I ever took out a one-iron was to kill a tarantula. And I took a 7 to do that.~ Jim Murray

The only sure rule in golf is - he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie.~ Mickey Mantle

Sex and golf are the two things you can enjoy even if you're not good at them
~ Kevin Costner

I don't fear death, but I sure don't like those three-footers for par..
~ Chi Chi Rodriguez

After all these years, it's still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye. ~ Chi Chi Rodriguez

The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree. ~ Brian Weis

Swing hard in case you hit it. ~ Dan Marino

My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered. ~ Lord Robertson

Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air. ~ Jack Benny

There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground. ~ Ben Hogan

Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20% of the time, you're the best. ~ Jack Nicklaus

The uglier a man's legs are, the better he plays golf. It's almost a law. ~ H G Wells
[This is a lie or Bigbrimar would be on the Tour!]

I never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers everywhere except on the course. ~ Billy Graham

If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf. ~ Bob Hope

If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.
~ Jack Lemmon

You can make a lot of money in this game. Just ask my ex-wives. Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work. ~ Lee Trevino

I'm not saying my golf game went bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they'd come up sliced.
~ Lee Trevino

K9isadog Wins His 10th NPP Tourney!

And it was as easy for him as playing football with Faldo’s caddie applicants.

K9 is now within striking distance of our fearless leader, ThePunk75!

K9 had to face down LittleRedElf and Faldo when it got down to 3-handed. He handled it easily.

Attendance was at the same time great – 16 players …..but puzzling.

While happy to see Bblbtt, Douge2, and Theedouble*d return to the NPP felt, it was disappointing to be missing Suetman123, Tomservo2, Tommydoo and Eyekall.

Oh well. You can’t always make every round. But a 20 player tourney was within reach.

On to the action:

2 min: Cpadanj (16th) has two pair and runs into Pre01’s trip Kings.
29 min: A short-stacked (SS) Absea98 (15th) has to go with (A9) and Theedouble*d has (65) and hits a [5 and 6] on the board.

31 min: A SS Douge2 (14th) goes with (AQ), but Mikeniks-Faldo has (KK).
35 min: A short-stacked (SS) ThePunk75 (13th) sees his (KT) get out-pipped by K9isadog’s (KJ).

36 min: A SS Bblbtt (12th) loses to LittleRedElf’s (AK).
40 min: Derf-63” (11th) pair of queens get run down by T3chlady’s trip Fives.
42 min: 95corolla (10th). I did not see it as the table closed too fast.

1st break:
T3chlady 5155
K9isadog 3745
Theedouble*d 3460
LittleRedElf 3221
Lump2 2400
Pre01 2310
KingBing420 1968
Mikeniks-Faldo 1601
8thmile 140

63 min: KingBing420’s (9th) (AQ) runs into Lump2’s (AK).
65 min: A rare triple all-in with a SS 8thmile’s (8th) (A4), Pre01’s (AJ) and Mikeniks-Faldo’s winning (KK).

68 min: Another triple all-in!! A SS Theedouble*d (7th) has to go with (53), Lump2 raises with (Ad Kd) and K9isadog calls with (Ac 6c) with a flop with 2 clubs in it. K9 makes the flush to knock out DD and cripple Lump2.

69 min: A SS Lump2 (6th) is beaten by T3chlady’s (QQ).
78 min: In a battle of the SS’s Pre01’s (5th) (87) loses to LittleRedElf’s (A4).
99 min: T3chlady’s (4th) loses to K9isadog’s straight.

Great! Faldo is trapped between two Player of the Year award winners and a pair that have TWENTY-TWO NPP victories between them. Add my NPP wins, and you get to ……23.

104 min: A SS LittleRedElf (3rd) has to go with (A2) and K9isadog calls with (KQ) and hits a [K] on the turn.

Heads up: Mikeniks-Faldo 10300 - K9isadog 13700

110 min: Mikeniks-Faldo 7000 - K9isadog 17000
This is exactly the same total that I had against Pre01 last week. Scary.

115 min: Mikeniks-Faldo 11000 - K9isadog 13000
Back to the drawing board.

2nd break: Mikeniks-Faldo 10150 - K9isadog 13850

123 min: Mikeniks-Faldo falls victim to the dreaded smaller straight versus bigger straight at this point! At least I didn’t lose all my chips.

124 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (2nd) has to go with (A2) and is called by K9isadog with (88). No help on the flop. A straight draw an over card, and an added four-card flush draw on the turn. But no cigar.

Congratulations to K9isadog on his 10th NPP win, and moves past Nahanni74 on the Walk of Fame!

1st – K9isadog
2nd – Mikeniks-Faldo
3rd – LittleRedElf
4th – T3chlady
5th – Pre01
6th – Lump2
7th – Theedouble*d
8th – 8thmile
9th – KingBing420
10th – 95corolla
11th – Derf-63
12th – Bblbtt
13th – ThePunk75
14th – Douge2
15th – Absea98
16th – Cpadanj

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Faldo Tourneys and NL Ring Games at MPP

Matchy’s Poker Palace does it up again! And Lauren Pope stopped by to watch the action.

We had six for the tournament and seven for the cash game after.

Beerhog won the tourney with Bob taking second. Faldo finished a distant 4th.

The big cash game winners were Jeremy and Beerhog.

Faldo’s last visit had a full table of ten, and the game Faldo missed in between this one and the last one also had ten players.

Great job Matchy! As Faldo knows all too well it is difficult to keep these things rolling sometimes.

By the way, anyone who would like to hook up an invite to MPP, let Faldo know. I will get you Matchy’s contact information to you. He has a nice group of players in his stable now, and the games are a lot of fun!

Faldo is looking into selecting a date for an NPP visit to a charity room for a tourney and/or cash game. Faldo’s free time schedule has been made a little busier with the re-involvement in chess.

But poker still commands the most time and effort (and money). Faldo will be researching the March tournament schedule.

Faldo on Middle Tournament Strategy

Gina Carano likes all of Faldo's 'strategies'.

This is an under-studied area of the game in tournaments, even though it is the stage where the majority of the players bust out.

First step would be the define the “middle stage”. It is when 30% to 50% of the players have busted out, depending on the size of the tournament. A big tourney, use the 50% mark and adjust accordingly to know when to start using these strategies.

First, open your starting hand selection [Faldo visibly cringes when he hears this!]. Get aggressive pre-flop with smaller pairs and bigger suited connectors.

Second, fast-play your big hands. Smaller stacks will be in panic mode and will have to call with lesser hands. And if you have opened up as in step #1, your opponents will assume you are still speeding.

Third, steal blinds. Since the blinds are rising, stealing them will keep you afloat until the poker gods decide to smile on you.

Fourth, defend your blinds more. This does not mean calling. Re-raise with anything decent. If your opponent is applying strategy #3 and you re-raise from the blinds, he has to worry you have a real hand.

And lastly, continuation bet more often. Bet around half the pot post-flop whether you have a hand or not. You only have to win half the time to show a profit. At this stage of the tournament, any profit is critical. But try to focus on WEAK-TIGHT players (like Faldo) and that will increase your odds of taking the pot down without a showdown.

The middle stage is the time to “play poker” and not just the cards or the card odds.

Pre01 Wins His 1st NPP Tournament!

It floored Faldo too, young lady!

Fantastic job by Pre01, who moves into 2nd place overall, and can see ThePunk75 in the horizon at least. Most importantly - Pre01 is on the Walk of Fame now!!!!!

He had to dodge not only the talent laden field that is NPP Poker, but he dodged the River Monster that seemed to swallow stacks whole. Lots of river beats tonight.

FYI on the 1st quarter action: ThePunk75 has a very comfortable lead, but with 6 tournaments played and still 6 left, and – on average – 5 points awarded for a win, the lead is not safe. Two more wins by anyone, and they are right back in it. Even a new player!

In theory, eleven players could take the lead with two wins.

Faldo will keep an eye on the points and if it ThePunk75 does continue to pull away, the Tournament Committee will meet, and after the “poles” on the stage close, we will vote on what to do.

Like Democrats, we vote even after the polls close. Of course Democrats vote even more before they open - especially the dead ones.

The TC will try and save some tourneys to add to the next quarter, so every round counts. But it is too early to even have that meeting yet. I think the majority agrees.

On to the action:

12 min: Cpadanj (16th) pair of kings runs into Tommydoo’s trip fours. This starts a pattern.

13 min: Lump2 (15th) runs into Tommydoo’s trip jacks.
17 min: T3chlady (14th) trip tens runs into Tommydoo’s flush on the river. See what I mean?

25 min: A short-stacked (SS) K9isadog (13th) sees his pair get out-kicked by Eyekall.
34 min: Eyekall (12th) sees his (KK) lose to Suetman123’s (As Js) with an [A] on the flop.

40 min: A SS KingBing420 (11th) sees her pair of queens get run down by Tommydoo’s with a flush on the river.

43 min: Tomservo2 (10th). I did not see it, watching an all in survivor on my table.
50 min: Derf-63’s (9th) (TT) runs into 95corolla’s (AA)
60 min: The break monster let Faldo live!!!! My (KK) holds on against 8thmile’s (QQ).
Don’t laugh. Two-outters hit at the break WAY too often.

1st break:
Tommydoo 3905
ThePunk75 3637
Suetman123 3552
Mikeniks-Faldo 3400
8thmile 3100
Absea98 2596
95corolla 2365
Pre01 1445

72 min: A SS Tommydoo (8th) has a pair of threes, but 8thmile hits his flush.
78 min: Absea98 (7th) has trips but runs into Mikeniks-Faldo’s full house.
86 min: A SS ThePunk75 (6th) tries with (AT) but 8thmile has (AK).
98 min: A SS 95corolla (5th) has to go with (A8), but Suetman123 with (A2) hits the baby straight.

101 min: A SS Suetman123 (4th) has to try with (A6) but Mikeniks-Faldo has (AJ). Now we settle in for a battle.

2nd break:
Mikeniks-Faldo 14578
Pre01 6120
8thmile 3302

Faldo had his hands but either got no action or lost as the favorite for the next half hour. Then the deck totally shut down on Faldo. Oh, well. That’s poker.

I was primarily feeding 8thmile, and he was feeding Pre01 – who did not return the chips to Faldo. What’s up with that?

150 min: A SS 8thmile (3rd) has to goes with a pair of deuces on the flop, but Pre01 has (KT) and hits a [K] on the river.

Heads up: Mikeniks-Faldo 7000 - Pre01 17000

155 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (2nd) has to go with (8s 7s) and is called by Pre01 with (AT). There is an [8] on the flop, but so is an [A].

Congratulations to Pre01 on his 1st NPP win!

1st – Pre01
2nd – Mikeniks-Faldo
3rd – 8thmile
4th – Suetman123
5th – 95corolla
6th – ThePunk75
7th – Absea98
8th – Tommydoo
9th – Derf-63
10th – Tomservo2
11th – KingBing420
12th – Eyekall
13th – K9isadog
14th – T3chlady
15th – Lump2
16th – Cpadanj

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Faldo Finishes Second in a Rise Poker Tourney - again

I said SECOND - not Fourth!

Two hundred and seventy six players entered and Faldo took second!

The key hand was with 18 players left, Faldo correctly guessed that a nearly equal in chips, middle of the pack player did not have the flush that hit the river.

[Td Ad Tc 4h 3d] was the board. Faldo held (Ah 9h). Faldo called the all-n and busted the Villain with (As 7h). The nine played and Faldo was now in the top 4 in chips.

Btu some loses with a smaller flush, JJ, and a few failed attempts to eliminate some short stacks, Faldo fell back a little. But Villian #2 went on a heater and took four players out, leaving Faldo heads up, but short-stacked.

Faldo got eliminated after battling back heads up to near even.

A flop of [T39] gave Faldo top pair with (Tc 8c). Faldo made a pot size bet and was called. When a [7] hit the turn, Faldo moved all in and was called by Villain #2 with (K3).

A [K] of course hit the river.

But a 2nd place finish still was a confidence builder!

Woodworking Made Simple!

Wow! I have trouble sawing logs!

Happy Valentine's Day to All the NPP Lovely and Talented Ladies

Since there is no NPP Tournament Game due to death threats Faldo received should he have scheduled one tonight - Faldo plans on just relaxing and watching some UFC fight re-runs I've already seen 100 times. Oh well, its something to do instead of poker.

But I can't stretch out and get comfortable if she is going to lay on the bed that way!

Can't she see the buttered popcorn bowl, the three cans remaining 6-pack and my "UFC Rocks" t-shirt??? Do I have to spell it out?

Some people just don't get subtle hints.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder - Typical RINO Government Worker

In an interview with RINO (Republican In Name Only) Governor Rick Snyder of the Socialist Republic of Michigan – a state in the 3-year old Communist States of America – explains why the wonderful reforms taking place in other states by new real Republican governors suck.

Yes, the RINO Republican governor of one of the most run down, jobless, most underwater home and highest taxed state in the new CSA, explains to an AP (All-democrat Propaganda) reporter why the Republican governors that are returning their states to solvency have it all wrong.

“Policies in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and Indiana resulting in union protests are unfortunate. Contentious anti union legislation means that those states will have to overcome divisiveness and hard feelings in the future. My approach is to build consensus. Opposing parties should find areas of agreement and work on those, rather than pursue divisive legislation.”

The success in Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey and Indiana - obtained by BEATING state employee unions - seems to be lost on Michigan Governor Wussie Snyder.

Republican governors in other states are bravely dismantling decades of liberal policies, political cronyism, union featherbedding and theft, that have crippled their state’s economies, and held their budgets hostage.

In spite of outlandish and unchallenged unlawful protests and recall drives - funded by the unions - and with Democrat law makers fleeing the state to keep from having to do their jobs and take their losses like grown-ups, these brave Republican governors are winning, and making their states solvent even during the Obama Depression.

They are winning because they are doing the right thing. And the voters in those states are starting to realize just how badly they were robbed during the reign of the Democrats and how mismanaged public funds were.

True leadership is about courage to do the right thing in spite of criticism, not ‘consensus.” Consensus is the absence of leadership right out of the Obama Book of Management.

Do you ever hear Democrats talk about consensus when they win elections and have control of the congress and top spot in state or federal government? Of course not. They even ignore the laws they don’t like with impunity and appoint “top cops” that announce proudly that they will not arrest their ‘own people.”

Democrats only whine for “consensus” when liberalism is getting it’s ass kicked and being proved to be a loser and a freedom stealer.

All is quiet from the communist-mafia-thug ranks of the Michigan based unions. That is a warning bell my fellow patriots.

That is all you tax paying members of the Socialist Republic of Michigan need to know to realize that Governor Snyder is not doing his job worth a shit.

He is Jenny Granholm-Kilpatrick without nice legs - and without the wart on his face. But for the unions in the state of Michigan, he is bent over the governor desk in the same position Jenny always was.

Mike's Cigars Has a Blog - Now on the NPP Blog Roll

Although I can still enjoy a cigar at the Leaf, Barley and Vine cigar bar on occasion, it is time to start thinking SPRING!

Time to start thinking of filling that humidor you had Faldo design for you for free (you didn't do that yet? Wow.....missing out), so you will be ready for the golf links in style.

So, I am adding this site to the blogroll at NPP for your reading and cigar smoking enjoyment.

And you can fill that humidor inexpensively at Mike's Cigars. Their website works great.

Their #1 competitor as far as I'm concerned - who shall go nameless so I will just use their initials; is JR Cigars.

Anyway, their website and email club doesn't seen to work very well. Great site, good prices, but poor customer service on line. If you call them direct, no problem. Actually outstanding. But on line is spotty and their email system doesn't seem to work well.

I've signed up three times for "email specials" and called them about not getting them four times. Still no emails. What's up with that?

They are treating me like every woman in every bar....ignoring Faldo.

But the #1 reason Mike's Cigars is...well #1 in my book, is not the name. It is the place where you can find all the sizes of Licenciados Cigars all the time! As Beerhog and I say, if you can only have one cigar - this is it!

Check out this blog and enjoy!

We all Do it #1

We can't help it. It's in our jeans to do it.

ThePunk75 Wins Again! Takes Control of the 1st Quarter Lead

It’s been a walk on the beach for ThePunk75!

ThePunk’s performance moves into 7Jokers-LittleRedElf-K9isadog-Doneill-Hlam’s rare-ified air! Two wins in a row and a victory in three of the last four! Well done Punk!

The other eighteen players either had bad luck or some bad karma. Your host just played badly. But the NPP family has to be happy with the turnout. It is a nice, solid night of poker.

Come on and join us in two weeks! We are taking February 14th off for obvious reasons.

This quarter, it may take a miracle to catch ThePunk75, but there are seven tournaments still left.

On to the action:

11 min: Tommydoo (19th) lost a coin flip with (KQ) to K9isadog’s (JJ).
13 min: Mikeniks-Faldo (18th) decides Cpadanj is bluffing, but he wasn’t.
24 min: KingBing420 (17th) gets a bad beat put on her by Cpadanj. Looks like his night so far.

27 min: A short-stacked (SS) Lump2 (16th) goes with (KJ) and runs into LittleRedElf’s (A3).

42 min: Pre01 (15th) Missed it. Had to turn my attention elsewhere for a few minutes.
35 min: Brucef1040 (14th) Same reason.
37 min: LittleRedElf (13th) sees his two pair get run down by Absea’s trips.
39 min: A short-stacked (SS) Theedouble*d (12th) (14th) sees his pair of Fives lose to Tomservo2’s pair of Aces.

41 min: Derf-63 (11th) gets his two pair bested by 8thmile’s trips and is out the next hand.
47 min: Eyekall (10th) hits his flush on the flop but 8thmile catches a higher flush on the turn.
50 min: A SS Cpadanj (9th) tries with (KJ) but is double-teamed by Douge2 and K9isadog, who wins with a pair of Fives.

1st break:
ThePunk75 7344
K9isadog 7252
T3chlady 5281
8thmile 3060
Douge2 1682
Tomservo2 1678
Absea98 1675
Suetman123 528

66 min: Douge2 (8th) has a pair of Queens, but ThePunk75 has trip Threes.
68 min: A SS Suetman123 (7th) has to go with (KJ) but runs into K9isadog’s (A5).

To this point, everyone has been playing like they had somewhere better to be (including your host), but now the final six settle in to do battle.

88 min: A SS Tomservo2 (6th) tries with (6h 5h) and a flop of [5A9], but ThePunk75 has (A6).

91 min: A SS Absea98 (5th) has to go with (AT), and K9isadog calls with (Ad 4d) and hits a [4] on the turn.

108 min: A SS K9isadog (4th) has to try with a flush draw but it doesn’t hit and ThePunk75 pairs his Queens.

111 min: T3chlady (3rd) goes with (66) but ThePunk75 has (JJ).

Heads up: 8thmile 2800 - ThePunk75 25700

114 min: 8thmile (2nd) hits two pair, but ThePunk75 hits a flush!

Congratulations to ThePunk75 on his 13th NPP win!

1st – ThePunk75
2nd – 8thmile
3rd – T3chlady
4th – K9isadog
5th – Absea98
6th – Tomservo2
7th – Suetman123
8th – Douge2
9th – Cpadanj
10th – Eyekall
11th – Derf-63
12th – Theedouble*d
13th – LittleRedElf
14th – Brucef1040
15th – Pre01
16th – Lump2
17th - KingBing420
18th – Mikeniks-Faldo
19th - Tommydoo

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Douge2's Humor Corner - Super Bowl Sunday Edition

There is Always One Big Mouth!

A woman went into a pet shop and spotted a large, quite beautiful
parrot. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00. "Why so
little," she asked the pet store owner.

The owner looked at her and said, "Look, I should tell you first that
this bird used to live in a house of Prostitution, and sometimes it
says some pretty vulgar stuff."

The woman thought awhile, but decided she'd take the bird anyway. She
took it home and hung the bird's cage up in her living room and waited

for it to say something. The bird looked around the room, then at her,

and said, "New house, new madam." The woman was surprised at the
implication, but then thought for a Cathouse Parrot "that's really not so bad."

When her two teenage daughters returned from school the bird saw and
said, "New madam, new girls." The woman was a bit offended but then
began to laugh about the situation considering how and where the
parrot had been raised.

Moments later, the woman's husband Steve came home from work. The bird
looked at him and said, "Hi, Steve."


A Man’s Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, a Prince asked a beautiful Princess Will you marry me?

The Princess said NO and the Prince lived happily ever after;

riding motorcycles and dating gorgeous broads half his age,
and he hunted,
played golf,
bought a boat and fished any weekend he wanted,
raced cars,
went to topless bars,
drank whiskey, beer and Captain Morgan,
never heard bitching,
never paid child support or alimony,
kept his house,
and guns,
and never got cheated on while he was at work,
and all his friends and family thought he was cool as hell,
and he had tons of money in the bank,
and could always leave the toilet seat up.
The end

Faldo's Internet Record in January

This "Find Faldo's ball mark" training of possible Faldo caddies is exhausting Faldo.

But on to the internet tournament circuit results for January 2012: 28 tourneys, no wins, but 4 final tables; 9th, 6th, 5th and 3rd.

Sit n Go results were bleak compared to the last few months, but for some reason January seems to be a bad SNG month for Faldo historically. Wonder why? Maybe no reason. Maybe all this "caddie training."

I guess I could blame the lack of cashes on my recovery from the hospital stay, but my 1st place wins were up there. Maybe I was just "going for the gold" more often.

26 SNG's played with 5 wins, and 6 cashes (2nd's and 3rd's).

That is a 42.3% cash rate (goal = 45%), but a 19.2% win rate (goal = 15%).

My total January performance is a 36.1% cash rate, so I guess that is an improvement overall. Just not compared to the last few months. Total win rate in January stands at 12.2%, which is awful, even with this last January added in.

A superstar's goals are 20% win and 50% cashes in SNG's.

That is why Faldo shoots for 15 - 45.

Partagas Cigars – A Taste of Cuba!

The Partagas brand name has always represented some of the finest cigars ever made. Ramon Cifuentes and Benjamin Menendez the conocedores.

The Cifuenteses ran the Partagas Havana factory for over 100 years – until the Obama Communist Revo…….sorry, the Castro Communist Revolution.

After, Cifuentes brought his expertise to the Dominican Republic, and along with Ben (who created the Montecristo brand!) restarted the brand. This united two former competitors to create a new “super-brand.”

Partagas are exceptionally well made – reputation has it, and is definitely a top 5 selling brand. Some say it is as high as #2. Why quibble.

Faldo has not tried this brand yet. It is on my cigar bucket list however.

Although a medium strength cigar, it is said to be on the smooth and slightly sweet side.

Sounds like a “back nine” cigar worth taking a look at.

The standard Partagas (medium) comes in all the familiar sizes and shapes. Other Partagas styles are;
Black Label – (full bodied)
Cifuentes Winter Blend – (medium)
Limited Reserve Decadas – (full bodied)
Series S – (med – strong)
Spanish Rosado – (med-strong)

ThePunk75 Wins his 2nd NPP Tourney of the Year

The Punk takes over 1st place in the standings. Twenty players saw action tonight, making Faldo very happy. But PokerStars was about to sour his mood – as usual.

We welcomed back Theedouble*d tonight. Great to see you back DD.

On to the action:

6 min: Cpadanj (20th) Faldo missed the first four knockouts as Faldo was in a money tourney on another site, but got knocked out of there short of the money.

10 min: Derf-63 (19th)
17 min: Wingsfancurt (18th)
24 min: Lump2 (17th)
39 min: Theedouble*d (16th) goes with (KJ) and runs into ThePunk75’s (AK).
42 min: A short-stacked (SS) Bb557 (15th) sees his (KJ) run into Absea98’s (QQ).
50 min: A SS Suetman123 (14th) sees her (33) lose a coin flip to ThePunk75’s (Kh 7h) with a [K] on the river.

1st break:
ThePunk75 7670
LittleRedElf 4780
95corolla 3820
Tomservo2 2450
Mikeniks-Faldo 2305
KingBing420 2025
Tommydoo 1632
RodCPA 1532
Pre-01 1435
Brucef1040 1078
Absea98 890
8thmile 378
T3chlady 5 (did not make the game)

60 min: T3chlady (13th) blinds out.
62 min: A short-stacked (SS) Brucef1040 (12th) (14th) sees his (AJ) run into Tommydoo’s (AK).

72 min: Absea98 (11th) with (As Ks), loses a coin flip to 95corolla with (88).
78 min: RodCPA (10th) Missed it because Faldo was watching a hand on my table.
88 min: Mikeniks-Faldo (9th) raises with (AA) (83%) and gets re-raised all in by Tommydoo with (Kd 7d) (17%) and of course Faldo has to call. The flop was [8K7] with a [7] on the turn.

Faldo cannot complain as his (JJ) (20%) ran down Pre01’s (AA) (80%) a few hands earlier with a [J] on the flop. I was on a pass as it was.

90 min: 8thmile (8th) Missed it. Still throwing up over the 88 minute mark hand.

100 min: Tommydoo (7th) re-raises all in with (Jd 4d) (64%) with second pair on a flop of (7d Js Th]. He caught Tomservo2 on a draw with over-cards (AK) (34%), and Tomservo2 calls it anyway. A [Q] hits the turn.

110 min: A SS Pre01 (6th) tries with (33) but runs into 95corolla’s (88).

2nd break:
95corolla 10088
LittleRedElf 8812
ThePunk75 4530
KingBing420 3546
Tomservo2 3024

125 min: A SS KingBing420 (5th) loses to 95corolla’s straight.
131 min: A SS LittleRedElf (4th) has to try with (Ah 9h) but runs into 95corolla’s (AK).

154 min: 95corolla (3rd) goes with over cards and a flush draw with (Kh Qh) but cannot catch Tomservo2’s (33) with a [3] on the flop.

This sets up a battle!!!

Heads up: Tomservo2 15000 - ThePunk75 15000
160 min: Tomservo2 9700 - ThePunk75 20300
165 min: Tomservo2 16800 - ThePunk75 13200
170 min: Tomservo2 9200 - ThePunk75 20800

3rd break: Tomservo2 17983 - ThePunk75 12017

185 min: Tomservo2 13200 - ThePunk75 16800
190 min: Tomservo2 10000 - ThePunk75 20000
195 min: Tomservo2 9100 - ThePunk75 20900

198 min: Tomservo2 (2nd) goes with (Ah 8h) (70%) and ThePunk75 calls with (Qc 8c) (28%), but as happened most of the night, the leader pre-flop falls. A [Q] on the flop ends the match.

Congratulations to ThePunk75 on his 12th NPP win!

1st – ThePunk75
2nd – Tomservo2
3rd – 95corolla
4th – LittleRedElf
5th – KingBing420
6th – Pre01
7th – Tommydoo
8th – 8thmile
9th – Mikeniks-Faldo
10th – RodCPA
11th – Absea98
12th – Brucef1040
13th – T3chlady
14th – Suetman123
15th – Bb557
16th – Theedouble*d
17th - Lump2
18th – Wingsfancurt
19th - Derf-63
20th – Cpadanj

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

NPP Exclusive - Beerhog at the Links

And NO, Faldo is NOT the Starter.
Think Spring!

Lump2 Wins His 1st NPP Tourney and Takes Over the League Lead

Ilary Blasi was so impressed - she fainted - as Lump2 is the 65th player to win an NPP tournament event! Welcome to the Walk of Fame Lump2.

Well it was bound to happen. Lump2 was hanging around the final tables this season and finally closed the deal. He did it mostly by eliminating the competition with NINE knockouts on the night. Impressive.

Turnout was a little lighter than I expected after the nice turnout last week. It did not dampen play any as the tourney ran almost as long as the others.

On to the action:

13 min: K9isadog (15th) hits his flush, but Tommydoo’s is bigger (twss).
18 min: A short-stacked (SS) Absea98 (14th) sees his (TT) lose a coin flip to Lump2’s (AQ) with an [A] on the flop.

21 min: Brucef1040 (13th) sees his pair of queens get out-kicked by Derf-63’s pair of queens.

40 min: Derf-63 (12th) Missed it. Playing a hand on my table.
46 min: 95corolla (11th) Missed it. Playing a hand on my table.
49 min: 8thmile (10th) Missed it. Watching a hand on my table.
50 min: ThePunk75 (9th) Missed it because I had to take a phone call.

Your humble reporter is not having a good night – playing or writing.

1st break:
Lump2 7120
Tomservo2 4413
Pre-01 3600
Tommydoo 2025
Bb557 1890
Suetman123 1820
Mikeniks-Faldo 1265
KingBing420 367

66 min: Tommydoo (8th) is out-kicked – Ten to Nine by Bb557.
73 min: A SS KingBing420 (7th) hits a pair of kings on the flop, but Suetman123 hit trips! Ouch!

90 min: A harmless looking flop of [7h 6h 5s] gets three-way all-in action going (twss). A SS Tomsevo2 (6th) tries with (Ad 8d), Bb558 (5th) has to go with (88), and Lump2 has to call with (66) and his trips hang on for the double knockout!

98 min: A SS Suetman123 (4th) tries the flush draw with (Kd 9d) on a flop with two diamonds in it, but cannot run down Lump2’s (KJ). Another “out-kicked” ousting tonight.

110 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (3rd) has to go with (A2) but cannot catch Lump2’s (22).

Heads up: Lump2 11000 - Pre01 11500

2nd break at 115 min: Heads up: Lump2 13500 - Pre01 9000
124 min: A SS Pre-01 (2nd) goes with (AK) on a dry flop of [7Q8] but runs into Lump2’s (T7) and does not improve.

Congratulations to Lump2 on his 1st NPP win!

1st – Lump2
2nd – Pre01
3rd – Mikeniks-Faldo
4th – Suetman123
5th – Bb557
6th – Tomservo2
7th – KingBing420
8th – Tommydoo
9th – ThePunk75
10th – 8thmile
11th – 95corolla
12th – Derf-63
13th – Brucef1040
14th – Absea98
15th – K9isadog

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Faldo Returns to the Felt at Matchy’s Poker Room

Just a reminder - BoDog Poker and Sportsbook is now closed to US Players. Ahhhh, the sweet stench of our freedom dying.

By the way, Matchy's Poker Room can’t be Matchy’s Poker Palace because of copy right laws. NPP’s team of powerful lawyers (Dewey, Cheetem and Howe) would swoop down and take every chip, table, and chair – and then work on getting the CPA licenses pulled from every math-challenged accountant playing in that room. Of which there are several.

Anyway, Faldo returned to the poker wars for the first time in 2012. It was a great game. It was lots of laughs and stories, along with great poker. Everyone participated in the frivolity except for Boston Dave – who we have to help get over his shyness.

Matchy introduced a new poker oval poker table to MPR and it was a nice addition. The padded arm rest really helps in the comfort area, and the cards slide easily and that helps with the dealing. Nice job Matchy.

The table was filled – in order of seating number by:

1 – Boother36
2 – Artic1Blast
3 – Boston Dave
4 – Mikeniks-Faldo
5 – Silent Chris
6 – Stanley Cup Tim
7 – River Dennis
8 – Matchy
9 – 95corolla

The synopsis (I bought this word from the website Smartwordsfordumbbloggers dot com) of the six hour game [HOPE – Holdem, Omaha, Pineapple, Omaha8 rotation] by seat was;

1 – Second best great hands all night – stealing a Faldo trademark.
2 – Shoulda raised Boston Dave out of his seat all night
3 – Hit every flop all night, but took it easy on us. Big winner.
4 – Faldo hit every river all night but too bad he folded
5 – Chris just quietly kicked butt. 2nd winner.
6 – Tim bluffed Faldo out of 954 pots.
7 – Dennis lost so many hands on the river, he thought he was Faldo playing on PokerStars.
8 – Matchy made a comeback
9 – and 95corolla had the same plight as Faldo – river hits while on the sidelines.

A special thanks to 95corolla for the cigars – hand picked as a gift for Faldo since Faldo blogged he had not tried them yet. Several Licenciados and La Flor Del Caneys will be heading 95corolla's way.

And a SUPER special thanks to 95corolla’s son – a marine serving in Afghanistan. God bless him!

Community Card Review - We’ve Got Lying, Cheating and Treasonous Americans to Defeat

A Reminder: A picture of Democrat voters and their feelings towards the military outwardly expressed - when a Republican is in the White House. I'll bet these same paid employees of the DNC are now working at the Occupy protests.

Governor of Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker was in office in January 2011 with a budget deficit of $3.6 billion.

Over the protests of the Democrat voting union thugs and the cowardly and treasonous Wisconsin Democrat lawmakers who fled the state to stop the voting on reform, Governor Walker made state employees to pay 12.6% of their salaries to their healthcare benefits. Private sector workers pay double that, by the way.

And he made them pay 5.8% towards their own retirement.

Gov Walker also gave the state workers the right to "opt out" of the union, so dues would not be automatically taken from their pay checks.

The results of just this little bit of reduction in state-worker union dictated entitlement spending was:

The school tax levies across the state of Wisconsin - for the first time in history - went DOWN!

The budget for 2012 is projected to be a $300 million SURPLUS without raising taxes or layoffs of government workers.

However, Governor Walker is targeted for a recall vote by the Democrat National Committee and the national union offices. Loss of UNION DUES is the real issue with the DNC and the union kingpins. The rest is all window dressing.

In order for the recall initiative to be started, signatures on petitions have to equal or surpass 1/4 of all ballots cast in the election that put Walker in office.

All the Democrat and union ballot box stuffing apparatus was turned on to gather the signatures needed. Names like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Adolf Hitler were deemed legal by a liberal judge, along with the signatures of a man who signed the petitions eighty times!

Who is it that opposes voting registration verification? The Democrats. Now you know why. Democrats want to cheat. They always cheat. They have to cheat. They can’t win unless they cheat – even with a school system and media monopoly.

Illinois Democrats proudly announced they were going to be the anti-Wisconsin - and tax their way to a balanced budget. And they got elected. Well, in the same amount of time, Illinois raised taxes 66%!

Illinois still has a 10% unemployment rate, still a huge fiscal deficit, and they just surpassed California as having the worst bond rating in the country.

The choice will be clear in Wisconsin when the next vote happens late this summer. Wisconsin can return to the Democrats and double digit tax increases, billion dollar deficits and record job loss - or stay the course and continue the momentum of increased jobs in the state, a balanced budget and tax freezes or rebates!

Citizens of Wisconsin will have to beat the Democrat and union election cheating and almost unlimited spending in lying advertising. If Wisconsin citizens want to win their state back from the Democrat socialists - now is the time.

Our entire nation faces the same decision in the next national election. The same cheating, lying, and billion dollar spending from the Democrat–Communists will happen along with the hit pieces from our main stream media propaganda arm of the Democrat Party.

We have to beat the Democrats-Socialists-Communists-Union Thugs in November or become slaves. Pure and simple.

Decision time.

(PS: Unions are outlawed in China, Cuba and North Korea. Something to think about you pro-union Democrat voters. Be careful what you wish for.)

ThePunk75 Wins His 11th NPP Tourney and Takes the Lead in the League

Gemma enjoyed watching the tourney.

ThePunk75 bests eighteen others tonight to take the lead in the league. It was a methodical, patient and thoughtful victory. Nice job Punk!

We welcomed tonight a new player – Cpadanj. And he is a player! He did well in his first NPP tourney.

On to the action:

15 min: Wingsfancurt (19th) Missed it. Watching an all-in on my table.

26 min: Pre01 (18th) sees his Aces runs into Tommydoo’s straight.
32 min: 8thmile (17th) hits two pair on the turn, but Mikeniks-Faldo had trips on the flop.

35 min: A short-stacked (SS) Suetman1 (16th) hits two pair on the turn, but K9isadog turned a flush.

42 min: KingBing420 (15th) sees her (AK) run into Cpadanj’s (AA).
46 min: LittleRedElf (14th) sees his (JJ) run into Absea98’s (KK).
49 min: Lump2 (13th) sees his pair of Aces get out-kicked by Derf-63’s pair of Aces.
50 min: Douge2 (12th) Missed it. Another all-in at my table.
52 min: Tomservo2 (11th) sees his trip sixes get out-kicked by Cpadanj’s trip sixes. It’s an out-kicked epidemic!

1st break:
Cpadanj 8087
K9isadog 4563
Bb557 2880
ThePunk75 2770
Tommydoo 2580
Derf-63 2525
T3chlady 1675
95corolla 1650
Mikeniks-Faldo 1110
Absea98 660

63 min: A SS Absea98 (10th) goes with (Kd 9d) and is called by big stack Cpadanj with (QT). And a [T] flops and Absea98 gets no help.

72 min: Derf-63 (9th) sees his Jack-high flush and Cpadanj sees his trips lose to T3chlady’s Ace-high flush!

84 min: A SS Bb557 (8th) has to go with his pair of Aces on the flop. ThePunk75 calls with a pair of tens, but hits a straight on the river! Ouch!

87 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (7th) has to go with (55) and Tommydoo correctly calls with (Ad Kd) and hits a king on the flop.

96 min: A SS Cpadanj (6th) tries to go with (As 2s), but runs into K9isadog’s (AK).
113 min: A SS 95corolla (5th) has to go with (QJ) but run into K9isadog’s (KJ).

2nd break:
K9isadog 11051
T3chlady 7946
ThePunk75 5876
Tommydoo 3628

124 min: Tommydoo (4th) tries the flush draw with (Kd 9d) on a flop of [Ad 6d Js] but cannot run down T3chlady’s (A8).

136 min: K9isadog (3rd) hits two pair but loses to ThePunk75’s straight.

Heads up: ThePunk75 21000 - T3chlady 7500

139 min: A SS T3chlady (2nd) goes with (K3) but runs into ThePunk75’s (77).

Congratulations to ThePunk75 on his 1st NPP win of this season.

1st – ThePunk75
2nd – T3chlady
3rd – K9isadog
4th – Tommydoo
5th – 95corolla
6th – Cpadanj
7th – Mikeniks-Faldo
8th – Bb557
9th – Derf-63
10th – Absea98
11th – Tomservo2
12th – Douge2
13th – Lump2
14th – LittleRedElf
15th – KingBing420
16th – Suetman123
17th – 8thmile
18th – Pre01
19th - Wingsfancurt

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Winter is a Time for Eating!

Doesn't that sandwich look good?

Yes, trust me - there is a sandwich in that picture. Look carefully. [Ed. Note to half my readers: Nevermind. You don't have to find the sandwich. Don't hurt yourself.]

But sandwiches are made from leftovers.

Picture a meal of tender and juicy roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies and a salad. Maybe fry up some onions, green and red mild peppers and mushrooms in a little garlic and olive oil.

Here is the Italian Beef recipe, with a big hat tip to the blog - Paw Paw's House!

Rodger's Italian Beef

Ingredients:
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style
salad dressing mix
1 (5 pound) rump roast

Directions:
1. Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.

2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.

3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

After 10 hours in the slow cooker, the beef is falling apart.

I sampled just a taste and the flavor is incredible. - PP

Faldo knows what he is having for dinner next weekend!

Men Never Learned Either - We Let Them Vote Now Too!

Douge2’s Humor Corner - PARAPROSDOKIAN

…is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists. For instance;


Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.


The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it's still on the list.

If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

War does not determine who is right - only who is left.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; To steal from many is research.

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.

A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why do Americans choose from just 2 people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

I discovered women scream the same way whether they are about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches their foot.

I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not sure.

I always take life with a grain of salt..... plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

You're never too old to learn something stupid.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Absea98 Picks Up Right Where He Left Off Last Year. Wins Again!

Sometimes you need to gang-tackle an opponent.

Fresh off the 2011 NPP Finals victory, Absea98 proceeded to beat us all into submission on the first night of action of the new season. Thanks a pant load!

We welcome two new players to the NPP family tonight: Bb557 and Lump2. Welcome guys!

This season will be back to the 4 quarters – with each winner getting a seat in the NPP Finals and the top two in points also getting a seat in the finals. All ties also get in.

On to the action:

7 min: KingBing420 (14th) pairs her jacks, but loses to Derf-63’s queens.
11 min: Tommydoo (13th) runs into 95corolla’s trip jacks.
28 min: Bb557 (12th) Missed it as he was on the other table.
31 min: 8thmile (11th) was really card dead and has to go with (22) but loses to T3chlady’s two pair.

41 min: ThePunk75 (10th) was as card dead as 8thmile.
43 min: BigDaddyTman (9th) goes with (88) but LittleRedElf’s (Ac Kc) makes two pair. BigDaddy is crippled and leaves a few hands later.

60min: Mikeniks-Faldo (8th) knows there is a PokerStars Break Monster. The Monster gives a short stack a high pocket pair and then crushes it with a dirty flop - right at the break. Faldo knows this, but decides to test the theory to the max.

Faldo is dealt (AA) – of course – in middle position, the last hand before the break. DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!! (a Lost in Space reference that shows Faldo's age)

I raise half my short stack, wanting action and preferably an all-in move. I need chips to fight on post-break after all. Maybe an all in push stops the disaster about to happen, but I don’t pick up that much ammo in that instance. All fold but Derf-63 who has the chips to call.

The flop is [6c 8c 9c] and I know I am dead, but I have to play like there is no Break Monster on PokerStars.

I move all in and Derf-63 has to call with (Kc Th), having both straight and flush draws, and for all he knows over-card draws, which he ended up not having. Of course the 4th club hits the river and the field conveniently shrinks at break time.

Game-set-match to the Break Monster.

1st break:
Absea98 6825
Suetman123 4225
Derf-63 3745
LittleRedElf 2745
Lump2 2115
T3chlady 790
95corolla 555

66 min: A SS T3chlady (7th) pairs her Aces and loses to Suetman123’s Aces and Jacks.
70 min: A SS 95corolla (6th) has to go with (Kc Tc), pairs, but Absea98 hits a straight on the river. Ouch!

76 min: Derf-63 (5th) sees his (AQ) run into Absea98’s (AK).

Now we settled in for a long battle.

104 min: Suetman123 (4th) runs into LittleRedElf’s two pair.

116 min: Lump2 (3rd) gives it a shot with (8s 7s) and shoves at a flop of [5s Kc 3s]. LittleRedElf makes a crying call with (KJ) and the kings hold up.

A fine performance by an NPP rookie. Good job Lump2!

Heads up; LittleRedElf 11000 - Absea98 10000

2nd break:
LittleRedElf 17240
Absea98 3760

125 min: LittleRedElf 16730 - Absea98 4270
130 min: LittleRedElf 15730 - Absea98 5270
135 min: LittleRedElf 11500 - Absea98 9500
140 min: LittleRedElf 9330 - Absea98 11670

142 min: LittleRedElf (2nd) goes with (A9) but runs into Absea98’s (AJ).

Congratulations to Absea98 on his 6th NPP win.

1st – Absea98
2nd – LittleRedElf
3rd – Lump2
4th – Suetman123
5th – Derf-63
6th – 95corolla
7th – T3chlady
8th – Mikeniks-Faldo
9th – BigDaddyTman
10th – ThePunk75
11th – 8thmile
12th – Bb557
13th – Tommydoo
14th – KingBing420

The total point standings are on the right side of the blog!

Caesars Windsor Does WSOP Qualifiers

WSOP Qualifier Jan 13th and 14th – and this young lady will be cheering for you!

Friday 13th
10am & 8:15pm
$70 buy-in

Sat 14th
10am | $70 buy-in
4pm | $555 buy-in

Theedouble*d will be going...anyone interested?
Call or email Faldo for DD's phone number to discuss.

Nik's Poker Palace Starts Season #19 Tuesday

Don't just stand there leaning on the wall. Tell your friends. NPP starts our fun Tuesday Night Tournament League January 10 at 8pm.

Download PokerStars dot net and then email Faldo at the email at the top of this blog for the league number, and password.

Those that played last year are all set.

But all you newbies, get those emails to me as soon as possible.

See you Tuesday night!

Top Ten Smartest Teams in Sports

The smartest league is of course Niks Poker Palace, followed by the NFL. But this is about the smartest teams. Here is Faldo's list. Let's discuss:

10. Los Angeles Lakers - Like it or not, and whether with league help or not, no pro basketball team has performed so well for so long.

9. Boston Red Sox - Yes, they spend like the 2nd biggest baseball market team (which they are), but they still manage to out-duel the 1st big market team - the New York Yankees (who barely failed to make the top 10 cut).

8. Baltimore Ravens - GM Ozzie (the Wizard of Oz) Newsome has got them in the playoffs 5 of the last six years, all without braking the bank. Shrew trades and good drafts keeps the Ravens in the mix every year.

7. Atlanta Braves - Just now starting to slide, but winning 14 consecutive divisional championships will never be repeated. Even with the Ted Turner wallet closed, the Braves continue to "be a factor" every baseball fall.

6. Tampa Bay Rays - A tiny baseball market with the smallest payroll, Tampa Bay always battles the "Big Boys" - the Red Sox and Yankees - in their division. Three playoff runs, with one winning the pennant in 2008. They continue to be competitive when all indications say they should be Pirates-Cubs clones.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers - Love them or hate them, like Alabama, they just keep rolling. Perfect drafting even without the high choices, and free agent signings that not only don't break the bank, but fill holes - and the locker room chemistry - perfectly.

4. Detroit Red Wings - Car accidents, heart attacks, garbage officiating and untimely injuries prevents them from being #1. Playoff contenders for 20 years running with 10 Central Division championships and 3 Stanley Cups thrown in. Without some bad luck and league shenanigans, 7 Stanleys is not that far fetched.

3. New England Patriots - Playoffs in 10 of the last 11 years with 3 Super Bowl wins - matched only by the Steelers in that time frame. Not only do they draft, free agent fill and keep the winning culture like the Steelers, they find other ways to get edges over the competition. "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying" is almost their motto. Kind of a new century version on the Al Davis Raider's 'Just win baby!"

2. Green Bay Packers - How do they get players to go to that God forsaken winter shanty town? How do they continue to beat the bigger market teams like a old rug on a clothes line in August? 14 league championships, 4 Super Bowls and an army of "cheese heads" across the country. As a Lion's fan, I'm going to be sick.

1. Minnesota Twins - Playoff bound in 6 of 10 years with unknown players that later became American League MVP's. That's called drafting folks. A small market team which somehow manages to play over .500 baseball all the time, and then blow by everyone at the wire to get in the post season. Kind of a Tampa Bay - on steroids - but in a weaker division, which helps their success. Every year I wonder, "How do those Twinkies do it??"

That's Faldo's list. What is yours?

The NPP League Returns January 10

Relaxation time is over.

E-mails will be sent shortly also, but Faldo is ready to post the schedule.

The season will be 4 quarters again. The first three will be 12 tourneys in length and the last one only 11 tourneys.

Another change; we are going back to the 12 minute blinds rather than the 15 minute blinds. The reason is simply that I think the tourney needs to be over in under 3 hours.

The schedule is this:

1st quarter: Jan 10th thru April 3rd, with Valentine’s Day night off (Faldo’s wedding anniversary and I don’t want to be killed in my sleep). Twelve games.

2nd quarter; April 10th thru June 26th. Twelve games.

3rd quarter: July 10th thru September 25th. Twelve games

4th quarter: October 2nd thru December 11th. Eleven games.

NPP Final: December 18th.

Here is hoping everyone had a good holiday and will have a great year ahead. Faldo did and is planning on it!

Happy New Year! - And Drive Safely Out There