Nahanni Wins NPP Internet #21

Seven of us took to the felt after the Memorial Day weekend. Must of been a heck of a weekend for some, because it was a quiet table. I tried to stir the pot a little and was dealt silence.

Even Beerhog was quiet! Probably watching the Pistons get thumped.

Onto the action. Artic Blast (7th) could never get any cards or flops (must of grabbed my PS seat by accident) and was soon short stacked. He finally had to for it with J4s. Boother took him out with 22 as the Blast did not improve.

Beerhog, (6th) who lost several contested pots also, was the next lowest. He made his move with J9 and was called by Nahanni with JT. A ten on the flop and it was over.

Duder (5th) got crippled as his AQ ran into a BB special, as Nahanni's K6 improved a ton on the flop of KQ6. The Dude exited a couple of hands later.

I think the most interesting hand of the night was next. Heavyweights Sev4TSev and Boother hook up and call standard bets. The flop is [Th 2s 3h]. There is a standard bet and call. The turn is a [6h]! The betting gets them both all in!

Sev4TSev (4th) has AT and Boother has JJ. The 2h on the river and we'll have no repeat champion tonight. I should not of folded my 2s3c I guess.

Break: Nik Faldo 4800, Nahanni 3400 and Boother 2300.

When play started back up, I hit a few flops against Nahanni to keep her stack from expanding much. I seemed to win from her what she took from Boother.

Nahanni had won a contested pot with Boother, so Boother was a little on the low chip side. Boother (3rd) goes all in with 99 and is called by Nahanni with KQ. A Queen on the river and Boother is out.

The chips are at the following levels for heads up. Nik Faldo has 5800 and Nahanni 3700. A very impressive comeback begins!

All I can say is I got run over. When I tried to make a move - I got re-raised! When I bet with the few hands I saw (if you call KQ a hand), she folded. It was like Annie Duke versus one of the Greeks in the restaurant.

It has become quite obvious to me (so I assume to the rest of you) that head's up is not my strong suit. For the seventh consecutive time - heads up in this tourney series this year - your humble host has been defeated. This is an ugly flaw I have in my game.

After Nahanni whittled me down to 1800, I (2nd) get all in with the first pair I saw 22 and Nahanni has 44. Good night Faldo! Great job Nahanni!

1st - Nahanni
2nd - Nik Faldo
3rd - Boother
4th - Sev4TSev
5th - Duder
6th - Beerhog
7th - Artic Blast

Monthly overall standings with tourney average points:

1st - Boother 98 / 5.4
2nd - Nik Faldo 89 / 4.9
3rd - Rownder 65 / 4.6
4th - Matchy 63 / 3.5
5th - Sev4TSev 60 / 6.0
6th - Beerhog 44 / 4.9
7th - Momo 32 / 3.2
8th - Cigar4John 28 / 3.5
9th - BonAir 21 / 3.0
10th - Hlam 14 / 2.8
11th - Artic Blast 12 / .9
12th - Nahanni 10 / 3.3
13th - Duder 1 / .3

DavetheDog, SpartyToJo and Bronco76 - not enough entries to make the list.

Nik Finishes 4th in Tropical Poker Tourney

Supposed to go play golf on this Memorial Weekend, but the rain kept me house bound.
So I had the wife clean my clubs, polish my golf shoes and wash the golf towel.

While waiting for my lunch to be made, I decided to enter a poker tourney. Tropical Poker had one that featured a 306 player freeroll field. A freeroll was in order in case;
A) the weather broke and it was time to golf
B) I had to renew the restraining order I have on Jessica Alba who is stalking me
C) Tiger Woods stops by for me to once again fix his putting issues

Anyway, finished 4th as my QQ lost to a bigger stacks AQ with the expected A falling on the flop.

On the bright side, I won a little free cash, the weather had cleared and my clubs and shoes were done.
Off to the course!

New NPP Review of On-line Poker Sites

Since my last review, so much has changed. Thanks to the Republicans making a last ditch effort to save an election, they pandered to the religious right. They went after internet poker by primarily attacking the internet banking sites that poker players used to move chips around.

I blame the greed of the internet banking and poker/gambling sites for all of the chaos. We already know the government politicians are greedy crooks and extortionists that would make Al Capone blush. The on-line gambling industry refused to let the politicians ‘wet their bill’ in the fountain of money.

Hence, you get laws that shut down your business. And henceforth, the industry fights back with the Poker Players Alliance, which is nothing more than the lobbying group in charge of making donations to politicians. Notice they are asking the players to pony up along with the sites. Basically, it’s yet another rake.

Nothing has changed from the protection money Doyle and the boys had to pay on the old interstate circuit.

Anyway my criteria for what makes a good poker site has changed. Here is the new list of things that are important.

1. Safety/size of site/ Players funds held in escrow (not that it makes a lot of difference as our government already has proven how it will screw it’s citizens for no reason)
2. Ease of deposit/withdraw (using ePassport – the biggest internet bank left now that Net-Teller and our government has jointly screwed poker players over).
3. Freerolls – I want extra play available for my rake money
4. Big Tourneys available for low buy-ins (still don't trust internet poker fully - not rational as the chance of getting cheated is greater at home games and casinos, but I still have a hard time spending more than $5 on an internet tourney)
5. Software playability (not very important anymore)
6. Service (yeah right)

Here is the list of the NPP best places to play internet poker:

1. Poker Stars
2. Absolute Poker
3. Ultimate Bet
4. Full Tilt Poker

Here is the second tier where I still play. I worry about their safety and pulling a Jet Poker on me and closing without warning.

5. Jungle Poker
6. Poker Poker (the biggest of this group)
7. Bugsy’s Club
8. Poker4Ever

Here is where I still have accounts and play, but they do not have ePassport as a funding/withdraw option, so if I go tap I am done with them.

9. Tropical Poker (love the site but can’t fund)
10. World Poker Exchange (love the site but can’t fund)
11. Bo Dog Poker
12. Sportsbook Poker

What shocks me is the number of sports books that do not use ePassport as funding options. I expect that to change by football season. – Nik Faldo

Sev4TSev Wins Heads Up Match Against Nik Faldo to Win NPP Internet #20

Only three signed up and only two played. I guess the message is loud and clear - the masses want NL Holdem! I'm sorry, but I owed the guys two HORSE tourneys.

Back in the beginning the winner of the previous week got to pick what the game was the next week. Both Beerhog and 747 requested HORSE after winning and I could not do it because the Poker Stars software had screwed up.

Once it was repaired I scheduled the two HORSE tourneys I owed the guys. They are paid off.

Well, 747 won this week and he picked NL Holdem for next week.

1st - Sev4TSev
2nd - Nik Faldo
3rd - Boother

Beerhog Hosts the NPP Boys - Great Game!

Well it was a who's who of NPP. I really didn't think we could get a game together for the month, but Beerhog decided to give it a shot.

In spite of two NPP regulars (Herbavor and LP) unable to attend, seven still made the game.

Beerhog, Gridlock, Thai Food, Tolly, Nik Faldo, Matchy, and Sev4TSev all made the game.

I was not the chip seller so I am guessing at how people did. I won a little and I think Thai Food was the big winner, but I could be wrong.

The tournament ended with a deal struck with Sev4TSev taking first, Nik Faldo second and Tolly third. Matchy did not play in the tourney.

Beerhog Finishes 4th In Poker Stars Limit 7-Stud Hi-Lo Tourney

Beerhog bested all but three of the other 263 players that got into this tourney. He won twenty-one times his entry.

Beerhog said, "It just takes too long...even with a case of beer - good beer anyway."

Great job Beerhog!

Two things;
Can you describe a key hand or two and secondly, how did you find a tournament against 263 blind 5 year olds on Poker Stars?

Just Another Reason to Get Good at Poker

We got the 4Putt Open in a few weeks (June 7 thur 10)and although I have written about this subject before - it bears repeating. Hope I listen to my own advice.

Good dealers can get out forty hands an hour. If you are playing in a $4/8 game the dealer will take around $4/5 per hand for the house. That comes out to $240 off the table in an hour, counting tips to the dealer!

If ten players sat down with $40 each and played an hour and a half, the entire table would be broke in an hour and a half.

Clearly the answer is to play at the highest level you comfortably can to limit the effect of the house rake on your bankroll.

Or play at NPP, Boother's and Beerhog's!

Beerhog Wins NPP #19

I missed the tourney due to a combo of stupidity and the internet blinking out at the wrong time! I was on in plenty of time but didn't register. The computer kicked me off because of a 12 hour sign in rule. By the time I logged back on the tourney had started and because of a full table PS did not allow a late entry.

I went out and had a few.

Anyways, the results.

1st - Beerhog
2nd - Boother
3rd - Matchy
4th - Rownder
5th - Hlam14
6th - Sev4TSev
7th - Duder
8th - ArticBlast

HORSE again next game. NPP will be dark May and June. Beerhog may have a game. Let's discuss. Give us the details Beerhog. - Nik Faldo

Sev4TSev Wins NPP Internet #18

747 doesn’t have the Point Lead, but he has the Highest Average Finish per Tournament Lead by a mile.

A field of ten made a go of it. Two weeks in a row of a double digit field. Great job everyone! To the action:

We have a habit of treating new players with corrosive gloves – both at NPP and on-line.
On hand #20, Nahanni (10th), in her second start, took another bad beat. By her own admission, maybe she did not play the hand correctly. Anyway, she and BonAir see the flop. [KJ3]. BonAir (K4) calls a smallish bet from Nahanni (AA). The turn has a 4. When Nahanni goes all in, BonAir takes her out.

Hand #33 saw Artic Blast (9th) lose to 747, who had (QQ). I did not see what Artic had and screwed up trying to get the hand number to review. I blame my wife – who was serving me a beer and bring me my slippers at the time – and distracted me. She will have to pay for that.

Hand #40 saw last tourney winner and short stacked Rownder (8th) with (KK) end up all in against 747 (QsTs). The flop of [ 2s 7h 5s] and a turn of 3s – ended the suspense.

Hand #43 saw Matchy (AK) get hurt by a shorter stacked Boother (77). It is basically a coin flip preflop. They get all in and the flop has an A in it. But a 7 on the river cripples Matchy.

Hand #50 sees a short stacked Matchy (7th) (AT) run into the KK of Beerhog.

Hand #65 saw a very rare 3 handed all-in! Hlam (6th) (KJ), Boother (5th) (66) and BonAir (KQs). BonAir hit the straight and wiped out two very dangerous players all at once.

Hand #68, BonAir hit a straight again. Unfortunate for Beerhog (4th), who saw his flopped two pair get rolled.

At the break we had
BonAir 7.2K,
Sev4TSev 6.1K and
perennial short-stacked Nik Faldo 1.5K.
Can Nik pull off a Rownder/Boother type comeback?????

Uhhhh, no.

I (3rd) got a run of high pairs, pairs and high suited cards and went all in about 6 or 7 times in a row, and got my stack close to 3K. Safer ground, but still safely behind. The decent cards continue and I get (44).

On hand #92 my all-ins continued and get called by BonAir (AsTs), who got tired of my little show of force.

Can Nik Faldo win a race for once on Poker Stars???? Uhhhh, no.

A T on the flop AND two spades. Just to rub it in, PS drops a T on the river. Uncalled for. A spade ok – but another ten is just cruel. Time 10:12

At 10:29, BonAir’s FH beats 747’s two pair and the chip lead is BonAir’s at 11K to 4K.

At 10:32, Sev4TSev hits a straight to take the lead 8K to 7K. He never lost it, even though they go at it for quite a while.

At 10:50, Sev4TSev (1st) raises pre-flop and is called by BonAir (2nd).
Flop [Ks 6d 4s]
There are bets and they are all-in.
Sev4TSev (AKs) and BonAir (KT). Trap city.
Turn, A and the unnecessary river card was a 4d.

1st – Sev4TSev
2nd – BonAir
3rd – Nik Faldo
4th – Beerhog
5th - Boother
6th – Hlam14
7th – Matchy
8th – Rownder
9th – Artic Blast
10th – Nahanni

Question: Beerhog is golfing on Tuesday. Is there a better night to do this, like Monday or Wednesday? Thursday and Friday is the weekend. We don’t want that. When we originally voted, Tuesday barely beat Monday, and there are only 3 players who played last night who voted at that time.

Time for a new vote.
Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday? – Nik Faldo

Watch Out for Ohio Products!

A dairy farmer in Michigan needed to get a new dairy cow. His dairy cow died, and needed to get a new dairy cow. He didn't know where to go. He looked in the newspapers and found an ad. Some Ohio dairy farmer was selling a cow.

So he called the guy up.The guy said, "Come down and take a look at it. It's a pretty young cow. I think you'll like it."

He goes down to the cow, looks at the cow, and likes the looks.
The Michigan guys says, "Look, I'm not going to buy this cow unless I can milk it."

"Well, go right ahead. Feel free."

With every tug (Pshew! Pshew! Pshew!), the cow expelled gas. Every time!

The guy from Michigan says, "Is that normal?"

"Yeah, and I can't explain it. But it doesn't matter. Look at the milk. The milk is fine," the Ohio farmer says.

"Okay, okay. I'll take it." So he packs the cow up and brings it home to Michigan, calls his best buddy down the road, another farmer, and says, "Hey, I just got this new dairy cow. You have got to come check this out. You won't believe it."

So the farmer comes by and says, "Okay, it's a good cow, but I have to milk it too. I'm not going to take your word for it that it's a great cow."

"Well, go ahead! Be my guest."

With every tug, the cow would expel gas, and the farmer's buddy says: "Did you get this cow in Ohio?"

"Yeah, I did! I didn't tell you that. How did you know that I got it from Ohio?"

"Eh, my wife is from Ohio."

Rownder Wins NPP Internet Tourney #17

A record tying twelve players showed up tonight for the game. Two new players showed up – Nahanni and Duder. Hopefully they will tell us their connection on this site. Or someone else can.

Which is usually the case at NPP, the new players were treated rudely once the game started. On hand #10 Duder’s (12th) trip 3’s were beaten by an ArticBlast flush.

Hand 16 saw a bad beat on a new player as Nahanni’s (11th) JJ lost to Beerhog’s 99 with a 9 on the flop.

Matchy (10th) went out on hand 24. I did not see it as he was on the other table and I did not get a report. Maybe Matchy can give us the gory details.

Now to one table. A short-stacked Momo (9th) went all in on hand 48 with a marginal hand and lost to Cigar4John, who called with a marginal hand.

Hand 51 saw Sev4TSev (8th) get trapped when he bet with Ah8h and was called by Beerhog with Ad3d. The flop was 8d 2d As. Sev4TSev hit the two pair. He went all in and Beerhog called and hit the 5d for the flush on the river.

Hand 59 saw a short-stacked ArticBlast (7th) get all his chips in with trip 7’s on the river. He was called by Cigar4John called with the same trip 7’s and had ArticBlast out kicked! Ouch!

Hand 61 – I was short-stacked and got all my chips in with QQ and got called by Cigar4John with AQ. That got me back in the game.

Hand 77 – Cigar4John (6th) made a play with 98s but was called by Beerhog with AQ. He didn’t need it but Beerhog got an A on the flop and a Q on the river.

Play really slowed down at this point. BonA1r (5th) lost on hand 131 with K7 against somebody’s KT. I messed up my notes somehow. Sorry.

Hand 148 saw short-stacked Hlam (4th) go all-in with K7s and was called by the other short-stacked Rownder with J9s. The flop was a teaser for Hlam with a 3-K-9. But a 9 on the river ended Hlam’s night.

The second break occurred after hand 184. Beerhog had 12K, I had 4K and Rownder had 2K.

I (Nik Faldo – 3rd) was the next one out on hand #234!!! Lots of back and forth as we all had the chip lead at some point. It was very exciting and a lot of fun. I finally had to go with KTs, was called by Beerhog with A5 and I got no help.

The last hand saw Beerhog’s (2nd) QT lost to Rownder’s AJs. Great job Rownder!

1st – Rounder
2nd – Beerhog
3rd – Mikeniks (Nik Faldo)
4th – Hlam14
5th – BonA1r
6th – Cigar4John
7th – ArticBlast
8th – Sev4TSev
9th – Momo
10th – Matchy
11th – Nahanni
12th - Duder

Poker Math Made Easy!

Not every poker player is a math expert. But being able to accurately calculate probabilities in relation to rewards (the pot and future pot size) is critical to poker success.

I found the trick to make poker math easy. It is called the Golden Rule of Two.

You multiply the number of outs you have to win the hand by 2, per cards to come.

For example, you have JT of spades on the button in a limit game. A middle player calls and the cutoff raises and you call the double bet, and the BB and middle player both call.

The flop is 3h, 8c, 9d. You assume the cutoff raiser has a big pocket pair (AA, KK). We figure pairing our J or T will not win us the pot. We are positive we need the nut straight to win especially with all the fish in this pond.

To figure the percentages you simply take the number of card that will give us the straight (8) and multiply it by 2. Since there are two cards to come, so we can multiply this number by 2 also.

So 8 x 2 (for turn card) = 16% chance of hitting straight on the turn.
Then, 16 x 2 (river) = 32% of hitting straight with the turn or the river card.

So we can estimate that our odds of hitting the straight by the river is 32% - or almost 3 to 1 against hitting the straight.

The actual odds are 34.2%, but this method obviously gets you close enough. This assumes all the cards you need are still available to show up, which is rarely the case – so this estimation method may actually be better than the real calculations.

So if the two front player’s check and the raiser bets the flop. You know there are 6 big bets in the pot and maybe only 8 big bets at the river. It is going to cost you at least 2.5 big bets to call it down. That is a 3.2 to 1 payoff for 3 to 1 odds. A coin flip decision.

If you are certain the limpers will continue to call it down also, the odds change. The minimum that will be in the pot after the river betting may be 12 big bets, not counting your donations. Now you are getting a 4 to 1 payoff for a 3 to 1 bet – a clear call – or for Beerhog, a perfect re-raise situation.

Let’s say you have JTs on the button and the table all fold to the cutoff who raises. You know if you call you will have even a coin flip situation – WITH a near perfect flop AND both the SB and the BB calling. Is that the situation you want to put yourself in continuously? A clear fold.

Of course a Boother re-raise from the button may get the SB and BB to fold, leaving you heads up against the raiser. Your JTs is a slight favorite over small pairs and A-any, but hurting in a big way against AK, QQ, KK or AA.

Lesson over - now commentary.

34.2% is the percentage to hit that straight for normal players.

For me to hit that straight, it is 4.1% against a random player on-line or at a casino, or at Boother’s game.

Against ArticBlast, BonA1r, Boother, Beerhog, Cigar4John, DavetheDog, Hlam, 747, Matchy, Momo, Rownder, SpartyToJo and Tolly it is 3.7% that I would hit the straight and 99.9% of them hitting the straight if I have the big pocket pair in the hand with you mopes.

Sour grapes and being a sore loser were not involved in this commentary what so ever. – Nik Faldo

NPP Internet Tournament League Standings

Here is the standings after 16 tourneys guys:
Place, Name, Points, (Tournaments missed), [Ave/Tour. played].

1st - Boother - 80 (2) [5.7]
2nd - Nik Faldo - 65 (2) [4.6]
3rd - Matchy - 58 (1) [3.9]
4th - Rownder - 52 (5) [4.7]
5th - Sev4TSev - 37 (11) [7.4]
6th - Momo - 32 (7) [3.6]
7th - Cigar4John - 28 (9) [4.0]
8th - Beerhog - 24 (last 11) [4.8]
9th - BonA1r - 13 (first 10 - 11 total) [3.3]
10th - ArticBlast - 12 (7) [1.3]
11th - Hlam14 - 10 (14) [5]
12th - DavetheDog - 1 (14) [.5]
13th - SpartyTojo - 1 (14) [.5]
14th - Bronco76 - 1 (15) [1]

The main ingredient to earning points - is to play!

Momo Wins NPP Internet #16

Seven players made it – which is over average (six is slightly under average).

I was soon low man as I hit two hands that lost right off the bat. That sent me steaming early. The tip off is that I didn't record those hands or the ones soon after. Not tilting, but definitely steaming already. Not good.

Hand #30 Rownder took a good lump of Momo’s chips without a showdown.

Hand #35 BonAir took a good lump of Matchy’s chips without a showdown.

Hand #36 ArticBlast hurt Momo by taking more chips without a showdown.

Hand #37 I took a good lump of Boother’s chips without a showdown.

Hand #38 I hurt Boother by taking more chips without a showdown.

Hand #42 Boother (7th) went out with AK when Rownder’s 55 held up.

Hand #44 Momo went all in with JJ and got called by Rownder’s AK and Momo’s hand held up.

Hand #47 Momo hurt Rownder by taking more chips without a showdown.

Hand #55 Matchy got hurt by Momo as he re-raised Matchy and the hand ended.

Hand #56 Matchy (AJ) took some of Rownder’s (KT) chips.

Hand #60 Rownder (65) hurt Matchy’s (AT) stack when a 5 hit on the river.

A record six players made the break and the chips looked like this:
Momo 3.7K, NikFaldo 2.9K, ArticBlast 2.2K, BonAir .9K, Rownder .4K, and Matchy .3K

Hand #64 Rownder’s (6th) A9s knocked him out when they lost to Momo’s 22.

Hand #65 ArticBlast and I call a short stacked Matchy’s all-in with a flop of 943. Matchy (5th) has A9. I had 65 and we never saw ArticBlast’s hand as I raised some chips when my lucky 7 fell on the river for my straight.

Play went on for a while and action started again on hand #88. Short-stacked BonAir (4th) goes all-in with 33 and is called by Momo’s AQ, and an A fell on the flop.

Hand #96 ArticBlast (3rd) went all-in with T9 when a 9 fell on the flop. Momo called with J9 and the hand improved for Momo with a J on the turn.

Hand #101 was the end for me, Nik Faldo (2nd). I had QdQs and re-raised a couple times the blind and Momo called. He had me out-chipped around 2 to 1.

The flop came 6s Ks Jh. A bad flop for me. Momo bet and I raised to see where I was at. I found out as Momo called. I am sure he has a K but I am just about pot committed.

I am quite sure I played this hand incorrectly. Not because I lost, but I should of folded to the bet or went all-in at this point.

The turn was a harmless 3c, ending my backdoor flush draw. Momo checks and I do too. I know I need a Q. The river was the 5s. Momo checks and I decide to bluff the flush and hope Momo believes me. He doesn’t and may have been forced to call anyway as he has K5 and made two pair on the river. If he had me on AK, he has to know he’s got me now. Great job Momo!

1st - Momo
2nd - Nik Faldo
3rd - Artic Blast
4th - BonAir
5th - Matchy
6th - Rownder
7th - Boother

Poker is Subjective. The Reason We Love This Game!

Poker is subjective. Players will have disagreements on how to play certain hands. And none of them may be 100% wrong.

While there is always ‘the best way’ to play certain hands, player’s poker personalities may prevent them from making the optimum play. That doesn’t make it a bad decision, just not the best.

One player may always push the envelope. He is willing to take the swings in his stack or bankroll in order to maximize results. While another player will be conservative and not risk the ups and downs, but be happy with a lower but consistent ‘grind’ percentage.

And the reverse will also be true. The straight forward ‘take the odds’ approach may sometimes be the optimum play, but for the ‘thrill’ of the action, an aggressive player may decide to push it, even when the odds dictate otherwise, lowering his overall expectation on the same hand or situation.

Adjusting to your opponents is also a consideration. In both my examples, the optimum play as described might be correct for the standard table of one maniac, one rock, one loose caller, one great player, two gamblers, two decent players and you.

But change the mix of the table and the sub-optimum strategy may now become the optimum for THAT particular table. Your persona at that table at that particular moment may even dictate the optimum play for that hand at that particular time.

The absolute best players will adjust to the situation, while recognizing the many different ways to play a hand, and use the optimum way each time.

Having written this about great players and understanding this about great players, why do I not do this? Can anyone answer me? (as if I didn’t already know) – Nik Faldo

Online gambling update

Guest post from the much-loved Fourputt:

"If market expectations are any guide, though, the United States will likely end up allowing its citizens to gamble online. In the hours after the WTO ruling was announced, stocks in online gaming companies lifted. Investors clearly see the writing on the wall, even if the U.S. government does not."

Article link here.

I feel it is my duty to update my friends that love me like a chicken to update them on issues of real importance. Seriously, this "blog" has fallen from a site that once prided itself on improving our poker skills to one than resembles the content you would find in any People magazine one would read while watching "The View" or "American Idol". '

Boother Wins NPP Internet #14

Six of us had enough $ left after Tax Day to have a seat at the virtual NPP felt.
Boother came from near totally dead to first! A great run of cards and expert playing.

The play has really tightened up. When you play in these, settle in for the long haul. We did not have a casualty until hand #72.

Boother had started his comeback at this point after taking some chips off Matchy. But it was Momo's (6th) AK that got bad beat by Boother's AT, with a T on the river, that really lit the fire in Boother's stack.

From that lucky river, Boother played perfect poker to wrestle the chip lead away and then grow the stack.

On hand #80, ArticBlast (5th) goes all-in on the flop with 88. There is an A in the flop and Boother has one. An A on the river was the final nail in Artic's night.

On hand #86, both BonA1r (4th) and I are low in chips. I decide to call BonAir's all-in after a flop of 765. I decide he is on a straight draw, so my KQs might be enough. Besides, I have a back door flush chance and both of us need to gamble.

I was half right as BonA1r has 88. Ouch. But it was more painful for BonA1r as I got a K on the turn and the straight or another 8 didnot come.

This made Matchy (3rd) low chip man and on hand #89 he goes all-in with A7 against Boother's AT. No help for Matchy and we are heads up. Nik Faldo (3100 chips) vs Boother (5900).

At hand #100, it almost ended. Boother has been grinding me down and I only have around 2000 left. I have QQ and make the standard raise, hoping for action that comes. Boother calls and we see a flop of 478. I should be good here and go all in. When Boother calls I expect to see AK or 88, and am thrilled to see J8s.

The turn is a J! Well, it was good night for me, but a 7 hit the river, giving me the larger two pair and pulling the chip totals to as close as they were going to ever get.

For the next 60 hands, Boother does his ground and pound. I'm fighting back on occasion, but just can never get a hand, a flop or action at the right time to really play back. I need cards to win. Boother does not.

Finally, ground down by Boother's chronic raising and my usual run of Poker Stars sewer water, I (2nd) go all-in with 86 and run into Boother's monster 92, and Boother wins his 4th NPP Internet tourney of the year (which happens to be exactly 4 more than the host).

1st - Boother
2nd - Nik Faldo
3rd - Matchy
4th - BonA1r
5th - Artic Blast
6th - Momo

Good luck to all as the golf leagues start. Watch for 4Putt. He may be a beer bitch at your local course now since he was obviously neutered over the winter.

NPP April Game Is Cancelled!!!

Sorry guys. Just not enough to make the game a go. I will ask for dates in May later on this month. - Nik Faldo

Beerhog - tell Gridlock it is off.

Sev4TSev Repeats – Wins NPP Internet Tourney #14

Proving #13 is not unlucky; Sev4TSev beat the star studded NPP tournament group for two victories in a row in tournament #14.

Dave the Dog (6th) was the first casualty on hand #20 as his JJ ran into Matchy’s A3 when an A landed on the flop.

Boother (5th) had the hard luck of his KK running into my AA to get crippled and then on hand #55, his 88 ran into my QQ. A bad time for two good hands.

My own evening was a roller coaster of accumulating chips and nice hands, just to see Sev4TSev take them away with better ones. I lost to the eventual tourney champ in all three of our showdowns as my trips, two pair and pair of aces lost to a straight, a flush and two pair on the turn.

Matchy (4th) got knocked out with 88 as Sev4TSev AJs made the flush on the river. Not exactly a bad beat as the situation is a coin flip anyway.

Rownder was low chip stack but got healthy on a hand #73 flop of 37J of spades. I had KK, Sev4TSev had 37 and Rownder had KQ - of spades!

I became low stack after my 3rd showdown loss to Sev4TSev. Guess he “has no idea what I am doing over here”. (Inside joke. Had to be at the last NPP game)

I (Nik Faldo – 3rd) went out on hand #80 when my desperation all-in with 88 fell to Rownder’s A9 when a 9 fell on the flop.

Rownder (2nd) and Sev4TSev battled for a while, but 747 whittled Rownder down and took him out with AA when Rownder flopped a pair a tens and he had to go all – in.

Nice job Sev4TSev! Two in a row!

1st – Sev4TSev
2nd – Rownder
3rd – Nik Faldo
4th – Matchy
5th – Boother
6th – Dave the Dog

On a different subject, The Wall has dropped out of NPP and the 4Putt Open in Mt. Pleasant on June 7, 8, 9, and 10. That leaves a spot in the 4some of Dave the Dog, Hlam and me. The cost is around $400 for four days of golf, poker, cigars and steaks. Let me know if anyone wants in.

Visa Debit Card

http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/real-money/visadebit/

Any of the NPP gang have any experience with this????

Of course most of you have no experience in withdrawing your winnings.

[guest post by the most-beloved fourputt]