Monday, December 30, 2013

Randy Mech Wins Pot Limit Omaha Tournament at Firekeepers Casino

Randy doing what he does at NPP out on the road in tournaments.
Congratulations to Randy Mech (Rjmech) of Nik's Poker Palace fame.

Just another reason to to join Niks Poker Palace. It's real poker against some real players.


Randy, Faldo will be waiting for his "trainer fee" by the mailbox. The usual 40% of the gross is fine. No tip needed either.

Ok, but make it a small gratuity.

Friday, December 27, 2013

The Day the SHTF in Argentina

hair. That's right. Your hair.
Imagine sitting in a hotel in Red China – there on business - and having breakfast..

A beautiful sunny morning on a work day and what you thought would be another average business day.

But then, the hotel informs you your credit cards are no longer good and they cannot accept cash from your native country.

You call back to your country to your work office, your home, your family members, your bank and your neighbors and all you get is a busy signal – then eventually – no signal.

You now have to rely on the generosity of the people you were working with to give you enough money to pay your bills so you can get home – when the airports and airlines finally re-open in your country.

Faldo was at that breakfast table when it happened to a woman from Argentina that sat with Faldo and a team of building engineers from Australia.

If you think it can't happen in the USA - think again. The Argentina government was doing exactly what our government is doing - borrowing and printing unlimited quantities of money.

Eventually Argentina's IOU was not accepted anymore.

Argentina is a food producing country, but children were starving to death everyday because the parents couldn't afford food since unemployment was at 25% and inflation made savings almost meaningless.

Large portions of cities became uninhabitable ....even by the police.
Being in a supermarket was being in a place that was already looted.
Any 'country' can become even more dangerous. No neighbors will help you when the criminals come around. They want to go un-noticed – hoping to be killed last - kind of like Republican politicians.

Then, your neighbors become criminals - out of necessity. Or you have to become one. Actually, being a good guy or a bad guy becomes simply a matter of perspective.

When the banks closed, cash was hard to come by and credit cards were not accepted. When banks re-opened, low limits on withdraws were strictly enforced. Barricades and armed security guards were at every branch. Connected government and rich people had moved their accounts earlier to other countries and many left the country just before the collapse with suitcases stuffed with money.

You had to protect yourself. If you did not prepare, you will soon learn fast - and first hand - that armed people can kill unarmed people with surprising regularity. The police either couldn't arrive in time or would not ever arrive. The police will show up to put you in jail for defending yourself, but will not show up to protect you. Jail is a death sentence in itself.

What is the biggest threat to you if the SHTF (poop hits the fan)?
Write down the top 5 threats and the most dangerous to the least. Now what are you doing to prepare?

Get in shape.  Some kind of shape. Improve to anything better than you currently are.
Most people die of illness and disease. Have meds available.
Law of 3 for survival;
air – 3 minutes
shelter – 3 hours
water – 3 days
food – 3 weeks

Have re-enforced doors, Think like a burglar. How would you get in?
Place motion detectors around your house. And emergency lights. Have an alarm.
Install security windows and shatter proof coatings. Secure you garage door.
Don't leave tools outside the house. Place thorny plants under windows.
Get two safes. Hide one well. Hide one poorly.

Oh………………. Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Niks Poker Palace – Season #20 Starts January 7th!

Well, thanks to our fascist government, it's now PokerStars.net..but we go on.
Can you believe it – 20 years. Faldo doesn’t want to sell it too hard, but this is may be the toughest league on PokerStars . net.

If you are a beginning poker player, this is a chance to play against some really strong poker players and not go broke doing it.

If you are a poker player that wants to “step up” in class, here is a chance to try your luck against some very strong competition.

If you are a …..”player”……prove it. This league line-up will give you all you want. See what you can do against some top flight players.

If you never tried Niks Poker Palace, here is your chance to get in at the start of the season.

If you have played before, here is your chance to get back in and try to move your name up the Walk of Fame. You will find…..it ain’t easy.

Send an email to npokerp @ yahoo .com with your PokerStars handle and Faldo will send you the league number and password.

Keep checking the blog for updates. The League Schedule will be made on January 1, 2014, but you can sign up NOW!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Faldo Releases the Golf Secrets of His Golfing Buddies


You may not know it, but Faldo has been very busy over the past 2 years putting my golf buddie's thoughts and ideas together in a book about golf. Faldo is very proud of the results.

In order to market the publication, Faldo is asking friends and family to be the first to own a copy. Here's the Table of Contents from Faldo’s new book, "Winning Golf Strategies.”
Faldo believes it gives the reader valuable playing tips and insider information that Faldo has gained through years of experience in the game observing my golfing partners.

Table Of Contents
Chapter 1 - How to properly line up your Fourth putt.
Chapter 2 - How to hit a Nike from the rough when you hit a Titleist from the tee.
Chapter 3 - How to avoid the water when you lie 8 in a bunker.
Chapter 4 - How to get more distance off the Shank.
Chapter 5 - When to give the Ranger the finger.
Chapter 6 - Using your shadow on the Greens to maximize earnings.
Chapter 7 - When to implement Handicap Management.
Chapter 8 - Proper excuses for drinking beer before 9 a.m.
Chapter 9 - How to urinate behind a 4" x 4" post, ….undetected.
Chapter 10 - How to rationalize missing a tee time.
Chapter 11 - How to find that ball that everyone else saw go in the water.
Chapter 12 - Why the beer cart girl doesn't care that you birdied the 5th.
Chapter 13 - How to let a Foursome play through your Twosome.
Chapter 14 - How to relax when you are hitting Five off the Tee.
Chapter 15 - When to suggest major swing corrections to your opponent.
Chapter 16 - God and the meaning of The Birdie-To-Double Bogey Putt.
Chapter 17 - When to regrip your Ball Retriever.
Chapter 18 - Use a strong grip on the Hand Wedge and Weak Slip on the
Foot Wedge.
Chapter 19 - Why male golfers will pay $5.00 a beer from the Beer Cart Girl
and give her a $3 tip, but will balk at a $3.50 Beer at the 19th Hole and stiff
the Bartender.

Hopefully you will find my book intriguing and purchase a copy.

Of course my golfing buddies already know these strategies, and are too busy digging up Balata balls from swamp areas to re-use, or buying back braces to support their tee box swings to buy a copy.

One is taking Cart Management classes (see photo) with such sections as:
Why They Make Cart Paths
Why You Go Around Creeks and Not Over Them Without a Bridge
Why Brake Donuts in a Cart on Wet Grass During Rain Storms is Not Allowed by Golf Courses
Why Trying to Beat Faldo to the Clubhouse is Not Worth the Risk

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tomservo2 wins the Inaugural Tournament of Champions!

 


Tomservo2 beat the best of the best tonight to be #1.
Tomservo2 beat all the 2013 winners tonight. Thirteen of the sixteen qualifiers made it to the felt on this cold evening, and it was a spirited battle.
After all, think about it: 48 NPP tournaments this year, and only 16 different players were victorious. It is no easy feat to best this group on tourney night.
This was an elite group of poker players.
On to the action:
15 min: Lump2 (13th) Missed it.
20 min: 95corolla (12th) Missed it.
26 min: KingBing420 (11th) has a straight, but Tomservo2 hit a bigger one.
27 min: Douge2 (10th) Missed it.
35 min: LittleRedElf (9th) sees his trip Queens lose to Derf-63’s straight.
50 min: A short-stacked (SS) Suetman123 (8th) sees her (Ad Kd) lose to Rjmech’s pair of Queens.
60 min: Absea98 (7th) sees his (77) run into Mikeniks-Faldo’s (KK).
No break tonight:
62 min: A SS Derf-63 (6th) has (TT) get run down as Rjmech’s (66) makes a straight! Ouch
65 min: A SS T3chlady (5th) with (QJ) makes trip Queens, only to lose to Rjmech’s full house. Ouch again!
68 min: A SS Mikeniks-Faldo (4th) misses his flush draw and higher pair draw to Rjmech’s 2 pair.
A back and forth battle ensues:
89 min: A SS ThePunk75 (3rd) runs into Rjmech’s two pair
Heads up:        Rjmech      10000      -      Tomservo2       9500
95 min:             Rjmech      10800      -      Tomservo2       8700
100 min:           Rjmech       4500      -      Tomservo2       15000
102 min:  A SS Rjmech (2nd) has to go with (44) but Tomservo2 has (KJ) and pairs his King.
Congratulations to Tomservo2 as he is our Tournament of Champions Winner.
1st – Tomservo2
2nd – Rjmech
3rd – ThePunk75
4th – Mikeniks-Faldo
5th – T3chlady
6th – Derf-63
7th – Absea98
8th – Suetman123
9th – LittleRedElf
10th – Douge2
11th – KingBing420
12th – 95corolla
13th – Lump2
Faldo just wants to thank all his loyal members of Niks Poker Palace for another exciting season of poker action. You are the best poker players and people in the world!
See you January 7th, 2014 for the start of our 23rd season!

Friday, December 06, 2013

You Just Have to Smile……and Then Prepare

The Democrat goal for all Americans.
COSTELLO: I want to talk about the unemployment rate in America.
ABBOTT: Good Subject. Terrible times. It's 7.8%.
 
COSTELLO: That many people are out of work? 
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.

COSTELLO: You just said 7.8%.
ABBOTT: 7.8% Unemployed.

COSTELLO: Right. 7.8% out of work.
ABBOTT: No, that's 14.7%.

COSTELLO: Okay, so it's 14.7% unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, that's 7.8%.

COSTELLO: WAIT A MINUTE. Is it 7.8% or 14.7%?
ABBOTT: 7.8% are unemployed. 14.7% are out of work.

COSTELLO: If you are out of work you are unemployed.
ABBOTT: No, Congress said you can't count the "Out of Work" as the unemployed, it makes President Obama's employment numbers look bad! You have to look for work to be unemployed.

COSTELLO: BUT THEY ARE OUT OF WORK!
ABBOTT: No, you miss the point.

COSTELLO: What point?
ABBOTT: Someone who doesn't look for work can't be counted with those who look for work. It wouldn't be fair.

COSTELLO: To whom?
ABBOTT: The unemployed.

COSTELLO: But ALL of them are out of work.
ABBOTT: No, the unemployed are actively looking for work. Those who are out of work gave up looking and if you give up, you are no longer in the ranks of the unemployed.

COSTELLO: So if you're off the unemployment rolls that would count as less unemployment?
ABBOTT: Unemployment would go down. Absolutely!

COSTELLO: The unemployment just goes down because you don't look for work?
ABBOTT: Absolutely, it goes down. That's how they get it to 7.8%. Otherwise it would be 14.7%. President Obama doesn't want you to read about 14.7% unemployment. It makes him look bad, incompetent, and makes him look like he doesn't have a clue what he is doing as President.

COSTELLO: That would be tough on the Democrats running for re-election.
ABBOTT: Absolutely!

COSTELLO: Wait, I got a question for you. That means there are two ways to bring down the unemployment number?
ABBOTT: Two ways is correct.

COSTELLO: Unemployment can go down if someone gets a job?
ABBOTT: Correct.

COSTELLO: And unemployment can also go down if you stop looking for a job?
ABBOTT: Bingo.

COSTELLO: So there are two ways to bring unemployment down, and the easier of the two is to have people stop looking for work.
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like a Democratic Economist.

COSTELLO: I don't even know what the hell I just said!
ABBOTT: Now you're thinking like a Congressman.

But Don’t Worry…..You Have Protection

Mike Williamson observes that the collateral damage produced by the sharpshooters in the NYPD make Graven Tower look downright solicitous by comparison:
As long as you ignore the fact that the shooting victims were innocent bystanders;
Hitting two people with three shots represents unusual excellence in marksmanship for the NYPD.

This is matching another recent incident in which skilled NYPD officers were able to hit their target and nine bystanders with only 16 bullets.
Overall the NYPD usually requires about 331 rounds to hit 54 targets, of which 14 will be innocent bystanders, 24 will be dogs, and 16 will be people the NYPD was actually aiming at.

Statistically, if you aren't a dog, it is slightly more dangerous to be the person the NYPD was shooting at than a bystander (16 people out of 331 shots for intended targets for a 4.8% hit rate vs. 14 people out of 331 shots for bystanders, a 4.2% hit rate).

NYPD has a better success rate for other weapons, and certain factors, like shooting unarmed people in the back, tend to increase hit rates.

When NYPD officers fire 331 shots, and hit 16 targeted people, 24 dogs, but also 14 bystanders, there is a problem.

If the gun control advocates were truly serious about wanting to reduce the amount of unnecessary harm caused by firearms, they'd be campaigning to disarm the police, not the American people.

I suppose we can be grateful that the NYPD doesn't have rocket-armed bazookas or missile-armed drones at their disposal........uh, oh….wait a minute……they do.

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Derf-63 Wins the 2013 Player of the Year Tourney


The prize - Shannon James - waits for the prize winner - Derf-63! 
Cheating by playing poker on his 50th birthday, Derf-63 wins the NPP Final. He led basically wire to wire tonight, and played the role of chip leader to perfection. On to the action:
15 min:
Derf-63    2600
Pre01    1800
T3chlady    1550
ThePunk75   1400
K9isadog    850
Rjmech    800
20 min: K9isadog (6th) sees his pair of Kings lose to Pre01’s pair of Aces.
Derf-63    2750
Pre01    2400
T3chlady    1400
ThePunk75   1300
Rjmech    1300
30 min:
Pre01    3200
Derf-63    2600
T3chlady    1450
ThePunk75   1450
Rjmech    300
31 min: A SS Rjmech (5th) sees his two pair lose to Pre01’s bigger two pair.
35 min:
Pre01    3750
Derf-63    2550
T3chlady    1300
ThePunk75   1300
45 min:
Derf-63    4200
Pre01    2700
T3chlady    1300
ThePunk75   800
48 min: A SS ThePunk75 (4th) runs into Pre01’s (AA).
Derf-63    4300
Pre01    3500
T3chlady    1200
53 min: Pre01 (3rd) runs into Derf-63’s (KK).
Heads up:      Derf-63    8000      -       T3chlady    1000
55 min:         Derf-63    7900      -       T3chlady    1100
60 min:         Derf-63    6600      -       T3chlady    2200
65 min:         Derf-63    4600      -       T3chlady    4400
63 min: T3chlady (2nd) with (As Ks) runs into Derf-63’s trip Sevens.
Congratulations to Derf-63 on winning the NPP Player of the Year Tournament!
1st – Derf-63
2nd – T3chlady
3rd – Pre01
4th – Rjmech
5th - ThePunk75
6th – K9isadog
The Tournament of Champions tournament is next week!