ESP in Poker? Do you believe?

Entered the $300 no limit event at the local card club.
200 entries.

After the first five rounds, I was not doing well. I was down to $2500 and the blinds were up to $200-$400 with a $50 ante.

On the cut-off a player raised preflop and I had an easy fold with 7-2. The raiser was called and the flop was A-K-4. Suddenly I had this feeling I was going to find a big Ace on the next hand, and be knocked out.

The next hand a player raised to $2,000 pre-flop. Sure enough I looked at my cards...A-Q! No! What to do? This raise meant he had a hand like pocket J's or 10's. I know it sounds nuts, but I just had this bad feeling...I folded!

That was the best hand I had seen today, and it was not easy to fold.

After more bad hands, I was two under the gun. I had 4-5 of hearts. I was about to fold when I had this feeling to play it. I moved all in and got called by an opponent who had A-J. I hit the straight on the turn and the flush on the river.

I was up to about $6,000. The same blinds. A tight player raised to $1,600, and the button called. I was in the SB and found pocket Q's! I moved all-in.

The first player thought for about one minute and folded. The player on the button had about $12,000 and couldn't decide. I waited and waited...and yes, I had this feeling that I would win the hand if he called unless he had pocket 10's. I don't know why I was having these thoughts or whatever they were...

He called, and turned over 10-10. I sighed because I knew it was over. The flop had the 10 and I was out..

Is this esp or just plain nonsense?

Bummer--Knocked out of the event....

At the club today, I entered the $225 No limit event. I was dong very well. I had about $9,000 and just got moved to a new table as the blinds increased.

My first hand, I have A-K. The blinds are $150-$300 with a $75 ante. I have about $9,000 and probably one of the bigger stacks.

The player under the gun limps. I raise to $1400. A player in middle position moves all-in for $8,000. Everyone else folds.

I have played against this opponent before and he likes to move all-in with any pocket pair. What should I do? I decide to call...which may be a mistake, but in general I like to take chances in the middle event to accumulate lots of chips.

He turns over pocket Jacks. I get no help.

The next hand I get dealt pocket Jacks. I have $1,000 and move all-in. The same opponent raises me to $5,000 and another moves all in to $10,000. He gets called. The first raiser has pocket Queens and the player who moved all in has A-K.

The A hits the flop. I'm out....I guess it was flop lag...

My One Day Promotion to Support the Poker Players Alliance

To support the PPA's efforts to keep online poker legal, I am going to donate all the net proceeds on the sales of my "Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves" book on Tuesday, November 11. It will be a one day promotion that will occur the same day that the WSOP will be aired on ESPN.

I tried to get the PPA endorsement of my promotion but they never returned my emails.

For details of the promotion, go to:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/poker/online-poker/prweb1582084.htm

Hmm, I just got knocked out of the 45 player $69 event..my AQ ran into AK.

Full Tilt 45 player $24 buy-in: We have a winner

After Obama's speech, I decided to play poker at Full Tilt...I hadn't played in a tournament on FT in some time. I was able to get into one of their 45 player, $24 buy-in event. I like this smaller sized events since they don't take long to play.

Key play was when I was down to 7 times the BB on the cutoff. No cards for about 45 minutes. Everyone folded and I had King-5 offsuit. I have to try to steal and get chips so I move all-in. The chip leader in BB called. He had K-J. I hit my 5 and won.

The guy wasn't happy and he didn't understand how I could move all in on such a bad hand. But it's the right play even if he beats me. I was in the right position, with a low chip stack, and I had a King.

I got moved to a new table shortly after the break, and I moved all in with A-K against a limper under the gun. The limper called with the 4-4. That's a lousy call. Anyway, I won that hand on the flop.

From then on, I won every all-in situation but one:
My 6-6 beat A-10.
My K-Q beats Jacks.
Got A-K twice more and beat pocket pairs.

And the last hand...
My A-K beat 10-10.

Almost a $400 win.

As to Obama...
Obama is a great speaker--both his style and the way he says things so that everyone who listens can read into his speech some part they will like. I think everyone feels good after listening to an Obama speech. But I wish I knew what he was passionate about.

"Change, We Can" is a winning slogan. So is "Don't Try, Do" to quote Yoda.

What does he exactly want to do, to create precisely what kind of change? I believe he has the smarts to be a great President. But no one knows for sure what he will do. We will all soon find out...

Oh yeah, I also think McCain is a quality guy who could have been a good president; yeah, too bad he wasn't running the country instead of Bush the past 8 years.

I finally figured what the W in George W stands for...Worst. He is the Worst president in my life time.

Congrats and good luck to Obama!

You've been warned....

The press just got hold of Obama's plan for the country.

It's a big book and the title of the book is:

"To Serve Man."

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

Poker and Politics....

Sunday: I had my pocket Aces cracked. Opponent had pocket King and hit the King on the flop. My next book will be on how to avoid that problem with pocket Aces :)

Politics: I am leaning toward Obama because there is a better probability he will be nicer to online poker players. However, I find it difficult to vote against McCain since he has sacrificed so much for our country.

Of course since I live in California it doesn't matter who I vote for. Obama will win California easy. If I vote I guess it will be against those who voted for the UIGEA.

A couple of days to go, and it looks to me like an Obama landslide.

The Life and Thoughts of a Midwest Geek

I just want to point out a blog that I really enjoy called The Life and Thoughts of a Midwest Geek. Read blogger Oh Captain and enjoy. Yes, he is a poker player. I added his link as one of my "Favorite Blogs" on the left column.

Happy Halloween!