Poker is a funny game

[Gallinator]

So, I play in this free bar-hosted poker league (Nationwide Poker Tour) on various nights; No Limit Texas Hold-Em (NLHE). There's no $$ involved but we play for points. Points accumulate and every quarter there is a tournament, to which top point-earners are invited and at which there are real prizes like computers, poker tables, chip sets, etc. A couple of months ago we had a year-end tournament, which featured as First Prize a $10,000 seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event - not bad for free play!

I've been playing NLHE for a couple of years now, both with friends and online, as well as in this league. I've logged thousands of hours of play. I can safely say that I am above-average in skill level, but still have a long way to go. I love the mathematics behind the hands (probability) and admire the art of The Bluff.

Today, we had a "bonus" tournament in this league. At 9000+ members, Arizona has the biggest contingent of the league, and enough revenue was earned to enable another $10,000 seat to be given away. Since the play is free, the general quality of play is just AWFUL. However, with patience one can do well. I play just enough to qualify me for these special tournaments, and since I usually make it well into the points every time I play, I don't have to play often.

So I sat and played today for almost 5 hours, taking the occasional pot, being patient and watching the field go from 270+ down to about 60 or so. I hadn't caught any cards for a while and found myself going "all in" with a K/9 in hand - not bad at all. Of course, I was called by someone with a 7/2 - the worst starting hand in poker - and he flopped two additional sevens to send me packing!

My point in posting this? Much as in life, it doesn't matter how good or skillful you are; there's a solid chance that some chowderhead will come along and make your last few hours/weeks/months seem, for a short while at least, utterly pointless.

It's a good lesson to keep in mind!

So, anyone else play poker? :lol:

[disneyteddies]

Deal me in Gall. I love poker and the best thing is I have no tells....I just bluff every hand whether it's good or not, confuses the crap out of whomever I'm playing. I've tried some of the poker rooms but there's usually one idiot that scares everyone else off and everyone else is scared to lose more then 10 imaginary dollars. That gets boring real fast. I love playing with my buddies for real every once in awhile but that's just for 20 or 30 bucks in a night...pretty low stakes. I just love the compitition...did I spell that right?? Maybe some day when we're all rich we can get together and stay up all night drinkin' swearin' burpin' and fartin' till the morning then hit a flea market or comic convention......til then C-ya in the funny papers! Hank.

[Gallinator]

A fanboy's dream! Up all night playing unruly poker, then hit a comics convention the next day. :mrgreen: I'm all-in!

[fulltimer56]

I like playing 5 card stud or draw poker (I'm not much into this Texas-Hold stuff) and love going to comic cons. A fangirl's dream!!

Linda :twisted:

[rowand]

Texas Dolly holding 10 - 2 offsuit in the final hand of the World's Championship! (bad hand, but he won!)

Yeah, tame stuff! Hardly worth the time. NLTH rocks!

[The Charlton Guy]

So, I play in this free bar-hosted poker league (Nationwide Poker Tour) on various nights; No Limit Texas Hold-Em (NLHE). There's no $$ involved but we play for points. Points accumulate and every quarter there is a tournament, to which top point-earners are invited and at which there are real prizes like computers, poker tables, chip sets, etc. A couple of months ago we had a year-end tournament, which featured as First Prize a $10,000 seat in the World Series of Poker Main Event - not bad for free play!

I've been playing NLHE for a couple of years now, both with friends and online, as well as in this league. I've logged thousands of hours of play. I can safely say that I am above-average in skill level, but still have a long way to go. I love the mathematics behind the hands (probability) and admire the art of The Bluff.

Today, we had a "bonus" tournament in this league. At 9000+ members, Arizona has the biggest contingent of the league, and enough revenue was earned to enable another $10,000 seat to be given away. Since the play is free, the general quality of play is just AWFUL. However, with patience one can do well. I play just enough to qualify me for these special tournaments, and since I usually make it well into the points every time I play, I don't have to play often.

So I sat and played today for almost 5 hours, taking the occasional pot, being patient and watching the field go from 270+ down to about 60 or so. I hadn't caught any cards for a while and found myself going "all in" with a K/9 in hand - not bad at all. Of course, I was called by someone with a 7/2 - the worst starting hand in poker - and he flopped two additional sevens to send me packing!

My point in posting this? Much as in life, it doesn't matter how good or skillful you are; there's a solid chance that some chowderhead will come along and make your last few hours/weeks/months seem, for a short while at least, utterly pointless.

It's a good lesson to keep in mind!

So, anyone else play poker? :lol:

THIS JUST IN!

Actual photo of one of Gallinator's latest Nationwide Poker Tours!:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/poker.jpg

[fulltimer56]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/fulltimer56/smiley/10_15_9.gif

[camper49]

I'll play Texas Hold 'Em (THE) with customers/distributors when we have our Marketing Meeting getaways over a two-three day period.

Given that I have a horse-shoe up my a$$ and that, being in sales and marketing, I am reeeeally good at bluffing, I ususally walk away with more than I showed up with.

What I like about THE is that no matter how good you play or how bad you suck, you can only lose whatever you originally put in for that round.
The stakes don't get really stupid.
So even if the chips are worth millions, maybe everyone only put in, say, $20 each to play. That's all you're going to lose.

[rowand]

Note to self: NEVER get into an elevator with Fulltimer!

I play dealer's choice with a small group and have managed to win slightly mostly through shear luck.

[mordo]

I used to play dealer's choice poker too. I wasn't very good but I thought it was cool everyone still invited me to play nevertheless! :D

[marvelguy]

Good advice, Rowand. :shock:

Hell hath no fury like a wom.................bat scorned.

[fulltimer56]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/fulltimer56/smiley/haha.gif @ MG & roward!!! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v35/fulltimer56/smiley/neenerneener.gif

[rowand]

Gasp, MG we have been Triple Neenered!

[marvelguy]

:shock:

****GASPS****

>>>>THUD<<<<

--hears laughing---

---wakes up----

---sniffs to check for toxic fumes---

It is now clear, beware of the She-Hulk gamma ramma gas.

This is a Orange Alert.

Repeat : This is a Orange Alert.

[rowand]

All right all you Oranges, look alert!