Happy Holidays

I hope everyone had a good X-mas and is ready for a good new year.

If anyone is looking for a fun game to play during those LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG BOOOOORRRRRINNNNGGGGGG working hours, check out http://www.moola.com. It's a free site that allows you the chance to make real money. If you want to play, you need someone to invite you. I have a number of available invites, so you can either email me @ tobytobey@gmail.com or post your email in the comments and I'll send you an invite.

You start out with a whole penny ($0.01) which is provided to you by the site (via advertisers). First you pick a level to play at which is based on how much money you have.

Next, you pick 1 of 3 games (more are supposed to be added eventually) including Hi/Lo (think Card Sharks), Ro Sham Bo (rock paper scissors) and Gold Miner. Before you play, you have to watch a short advertisement and answer a questions about it. The good thing is that the Ads repeat quite a bit and you have the ability to skip right to the question.

After watching the Ad and answering the questions, the site matches you up with someone who has picked the same level and game and you play the game.

For example, you choose level 3 in which you are risking $0.04 for the chance to win $0.08 (your opponents 4 cents). If at any time you run out of money, the site (again via advertisers) gives you another penny.

They have added a bonus wheel which you can spin up to 4 times a day which gives you money $0.02 up to $9000.00 directly into your account to play with. Most times you get $0.02 or $0.05, but I have spun as much as $0.50. This is a good way to increase your funds.

Two other notes, you cant withdraw any money until you have $10.00. Also, they have a referral program in which if someone you refer cashes out, you get a % of the total (up to 4%).

Wow, I sound like a schill for the site.

Oh yeah, I've played a bit of poker, mostly $25NL and $10 SNG. I passed another milestone, the $500 mark. In less than a month of little play I've made over $200.....Go me!!!

Good Luck!

Results
$455.95 Previous Balance
$509.90 Current Balance (+$209.90)

Poker update

Been buzy lately both with work and Holiday Stuff. Poker has taken a bit of a back seat, but I expect to have a little time over the next week to ten days. I've played a bit of cash (2 tabled $25NL for a hour for about +$13) and played a $10+1 SNG which I won. The SNG was crazy for me in that I was up one minute and down the next. It was a roller coaster ride for sure.

Results
$426.80 Previous Balance
$455.95 Current Balance (+$155.95)

Parenting.......

While I have been playing more poker as of late this is a non-poker entry.

A funny incident occurred at my house between myself and my 4.5 year old son. We were playing some nerf hoops (and I was getting schooled by my son) and he adding the 2 points from his last monster dunk to his score. As he was doing this, he pointed to his middle finger and referred to it as the "dirty finger".

I was shocked! While he has floored me before with some of the words he's said, "stores" (as relates to pilgrims stocking up food for the winter) and more recently he correctly pronounced and used the word "synonyms".

Needless to say I was upset about the "dirty finger" incident and started to question him about it. I asked him "who told you that?", "was it so and so", "where did you hear that?" and so on. He said that nobody had told him that and he just made it up. I said I didn't believe him and threatened him with early bedtime and no snack, but he wouldn't give in. (Geeze I sound like a dick). This went on for a couple of minutes with no resolution, all the while my wife and I were having a hard time no smiling/laughing, because it was kinda funny.

Finally, my wife went over to him to talk some more, and wouldn't you know it, his finger was actually dirty! I felt horrible for accusing him. He shook it off and ended up schooling me 10-6 in our basketball game!

Poker Update

I have played some, winning a $10+1, and finishing second in a $6+$0.60, but also lost $12± playing $50NL, $11 in a SNG. While Idon'tt have the exact results for everything I played here is where I stand.

Results
$426.25 Previous Balance
$426.80 Current Balance (+$126.80)

I've also decided that when I clear portions of my bonus, I will include those in my results.

12/7/06

Results
$369.25 Balance
-$11.00 ($10+$1 5 table SNG)
+$68.00 ($20+$2 SNG)
$426.25 Balance (+$126.25)

12/5/06

Only played a bit today. Decided to play cash at $50NL. The second hand I played, I was dealt A6 in the SB. Flop came A6A (jackpot). I ended up busting a short stack who had A9. I think I'm going to get into another MTT soon with my $26 token I won yesterday.


Results
$366.30 Balance
+$2.95 ($50NL)
$369.25 Balance (+$69.25)

12/4/06

Only played a bit. Started out with a $4+$0.40 SNG that paid out a $26 token for first and $10 for second.

It got down to 3 handed with even chip stacks. I found myself once again getting crappy cards and had to fold just about every BB to even a minimum raise. My stack ranged from 2,500-to-5,500 and everyone had the chip lead at one time. I made it to heads up and was outchiped by a 2:1 margin. The first key hand I got dealt AQ in the SB with the blinds at 150-300. I raised to 900 and the BB re-raised all-in. I called and he turned over AJ, my hand held up and I now had about a 2:1 chip lead.

About 10 hands later I was dealt AJ in the SB and again raised to 900. The BB again re-raised all-in, I called and he turned over A5. Again my hand held up and I took down 1st place!

I also played a $10+$1 SNG. I got crappy cards early, and the few hands I picked up, I didn't hit the flop. Playing four handed, my stack at 900 and the blinds at 80-160, things were looking bad. I was able to pick up the blinds by pushing all-in first with A5 and the very next had with KK. With my stack at about 1,600 I again pushed preflop this time with AJ(hearts). I was called by 33. With a 3 on the flop I was toast.

Results
$351.30 Balance
+$26.00 ($4+$0.40 SNG)
-$11.00 ($10+1 SNG)
$366.30 Balance (+$66.30)

Update

Played about 40 minutes of $25NL and another $24+2 MTT. I didn't really catch any cards in the hour that I played in the $24+2. With about 1 min left before the first break and the blinds at 50-100, I pushed preflop with AJ(hearts) and was called by 33. The flop came with a 3 and one heart. Turn x(heart) River was a brick and IGHN.

$374.70 Balance
+$ 2.60 ($25NL)
-$26.00 ($24+2 MTT)
$351.30 Balance (+$51.30)

Full Tilt Day 1 (continued)

Not to be deterred from being brutally (yes I'm way exaggerating), two outed in my first venture into Full Tilt, I decided to press on. I played about an hour of $25NL and then entered a $24+$2 MTT. The cash game was uneventful and I didn't get many playable hands. The tournament was a different story.

The tournament started at 10pm (EST) and had 1,600+ players. I got a sick run of cards early and built my stack up to 8,500 (at which I was the overall chip leader) due to this hand:

Seat 1: BRA51 (1,460)
Seat 2: sconnery1 (1,145)
Seat 3: jdyer4 (2,235)
Seat 4: wideawakeinsd (1,855), is sitting out
Seat 5: Colebass (1,715)
Seat 6: soccer17 (855)
Seat 7: HERO (4,605)
Seat 8: Dyzalot (1,005)
Seat 9: MLW113 (2,580)
jdyer4 posts the small blind of 25
wideawakeinsd posts the big blind of 50
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Kc Kh]
Colebass raises to 100
HERO raises to 350
MLW113 calls 350
sconnery1 raises to 1,145, and is all in
HERO calls 795
MLW113 calls 795
*** FLOP *** [Ah Ts Kd]
HERO bets 1,500
MLW113 calls 1,435, and is all in
HERO shows [Kc Kh]
MLW113 shows [Jd Jh]
sconnery1 shows [Ac Qd]
*** TURN *** [Ah Ts Kd] [8d]
*** RIVER *** [Ah Ts Kd 8d] [3s]
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 6,480 Main pot 3,610. Side pot 2,870. Rake 0
Board: [Ah Ts Kd 8d 3s]
Seat 2: sconnery1 (button) showed [Ac Qd] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 7: HERO showed [Kc Kh] and won (6,480) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 9: MLW113 showed [Jd Jh] and lost with a pair of Jacks

I ended up playing for 4 hours and finishing 39th for $102.65.

One hand that bothered me and I felt I should have played better. I was dealt AQ in MP. An EP raised 3x BB and I decided to re-raise to find out where I was at. The EP re-re-raised all-in for another 3,000±. I had him well covered 13,000 to 3,300 (estimates) to start the hand. I ended up calling and he turned over AA and won the hand. I feel like I "got my info" to find out where I was in the hand, but called anyway. Oh well, live and learn.

The hand that put me out I was dealt QJs in MP. I limped, folded to SB (who called) and the BB checked. Flop came Q 10 6. SB checked, BB bet out 18,000 and I had about 30,000. I really felt like I was ahead here and re-raised all-in. The SB folded and the BB turned over AQ and IGHN.

So after 1 day at Full Tilt...

$294.50 Balance
$ 3.55 ($25NL)
$ 76.65 ($24+2 MTT)
$374.70 Balance ( +$74.70)

Back on the horse (not heroin)...

After hearing from my friend how he's killing on Full Tilt, I decided to sign up and get me a piece of the pie!

Instead of jumping into the deep end, I decided to test the water one step at a time, and boy was it cold!!! I decided to play a $5+$0.50 SNG to get use to the software. The software seems good, and I really like the way the display the hand histories.

As for the play, with the exception of one player, it was fairly tight and straight forward. I was absolutely cold decked and only played one hand for the first 3 orbits. They start you with 1,500 in chips and I was able to hang between 1,300-1,700. I started getting blinded down and with the blinds at 60-120 I was sitting on 1,260. Blah blah blah....

I push pre-flop with 10 10, get called by 55, flop comes 5xx. I lose. Nothing like being 2 outed in my first tournament.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in signing up an account, they have a refer a friend bonus where I would get $100 and you would get $25. I'm willing to kick you an extra $25 if you sign up through me (upon me getting the $100). Also, they have a 100% sign up bonus up to $600 for new accounts through the end of the year.

For shits and giggles, I'll post a running tally of my wins/losses from Full Tilt.

$300.00
-$ 5.50 (SNG)
$294.50 (-$5.50)

Addicting Games

I've decided to add some links (see right column) from my blog to some fun (addicting) games. Enjoy!