today's news

A few very good things online today..


- From Jonathan Kaplan: Interesting post about the stock options activity at Apple with backdated stock options. What I didn't know, though, was that Al Gore served on the board of directors and didn't say a word. Kinda suprising and it will definitely kill any chances Al has of getting elected President. Interesting since I think that he is the most electable Democratic BY FAR in the next election.

I also posted a reply on why legal backdating of stock options is not necessarily a bad thing due to the inherent assymetry of interests between shareholders and optionholders.

- From Bill Simmons Lots of good stuff today from the huge demise of Dante Hall (Are you listen Devin Hester) to the why Chris Collinsworth is the best announcer in the business. however, the best part was his arguments of why all football teams should have a Assistant coach of strategy.

Which leads me to wonder: I've already made the argument for coaches hiring a clock-management consultant (Andy Reid clearly needs one) and a VP of common sense (to talk them into things like, "Definitely try to punch it in on fourth-and-goal, otherwise you're giving up either an extra four points or 30 yards of field position and you're showing no confidence in your offense" and "Maybe we shouldn't call that quick pass to Terry Glenn on our own 1-yard line and just run the ball three times; we have the lead, for God's sake"). Well, why wouldn't they also have some slacker college student who has played 250,000 hours of "Madden" the past three years and faced every conceivable football situation on hand to throw out advice like, "Dude, let them score here; we can get the ball back down eight?" With those three advisers flanking him on the sideline, even Bruce Coslet would have been unstoppable.

Other than being my dream job, it just makes good sense. What other company do you have a key executive making decisions with little to no analysis nor training in the area of risk? None. You need a specialist game theorist to make specific recommendations to the coach during a game. Especially in the NFL with no limit on coaches or coaching salaries. Kinda surprised little Danny Snyder doesn't do this. I know Mark Cuban would if he owned an NFL team.

Here is the challenge that I've accepted to prove a point. If anyone cares, I'll likely post some updates from time to time here, I definitely will on my blog.

Start with $5 in a new UB account. I will start playing at .05/.10. Every time I double my $, I will increase the stakes so that I have 50 big blinds.

The bets.

What are the odds I get to $50? $250? $1000

What is the over/under for total number of hands before I go busto?

What is the over/under for highest day-total bankroll?

Some background on me. Primarily a mixed-game player. Haven't had a losing year in the past 6.

when you're running good, you're running good

not one losing day in the past week. was about to have a decent loss after getting sucked out on back to back wheels against made 7s on back to back hands in the 30 sixty. Then this happened. note back to back hands. The first is against a maniac so note the rope a dope strategy.



Hand #36803835-4152 at Effingham (No Limit Hold'em)
Started at 15/Nov/06 21:21:35

Laptopsmasher is at seat 0 with $2488.
xxomegaredxx is at seat 1 with $1234.
fourdoor is at seat 2 with $970.
YaYaMoto is at seat 3 with $1214.
Monzo is at seat 4 with $2788.75.
roscopeeco is at seat 5 with $1221.
The button is at seat 0.

xxomegaredxx posts the small blind of $5.
fourdoor posts the big blind of $10.

Laptopsmasher: -- --
xxomegaredxx: -- --
fourdoor: -- --
YaYaMoto: Kd Ac
Monzo: -- --
roscopeeco: -- --

Pre-flop:

YaYaMoto calls. Monzo folds. roscopeeco folds.
Laptopsmasher folds. xxomegaredxx raises to $40.
fourdoor folds. YaYaMoto calls.

Flop (board: 6h Ks 9s):

xxomegaredxx bets $55. YaYaMoto calls.

Turn (board: 6h Ks 9s Kc):

xxomegaredxx bets $150. YaYaMoto calls.

River (board: 6h Ks 9s Kc 4d):

xxomegaredxx bets $285. YaYaMoto calls.



Showdown:

xxomegaredxx shows Ts Th.
xxomegaredxx has Ts Th Ks 9s Kc: two pair, kings and tens.
YaYaMoto shows Kd Ac.
YaYaMoto has Kd Ac Ks 9s Kc: three kings.


Hand #36803835-4152 Summary:

$3 is raked from a pot of $1070.
YaYaMoto wins $1067 with three kings.
----------------------------------------------------------------

i love it when this works

Hand #36804466-445 at Forsythe ($30/$60 Triple Draw 2-7)
Started at 14/Nov/06 22:02:10

LLC22 is at seat 0 with $1657.50.
groth911t is at seat 1 with $810.
meowgary is at seat 2 with $3476.
zhanfox is at seat 3 with $3696.
YaYaMoto is at seat 4 with $2661.
The bigchief is at seat 5 with $3340.
The button is at seat 0.

groth911t posts the small blind of $15.
meowgary posts the big blind of $30.

LLC22: -- -- -- -- --
groth911t: -- -- -- -- --
meowgary: -- -- -- -- --
zhanfox: -- -- -- -- --
YaYaMoto: 2c 5s 2d Kh 4s
The bigchief: -- -- -- -- --

First Round:

zhanfox raises to $60. YaYaMoto re-raises to $90.
The bigchief folds. LLC22 folds. groth911t folds.
meowgary folds. zhanfox re-raises to $120. YaYaMoto
calls.

zhanfox takes 1 card. YaYaMoto takes 2 cards.

zhanfox: -- -- -- -- --
YaYaMoto: 5s 2d 4s 3c Jh

Second Round:

zhanfox bets $30. YaYaMoto calls.

zhanfox takes 1 card. YaYaMoto takes 1 card.

zhanfox: -- -- -- -- --
YaYaMoto: 5s 2d 4s 3c Ah

Third Round:

zhanfox bets $60. YaYaMoto raises to $120. zhanfox
calls.

zhanfox takes 1 card. YaYaMoto takes 1 card.

zhanfox: -- -- -- -- --
YaYaMoto: 5s 2d 4s 3c Kc

Final Round:

zhanfox bets $60. YaYaMoto raises to $120. zhanfox
folds. YaYaMoto is returned $60 (uncalled).

Hand #36804466-445 Summary:

$3 is raked from a pot of $705.
YaYaMoto wins $702.

--

first poker hand posting in a while.

You'd think that people who played middle limit poker know the basic strategy. I might post a blog sometime later with horrible play at the 10/20 and 30/60 games in UB. the 2-7 play is passable, but the a-5 is a joke. Appareently, very few people understand that hand value change.

In case you don't know, defending your blind with 876 in the game IS A MISTAKE. So is drawing to an 86 after a raise on the 2nd draw.


----
From a juicy a-5 game on UB. BB plays decently, a bit too tight for a 3-handed game. button is complete fish who will be drawing to 9s after a raised turn.


3-handed A-5 30/60. I am in the small blind with 63A. Folded to me, I raise, BB calls.


I draw 2; BB draws 3. I blank and bet, BB calls.

1st draw, I get nothing and bet/call. I draw 2 again, BB draws 2 as well.

I make a 7653A. I bet, BB raises, I call (mostly due to my read of his tightness). I stand pat. BB draws 1. (which shocked me).

Is this an autobet here?