G 4 M 1 N G 0 L 0 G Y

Poemspiracy

2009-02-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

With star studded eyes
and telescopes, you know,
Most wished they could go there,
others decided to go.

In secret they planned,
then took to the skies.
Projects secret and black
caused funds to arise.

A space Corps so hush hush,
Funneled funding immense.
Reverse engineered spacecraft
Left earth's field so intense.

First the moon and then Mars,
the black projects built camps.
With Hubble rightly pointed,
on our moon we see ramps!

We have gone far beyond that,
met alien species, too.
While here on this earth,
lawmakers haven't a clue.

So let's trust those wise ones
who make decisions of such gravities.
Because if we do speak against them,
our heads all might get cavities.

--E.R. Wallace, Ph.D.

Neteller Fiasco Nearing Its End

2007-07-30T09:16:00.000-05:00

After a six month episode, the funds that were being held hostage by Neteller can now be requested for those residing in the USA . No apologies have been forthcoming up to this point, and I wouldn't expect one given the tight lipped handling of this whole scenario. We have all learned a valuable lesson from all of this: 'Our money isn't really ours afterall if the Department of Defense decides it pertains to national security in some twisted way.' Whatever. I look both ways before I fart anymore. Technically, that could be considered a WMD nerve agent.

Debunking Conspiracy Theorists By Gerard Holmgren, 2003-02-15

2007-06-04T23:43:00.000-05:00

Astute observers of history are aware that for every notable event there will usually be at least one, often several, wild conspiracy theories which spring up around it. "The CIA killed Hendrix", "The Pope had John Lennon murdered ", "Hitler was half Werewolf", "Space aliens replaced Nixon with a clone", etc, etc. The bigger the event, the more ridiculous and more numerous are the fanciful rantings which circulate in relation to it.

So it's hardly surprising that the events of Sept 11 2001 have spawned their fair share of these ludicrous fairy tales. And as always, there is sadly a small but gullible percentage of the population eager to lap up these tall tales, regardless of facts or rational analysis.

One of the wilder stories circulating about Sept 11, and one that has attracted something of a cult following amongst conspiracy buffs is that it was carried out by 19 fanatical Arab hijackers, masterminded by an evil genius named Osama bin Laden, with no apparent motivation other than that they "hate our freedoms."

Never a group of people to be bothered by facts, the perpetrators of this cartoon fantasy have constructed an elaborately woven web of delusions and unsubstantiated hearsay in order to promote this garbage across the internet and the media to the extent that a number of otherwise rational people have actually fallen under its spell. Normally I don't even bother debunking this kind of junk, but the effect that this paranoid myth is beginning to have requires a little rational analysis, in order to consign it to the same rubbish bin as all such silly conspiracy theories.

These crackpots even contend that the extremist Bush regime was caught unawares by the attacks, had no hand in organizing them, and actually would have stopped them if it had been able. Blindly ignoring the stand-down of the US Air Force, the insider trading on airline stocks — linked to the CIA, the complicit behavior of Bush on the morning of the attacks, the controlled demolition of the WTC, the firing of a missile into the Pentagon and a host of other documented proofs that the Bush regime was behind the attacks, the conspiracy theorists stick doggedly to a silly story about 19 Arab hijackers somehow managing to commandeer 4 planes simultaneously and fly them around US airspace for nearly 2 hours, crashing them into important buildings, without the US intelligence services having any idea that it was coming, and without the Air Force knowing what to do.

The huge difficulties with such a stupid story force them to invent even more preposturous stories to distract from its core silliness, and thus the tale has escalated into a mythic fantasy of truly gargantuan proportions.

It's difficult to apply rational analysis to such unmitigated stupidity, but that is the task which I take on in this article. However, it should be noted that one of the curious characteristics of conspiracy theorists is that they effortlessly change their so-called evidence in response to each aspect which is debunked. As soon as one delusion is unmasked, they simply invent another to replace it, and deny that the first ever existed. Eventually, when they have turned full circle through this endlessly changing fantasy fog , they then re-invent the original delusion and deny that you ever debunked it, thus beginning the circle once more. This technique is known as "the fruit loop" and saves the conspiracy theorist from ever having to see any of their ideas through to their (ill)logical conclusions.

According to the practitioners of the fruit loop, 19 Arabs took over the 4 planes by subduing the passengers and crew through the use of guns, knives, box cutters and gas, and then used electronic guidance systems which they had smuggled on board to fly the planes to their targets.

The suspension of disbelief required for this outrageous concoction is only for the hard-core conspiracy theorist. For a start, they conveniently skip over the awkward fact that there weren't any Arabs on the planes. If there were, one must speculate that they somehow got on board without being filmed by any of the security cameras and without being registered on the passenger lists. But the curly question of how they are supposed to have got on board is all too mundane for the exciting world of the conspiracy theorist. With vague mumblings that they must have been using false ID (but never specifying which IDs they are alleged to have used, or how these were traced to their real identities), they quickly bypass this problem, to relate exciting and sinister tales about how some of the fictitious fiends were actually searched before boarding because they looked suspicious. However, as inevitably happens with any web of lies, this simply paints them into an even more difficult corner. How are they supposed to have got on board with all that stuff if they were searched? And if they used gas in a confined space, they would have been affected themselves unless they also had masks in their luggage.

"Excuse me sir, why do you have a boxcutter, a gun, a container of gas, a gas mask and an electronic guidance unit in your luggage?" "A present for your grandmother? Very well sir, on you get." "Very strange", thinks the security officer. "That's the fourth Arab man without an Arabic name who just got on board with a knife, gun or boxcutter and gas mask. And why does that security camera keep flicking off every time one of these characters shows up? Must be one of those days I guess..."

Asking any of these basic questions to a conspiracy theorist is likely to cause a sudden leap to the claim that we know that they were on board because they left a credit card trail for the tickets they had purchased and cars they had rented. So if they used credit cards that identified them, how does that reconcile with the claim that they used false IDs to get on to the plane? But by this time the fruit loop is in full swing, as the conspiracy theorist tries to stay one jump ahead of this annoying and awkward rational analysis. They will allege that the hijackers' passports were found at the crash scenes. "So there!" they exalt triumphantly, their fanatical faces lighting up with that deranged look of one who has just a revelation of questionable sanity. Hmm? So they got on board with false IDs but took their real passports with them? However, by this time the fruit loop has been completely circumnavigated,and the conspiracy theorist exclaims impatiently, "Who said anything about false IDs? We know what seats they were sitting in! Their presence is well documented!" And so the whole loop starts again. "Well, why aren't they on the passenger lists?" "You numbskull! They assumed the identities of other passengers!" And so on...

Finally, out of sheer fascination with this circular method of creative delusion, the rational sceptic will allow them to get away with this loop, in order to move on to the next question, and see what further delights await us in the unraveling of this marvelously stupid story. "Uh, how come their passports survived fiery crashes that completely incinerated the planes and all the passengers? " The answer of course is that it's just one of those strange co-incidences, those little quirks of fate that do happen from time to time. You know, like the same person winning the lottery four weeks in a row. The odds are astronomical, but these things do happen...

This is another favourite deductive method of the conspiracy theorist. The "improbability drive", in which they decide upon a conclusion without any evidence whatsoever to support it, and then continually speculate a series of wildly improbable events and unbelievable co-incidences to support it, shrugging off the implausibility of each event with the vague assertion that sometimes the impossible happens (just about all the time in their world). There is a principle called "Occam's Razor" which suggests that in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the simplest explanation is most likely to be correct. Conspiracy theorists hate Occam's razor.

Having for the sake of amusement, allowed them to get away with with the silly story of the 19 invisible Arabs, we move on to the question of how they are supposed to have taken over the planes. Hijacking a plane is not an easy thing to do. Hijacking it without the pilot being able to alert ground control is nearly impossible. The pilot has only to punch in a four-digit code to alert ground control to a hijacking. Unconcerned with the awkward question of plausibility, the conspiracy buffs maintain that on that Sept 11, the invisible hijackers took over the plane by the rather crude method of threatening people with boxcutters and knives, and spraying gas (after they had attached their masks, obviously), but somehow took control of the plane without the crew first getting a chance to punch in the hijacking code. Not just on one plane, but on all four. At this point in the tale, the conspiracy theorist is again forced to call upon the services of the improbability drive.

So now that our incredibly lucky hijackers have taken control of the planes, all four pilots fly them with breath-taking skill and certainty to their fiery end, all four pilots unflinching in their steely resolve for a swift meeting with Allah. Apart from their psychotic hatred of "our freedoms", it was their fanatical devotion to Islam which enabled them to summon up the iron will to do this. Which is strange, because according to another piece of hearsay peddled by the conspiracy buffs, these guys actually went out drinking and womanizing the night before their great martyrdom, even leaving their Korans in the bar — really impeccable Islamic behavior — and then got up at 5 am the next morning to pull off the greatest covert operation in history. This also requires us to believe that they were even clear-headed enough to learn how to fly the huge planes by reading flight manuals in Arabic in the car on the way to the airport. We know this because they supposedly left the flight manuals there for us to find.

It gets better. Their practical training had allegedly been limited to Cessnas and flight simulators, but this was no barrier to the unflinching certainty with which they took over the planes and skillfully guided them to their doom. If they are supposed to have done their flight training with these tools, which would be available just about anywhere in the world, it's not clear why they would have decided to risk blowing their cover to US intelligence services by doing the training in Florida, rather than somewhere in the Middle East, but such reasoning is foreign to the foggy world of the conspiracy theorist, too trapped in the constant rotation of the mental fruit loop to make their unsubstantiated fabrications seem even semi-believable.

Having triumphantly established a circular delusion in support of the mythical Arabs, the conspiracy theorist now confronts the difficult question of why there's nothing left of the planes. Anybody who has seen the endlessly-replayed footage of the second plane going into the WTC will realize that the plane was packed with explosives. Planes do not and cannot blow up into nothing in that manner when they crash.

Did the mythical Arabs also haul a huge heap of explosives on board, and manage to deploy them in such a manner that they went off in the exact instant of the crash, completely vapourizing the plane? This is a little difficult even for the conspiracy theorist, who at this point decides that it's easier to invent new laws of physics in order to keep the delusion rolling along.

There weren't any explosives. It wasn't an inside job. The plane blew up into nothing from its exploding fuel load! Remarkable! Sluggishly combustible jet fuel which is basically kerosine,and which burns at a maximum temperature of around 800°C has suddenly taken on the qualities of a ferociously explosive demolition agent, vapourizing 65 tons of aircraft into a puff of smoke. Never mind that a plane of that size contains around 15 tons of steel and titanium, of which even the melting points are about double that of the maximum combustion temperature of kerosine — let alone the boiling point — which is what would be required to vapourize a plane. And then there's about 50 tons of aluminium to be accounted for. In excess of 15 lbs of metal for each gallon of kerosine.

For the conspiracy theorist, such inconvenient facts are vaguely dismissed as "mumbo jumbo". This convenient little phrase is their answer to just about anything factual or logical. Like a conjurer pulling a rabbit out of a hat, they suddenly become fanatically insistent about the devastating explosive qualities of kerosine, something hitherto completely unknown to science, but just discovered by them, this very minute. Blissfully ignoring the fact that never before or since in aviation history has a plane vapourized into nothing from an exploding fuel load, the conspiracy theorist relies upon Hollywood images, where the effects are are always larger than life, and certainly larger than the intellects of these cretins. "Its a well known fact that planes blow up into nothing on impact." they state with pompous certainty. "Watch any Bruce Willis movie." Care to provide any documented examples? If it's a well-known fact, then presumably this well-known fact springs from some kind of documentation — other than Bruce Willis movies?

At this point the mad but cunning eyes of the conspiracy theorist will narrow as they sense the corner that they have backed themselves into, and plan their escape by means of another stunning backflip.
"Ah, but planes have never crashed into buildings before, so there's no way of telling." they counter with a sly grin.
Well, actually planes have crashed into buildings before and since, and not vapourized into nothing.
"But not big planes, with that much fuel ", they shriek in hysterical denial. Or that much metal to vapourize.
"Yes but not hijacked planes!"
Are you suggesting that whether the crash is deliberate or accidental affects the combustion qualities of the fuel?
"Now you're just being silly".

Although collisions with buildings are rare, planes frequently crash into mountains, streets, other aircraft, nosedive into the ground, or have bombs planted aboard them, and don't vapourize into nothing. What's so special about a tower that's mostly glass? But by now, the conspiracy theorist has once again sailed happily around the fruit loop. "Its a well-documented fact that planes explode into nothing on impact."

Effortlessly weaving back and forth between the position that it's a "well-known fact" and that "it's never happened before, so we have nothing to compare it to", the conspiracy theorist has now convinced himself (if not too many other people) that the WTC plane was not loaded with explosives, and that the instant vapourization of the plane in a massive fireball was the same as any other plane crash you might care to mention. Round and round the fruit loop...

But the hurdles which confront the conspiracy theorist are many, and they are now forced to implement even more creative uses for the newly-discovered shockingly destructive qualities of kerosine. They have to explain how the Arabs also engineered the elegant vertical collapse of both the WTC towers, and for this awkward fact the easiest counter is to simply deny that it was a controlled demolition, and claim that the buildings collapsed from fire caused by the burning kerosine.

For this, it's necessary to sweep aside the second law of thermodynamics and propose kerosine which is not only impossibly destructive, but also recycles itself for a second burning in violation of the law of degradation of energy. You see, the kerosine not only consumed itself in a sudden catastrophic fireball, vapourizing a 65 ton plane into nothing, but then came back for a second go, burning at 2000°C for another hour at the impact point, melting the skyscraper's steel like butter. And while it was doing all this it also poured down the elevator shafts, starting fires all through the building. When I was at school there was a little thing called the entropy law which suggests that a given portion of fuel can only burn once, something which is readily observable in the real world, even for those who didn't make it to junior high school science. But this is no problem for the conspiracy theorist. Gleefully, they claim that a few thousand gallons of kerosine is enough to:

completely vapourize a 65 ton aircraft

have enough left over to burn ferociously enough for over an hour at the impact point to melt steel (melting point about double the maximum combustion temperature of the fuel) and

still have enough left over to pour down the elevator shafts and start similarly destructive fires all through the building.

This kerosine really is remarkable stuff! How chilling to realize that those kerosine heaters we had in the house when I was a kid were deadly bombs, just waiting to go off. One false move and the entire street might have been vapourized. And never again will I take kerosine lamps out camping. One moment you're there innocently holding the lamp — the next — kapow! vapourized into nothing along with with the rest of the camp site, and still leaving enough of the deadly stuff to start a massive forest fire.

These whackos are actually claiming that the raging inferno allegedly created by the miraculously recycling, and impossibly hot burning kerosine melted or at least softened the steel supports of the skyscraper. Oblivious to the fact that the smoke coming from the WTC was black, which indicates an oxygen-starved fire — therefore, not particularly hot, they trumpet an alleged temperature in the building of 2000°C, without a shred of evidence to support this curious suspension of the laws of physics.

Not content with this ludicrous garbage, they then contend that as the steel frames softened, they came straight down instead of buckling and twisting and falling sideways.

Since they've already re-engineered the combustion qualities of jet fuel, violated the second law of thermodynamics, and re-defined the structural properties of steel, why let a little thing like the laws of gravity get in the way?

The tower fell in a time almost identical to that of a free-falling object, dropped from that height, meaning that it's physically impossible for it to have collapsed by the method of the top floors smashing through the lower floors. But according to the conspiracy theorists, the laws of gravity were temporarily suspended on the morning of Sept 11. It appears that the evil psychic power of those dreadful Arabs knew no bounds. Even after they were dead, they were able, by the power of their evil spirits, to force down the tower at a speed physically impossible under the laws of gravity, had it been meeting any resistance from fireproofed steel structures originally designed to resist many tons of hurricane force wind as well as the impact of a Boeing passenger jet straying off course.

Clearly, these conspiracy nuts never did their science homework at school, but did become extremely adept at inventing tall tales for why.
"Muslim terrorists stole my notes, sir"
"No miss, the kerosine heater blew up and vapourized everything in the street, except for my passport."
"You see sir, the schoolbus was hijacked by Arabs who destroyed my homework because they hate our freedoms."
Or perhaps they misunderstood the term "creative science" and mistakenly thought that coming up with such rubbish was, in fact, their science homework.

The ferocious heat generated by this ghastly kerosine was, according to the conspiracy theorists, the reason why so many of the WTC victims can't be identified. DNA is destroyed by heat. (Although 2000°C isn't really required, 100°C will generally do the job.) This is quite remarkable, because according to the conspiracy theorist, the nature of DNA suddenly changes if you go to a different city. That's right! If you are killed by an Arab terrorist in New York, your DNA will be destroyed by such temperatures. But if you are killed by an Arab terrorist in Washington DC, your DNA will be so robust that it can survive temperatures which completely vapourize a 65 ton aircraft.

You see, these loonies have somehow concocted the idea that the missile which hit the pentagon was not a missile at all, but one of the hijacked planes. And to prove this unlikely premise, they point to a propaganda statement from the Bush regime, which rather stupidly claims that all but one of the people aboard the plane were identified from the site by DNA testing, even though nothing remains of the plane. The plane was vapourized by the fuel tank explosion maintain these space loonies, but the people inside it were all but one identified by DNA testing.

So there we have it. The qualities of DNA are different, depending upon which city you're in, or perhaps depending upon which fairy story you're trying to sell at any particular time.

This concoction about one of the hijacked planes hitting the Pentagon really is a howler. For those not familiar with the layout of the Pentagon, it consists of 5 rings of building, each with a space inbetween. Each ring of building is about 30 to 35 ft deep, with a similar amount of open space between it and the next ring. The object which penetrated the Pentagon went in at about a 45-degree angle, punching a neat circular hole of about a 12-foot diameter through three rings (six walls). A little later a section of wall about 65 ft wide collapsed in the outer ring. Since the plane which the conspiracy theorists claim to be responsible for the impact had a wing span of 125 ft and a length of 155 ft, and there was no wreckage of the plane, either inside or outside the building, and the lawns outside were still smooth and green enough to play golf on, this crazy delusion is clearly physically impossible.

But hey, we've already disregarded the combustion qualities of jet fuel, the normal properties of common building materials, the properties of DNA, the laws of gravity and the second law of thermodynamics, so what the hell — why not throw in a little spatial impossibility as well? I would have thought that the observation that a solid object cannot pass through another solid object without leaving a hole at least as big as itself is reasonably sound science. But to the conspiracy theorist, this is "mumbo jumbo". It conflicts with the delusion that they're hooked on, so it "must be wrong" although trying to get then to explain exactly how it could be wrong is a futile endeavour.

Conspiracy theorists fly into a curious panic whenever the Pentagon missile is mentioned. They nervously maintain that the plane was vapourized by it's exploding fuel load and point to the WTC crash as evidence of this behavior. (That's a wonderful fruit loop.) Like an insect which has just been sprayed, running back and forth in its last mad death throes, they first argue that the reason the hole is so small is that plane never entered the wall, having blown up outside, and then suddenly backflip to explain the 250 ft deep missile hole by saying that the plane disappeared all the way into the building, and then blew up inside the building (even though the building shows no sign of such damage). As for what happened to the wings — here's where they get really creative. The wings snapped off and folded into the fuselage which then carried them into the building, which then closed up behind the plane like a piece of meat.

When it suits them, they'll also claim that the plane slid in on its belly (ignoring the undamaged lawn) while at the same time citing alleged witnesses to the plane diving steeply into the building from an "irrecoverable angle." How they reconcile these two scenarios as being compatible is truly a study in stupidity.

Once they get desperate enough, you can be sure that the UFO conspiracy stuff will make an appearance. The Arabs are in league with the Martians. Space aliens snatched the remains of the Pentagon plane and fixed most of the hole in the wall, just to confuse people. They gave the Arabs invisibility pills to help get them onto the planes. Little green men were seen were seen talking to Bin Laden a few weeks prior to the attacks.

As the nation gears up to impeach the traitor Bush, and stop his perpetual oil war, it's not helpful to have these idiots distracting from the process by spreading silly conspiracy theories about mythical Arabs, stories which do nothing but play into the hands of the extremist Bush regime.

At a less serious time, we might tolerate such crackpots with amused detachment, but they need to understand that the treachery that was perpetrated on Sept 11, and the subsequent war crimes committed in "retaliation", are far too serious for us to allow such frivolous self-indulgence to go unchallenged.

Those who are truly addicted to conspiracy delusions should find a more appropriate outlet for their paranoia. It's time to stop loony conspiracy theories about Sept 11.

WTO Revelation: USA Preaching, But Not Practicing

2007-04-08T03:13:00.000-05:00

(Source: The Associated Press)

The US has failed to change its ban on internet betting to comply with a World Trade Organisation ruling that said the legislation unfairly targets offshore casinos.

The ruling opens the door to possible commercial sanctions against the US. In a 215-page decision, a three-member WTO compliance panel sided with the twin Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which has argued that internet gambling is a lucrative source of revenue and provides an income for hundreds of islanders.

The Geneva-based trade referee has said Washington can maintain restrictions on online gambling, as long as its laws are equally applied to American operators offering remote betting on horse racing. "It vindicates all that we have been saying for years about the discriminatory trade practices of the United States in this area, and we look forward to the United States opening its markets," Antiguan Finance Minister Errol Cort said in a statement.

Washington claimed victory in the WTO's initial ruling two years ago because the body recognised its right to prevent offshore betting as a means of protecting public order and public morals. But the US acknowledged on Friday that the latest decision was a setback.

"The compliance panel did not agree with the United States that we had taken the necessary steps to comply with the WTO recommendations," said Gretchen Hamel, a spokeswoman for the office of the US Trade Representative. She said, however, that "nothing in the panel's report undermines the broad, favourable results that the United States obtained from the WTO in April 2005."

Washington still has yet to say if it will appeal the compliance panel's findings. A final ruling upholding Antigua's claims would allow the twin-island nation to seek trade sanctions on the United States for its failure to comply. To avoid the penalties, the US government would then have to either permit Americans to gamble over foreign-based sites or eliminate exceptions for off-track betting on horses, including over the internet, as permitted under the 1978 Interstate Horseracing Act.

Nevertheless, it appears unlikely that the US will ease access to companies with servers licensed in the nation of 80,000 people - whose legal efforts were largely bankrolled by British internet gambling operators. The US Congress caught the industry by surprise last year when it added a provision to a bill aimed at improving port security that would make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to settle payments to online gambling sites. US President George W Bush signed it into law on October 14.

The decision closed off the most lucrative region in a market worth $US15.5 billion ($19.1 billion) last year. Several British internet gaming companies and a handful in Europe and Australia subsequently sold off or shut down their US operations, losing around 80 per cent of their combined business in the process. The arrest last year of two British internet gambling executives while traveling through the United States also highlighted the US government's escalation in its battle against the industry.

Peter Dicks, the former chairman of Sportingbet, was detained in New York but released after former New York Governor George Pataki declined to sign a warrant extraditing him to Louisiana, where he was wanted on charges of illegal online gambling. Former BetOnSports chief executive officer David Carruthers remains under house arrest in the St. Louis area awaiting trial on federal charges from the US attorney's office based on the 1961 Wire Act.

Antigua filed its case in 2003, contending that US restrictions on internet gambling violated trade commitments the United States made as a member of the WTO. US trade officials disagreed, saying that negotiators involved in the Uruguay Round of global trade talks clearly intended to exclude gambling.

Antiguan authorities also argued that restrictions barring US residents from betting at offshore casinos were harming efforts to diversify its economy. Antigua, a former British colony in the Caribbean, had been promoting electronic commerce as a way to end the country's reliance on tourism, which was hurt by a series of hurricanes in the late 1990s. There are 32 licensed online casinos in Antigua, employing 1000 people and generating yearly revenue of around $US130 million. Seven years ago, its casinos had annual income closer to $US1 billion.

Antigua is the smallest country to successfully litigate a case in the WTO's 12-year history.

Next Victim: Neteller

2007-01-18T22:41:00.000-05:00

Add another company to the 'not a front for the CIA' list. Neteller apparently was not contributing enough cash to the self-serving U.S. government. In yet another of a series of gustapo-esque moves, the original founders of Neteller were apprehended in separate U.S. airports simultaneously this week. Neteller reacted quickly by first disabling 'instacash' purchases for U.S. accounts. This was promptly followed by the inevitable announcement that Neteller could no longer be used to fund any type of online gambling.

Alternative methods must now be considered, as most online gamers utilized Neteller for their funding option. Pre-paid credit cards might be the beneficiaries. One has to wonder if all of the recent attention to online funding methods is due to large monetary 'contributions' made by credit card companies to our faithful lawmakers. Any way one chooses to look at it, something is definately rotten in Denmark.

We should all pay close attention to what parties profit the most from these recent changes. The money trail should be fairly easy to trace back to the true culprits. I can only hope that every effort will be made to circumvent these crooks with new funding options that fall within the parameters of our ever-changing interpretation of U.S. law.

Final BPT Tourney: Pure Chaos!

2007-01-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Poker.com hosted the sophomore season finale of the Blogger Poker Tour last weekend. The top twenty bloggers from the season standings squared off for a staggering $25,000 in prizes. This may well be the best opportunity on the internet to win an entry into The Aussie Millions, including the $10,000 entry fee & $2500 spending cash! A 1 in 20 chance for the big prize had everybody a bit antsy, and tension was high.

The early going was dominated by what you might call 'posturing'. Well, nobody wanted to be the first one out I guess. The full field was still intact after the first break, but not for long. Some of the big guns were the first to go. Once they started falling, they dropped like flies. I did manage to make the final table as the short stack, however. After a good run of cards and a lot of luck, I clawed my way out of the hole. natsdad became the next casualty and then there were nine.

Veteran JayNYC was next, followed quickly by season strong man ViezeMan in eighth place. Then, yours truly bit the dust in a bit of a bad beat to chip leader freeroll26. So I snagged seventh place and a Poker.com ipod Nano, which was a nice consolation prize to say the least. That's when PureChaos turned up the heat my friends. He didn't look back until he had defeated Evil666 heads-up to win the BPT Final and the $12,500 Prize Package. ZowieZ wound up third, with IronGirl, Freeroll26, and 2nd Grand Prize Winner Imjusthere4thebeer (Woohoo Congrats!!) rounding out the top six.

Congratulations to all the competitors as the entire season was very competitive indeed! Let's all keep an eye on the Aussie Millions and get behind Jerry, aka PureChaos. Many thanks to Poker.com for another successful Blogger Poker Tour season! Here are the final results and prizes:

01. PureChaos ($12,500 Prize Package)
02. Evil666 (8' BPT Poker Table)
03. ZowieZ (6' BPT Poker Table)
04. Ironirl (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
05. Freeroll26 (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
06. Imjusthere4thebeer (ipod Nano & Aussie Millions Trip)
07. brodoughno (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
08. ViezeMan (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
09. JayNYC (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
10. natsdad (Poker.com 4GB ipod Nano)
11. EgonOlsen (Poker.com Chip Set)
12. astinaguy (Poker.com Chip Set)
13. kufolem (Poker.com Chip Set)
14. cerberi (Poker.com Chip Set)
15. skinski (Poker.com Chip Set)
16. Hacksaw2000 (Poker.com Grand Final Ticket)
17. DawgRoyal (Poker.com Grand Final Ticket)
18. OhioMike (Poker.com Grand Final Ticket)
19. PearlSnapMan (Poker.com Grand Final Ticket)
20. iyatoni (Poker.com Grand Final Ticket)

Amazing Prediction!! ignorant_ape flames Skyway

2007-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

This will occur at 6:12PM EST (+ or - 5 hours) on 01/06/07 at Above Top Secret in the thread 'The object was NOT a Russian rocket!!' (in the Conspiracy Forum Group)

His post will look something like this:

"stop lying , you blistering troll

NASA predicted this , get over it and read the chuffing story

why are you being so delibertly dishonest ???"

Happy New Year!

BPT $25,000 Final: Field of 20 Determined

2006-12-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

The Blogger Poker Tour is concluding its second season at Poker.com. Still to come is the $25,000 final tournament which will feature the top 20 point-getters from the seven qualifying events. The seventh of those tournies was held this past Saturday at Poker.com. The outcome proved very pivotal in the overall standings, characterized by a few make or break scenarios for a handful of hopefuls. I (brodoughno) determined my best option was to sit the event out, to avoid any potential early elimination. My decision turned out to be the correct one, and I easily qualified into the final. Had I played and finished near last place, I likely would not have finished in the top 20. There appears to be a couple of others who might have been better served employing the same strategy. The possibilities were seemingly endless and only the top ten were guaranteed a spot in the final regardless of the outcome of BPT event #7. Congrats to all the qualifiers! The final standings will be posted shortly.

One More Qualifier Left For BPT

2006-12-07T20:57:00.000-05:00

New names were the order of the day in BPT event #6 at Poker.com Saturday. The host blog was Flopilicious, and the overall standing continue to do belly flops. Here are your results and standings as we near the $25,000 final.

1	Flandrius	$125.00
2	Lauradm	$100.00
3	Evil666	$75.00
4	XaqNautilus	$55.00
5	kdollar00	$45.00
6	bolcs5	$30.00
7	JayNYC	$25.00
8	Bardiya	$20.00
9	PearlSnapMan	$15.00
10	ViezeMan	$10.00

Overall /Player & Blog/BPT #6 Result/Total Points
(01) skinski Skinski's Blog (40) 1095
(02) irongirl Irongirl01 (25) 827
(03) ViezeMan Peetscheet (10) 783
(04) Flopilicious Flopilicious (53) 714
(05) freeroll26 Freerollcalendar Weblog (86) 689
(06) imjusthere4thebeer Poker Pub (42) 681
(07) kufolem Poker Athletes Blog (30) 659
(08) iyatoni Perfectly Beastly (72) 658
(09) JayNYC I hate money (07) 624
(10) astinaguy astinaguys poker blog (34) 617
(11) natsdad Alex (36) 597
(12) DawgRoyal Royal Poker (67) 588
(13) brodoughno Gamingology (70) 578
(14) PearlSnapMan PearlSnapMan Plays Poker (03) 536
(15) ReplicantPoker ReplicantPoker blog (123) 484
(16) cerberi riverdemon (38) 482
(18) elc3105 elc3105s blog (104) 459
(20) Hacksaw2000 5TH Street Forum (91) 445

BPT Event #5: Shorthanded & Action Packed

2006-11-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

Skinski's The House of Blues hosted the festivities this week as we turned the corner of the Blogger Poker Tour's sophomore season at poker.com. This, the fifth of seven preliminary events, was a shorthanded version of no-limit texas holdem. With a maximum of six players per table, this format forces a more aggressive style of play and is extremely fast paced.

Marckster1 quickly jumped out to a healthy chip advantage and among his victims was last week's winner kufolem. TheBigSurprise, one of twenty new bloggers on the BPT this week, lived up to the name and also showed strength out of the gate. The attrition rate was high, and the first hour of play saw the field of 116 reduced by more than half, but some familiar names were climbing up the leaderboard. Holding chipstacks of around 9,000 each, 4th place JayNYC, 5th DawgRoyal, and 6th ViezeMan were stalking leader Marckster1's 14,570 chips. Also worth noting is the determination shown by last week's runner-up imjusthere4thebeer, who found trouble immediately this go around. Nursing only the remnants of his crippled stack, he made a 'Smokey & The Bandit' magnitude beer run, eventually finishing 19th.

When play resumed after the first break, the last surviving sitout was at my table and was much like a hurricane tested trick candle. A weapon was required to finally knock them out- Uzzzzi, who was rising to power along with luckylolo at the expense of Marckster1. This is about the time that your correspondent, brodoughno, took it on the chin. I had progressed to 10th place before river cards sunk my hopes in consecutive hands. First, my suited AK was outdone by A2 when Marckster1 caught a deuce on the river for half my chips. Then moments later, I pushed with QQ and succumbed to Uzzzzi's AK when a king floated in at the last moment to eliminate your bro in 31st spot.

At almost the same instant, TheBigSurprise, DawgRoyal and Irongirl had gone out in 32nd, 34th and 35th repectively. Then I took a phone call from the Associated Press, who of course wanted an update on the action. After checking the Michigan/OSU game I looked back and had missed the final table altogether. Event #2 bridesmaid iyatoni evidently took control when it counted and edged out event host and new BPT leader skinski. Poker.com mainstay JayNYC, who seemed like the favorite at the time I went out of the tourney, came home in 3rd place and is in good shape to make the finals despite missing the first two events. Event #4 winner freeroll26 notched a re-enforcing 4th place finish, and event #1 champ ReplicantPoker made another final table before finishing 10th. Congrats to all the winners this week and I want to wish the entire BPT a Happy Thanksgiving. The tour will resume Dec. 2, giving everyone plenty of time to sleep off that Turkey. Listed below are the updated BPT standings.

Overall /Player & Blog/BPT #5 Result/Total Points
(01) skinski Skinski's Blog (02) 1002
(02) irongirl Irongirl01 (35) 719
(03) freeroll26 Freerollcalendar Weblog (04) 642
(04) ViezeMan Peetscheet (20) 598
(05) iyatoni Perfectly Beastly (01) 597
(06) kufolem Poker Athletes Blog (67) 556
(07) imjusthere4thebeer Poker Pub (19) 550
(08) DawgRoyal Royal Poker (34) 522
(09) astinaguy astinaguys poker blog (08) 518
(10) brodoughno Gamingology (31) 515
(11) natsdad Alex (27) 500
(12) ReplicantPoker ReplicantPoker blog (10) 474
(13) elc3105 elc3105s blog (47) 430
(14) JayNYC I hate money (03) 415
(15) DavidMalek 11ave.blogspot.com (80) 411
(16) Hacksaw2000 5TH Street Forum (54) 403
(17) cerberi riverdemon (07) 387
(18) gohabs1234 free poker (30) 363
(19) PearlSnapMan PearlSnapMan Plays Poker (21) 350
(20) MTLdon the life of a don (77) 346

Online Poker: Betting Patterns To Watch For

2006-11-16T11:52:00.000-05:00

Bet size - many online players make smaller continuation bets (+/- 30% of the pot) when they miss the flop. This sometimes can be deceptive because some players will frequently do this when they flop a monster. They will also fluctuate bet size with the strength of their hand before the flop. Usually, smaller bets mean weaker hands. When you are in the blinds, beware of a small raise from the button when it is folded around. Many times this indicates a strong hand.

Continuation bets: does a player frequently make a bet after the flop? Many players that make continuation bets will check the flop when they hit a monster. A check from an aggressive player on the flop usually indicates a monster.

Players that check/call out of position on the flop that bet out the turn usually have a strong hand.

A player first to act that check/calls on the flop and the turn and bets the river almost always has a big hand.

A player that min bets the flop is nearly always on a draw. It is a defensive bet to keep other players from betting out.

A minimum reraise (example: you raise to 100, he makes it 200) before the flop usually means a aces or kings. They are building the pot, looking for action.

Raises that are larger than usual (6-7 BB for example) usually mean a medium pair or Ace/King.

Strong players that just call large bets after the flop have either big hands or big draws (flush draws + 2 over cards, straight flush draws, etc). Strong players will either bet/raise or fold. They typically won't play draws unless they have the odds to do so.

If someone does something consistently and suddenly alters their play, it's almost always a sign of strength.

The min re-raise preflop is almost always AA/KK. The limp re-raise is almost always AA/KK.

In short, look for bets/raises/calls that are unusual - too big or too small - or just simply out of character.

BPT Event #4: Omaha a Go-Go Shakes Up Standings

2006-11-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

Irongirl played host to the fourth installment of the Blogger Poker Tour Saturday at Poker.com. This event was billed as Omaha a Go-Go, which conjured up images of Goldie Hawn in a tight mini-skirt and high-heeled white boots doing "the watusi". My mind drifted to a happier time and I barely noticed the seating configutration.

The true nature of this pot limit tournament had become apparent, as there were only eight players per table. The blinds loomed large and play was very aggressive right from the start. Don't you love it when you're dealt AsAdKsKd, everybody calls your raise, and the flop comes 567 rainbow? Or you're in the BB holding 8d8c6s7s and the flop comes AhKhQh? Sometimes the best course of action is to donate as slowly as possible.

Such was the case for yours truly, brodoughno, and I limped it home in 31st spot. Daylight Saving Time was a stumbling block for BPT leader ViezeMan, costing him an hour's worth of blinds. This proved too much to overcome, and the resulting 57th place finish caused ViezeMan to "fall back" to third overall.

The versatile kufolem showed that he's no slouch at 8 Man Omaha PL, and backed up last week's win with a solid sixth place finish. He slipped past the sleeping ViezeMan into second position in the standings despite missing a BPT event. imjusthereforthebeer found the preverbial keg this time around and then laid under the tap. But upon being stopped, his point total indicated that he had gained just under the legal limit and $100 for the runner-up spot. imjusthereforthebeer now sits in fourth place overall and looks poised to pass the field sobriety test.

When the chips were down it was Freeroll26 who stepped up to the challenge and took down the $125 first prize. The winner also established a firm position in the BPT top ten. But the biggest move this week was made by the hostess with the mostest. Irongirl's dietary supplement boosted her point total to 617; enough to set the tour standard at the midway point in the season.

132 blogger hopefuls are trying to advance to the Dec. 23 Blogger Poker Tour Grand Final, where the top 20 will share in over $25,000 in prizes. The field is bunched tightly and only a 96 point spread separates 2nd and 8th, while the 200 point gap between 9th and 49th can be easily be erased in one event. After a week off, The House of Poker Blues will host BPT Event #5 on Nov. 18 at Poker.com. This weeks results and the updated standings:

Event #4 Omaha PL
1. Freeroll26 $125
2. imjusthereforthebeer $100
3. EgonOlsen $75
4. astinaguy $55
5. MTLdon $45
6. kufolem $30
7. Stevenslb159 $25
8. Rahaboss $20
9. PearlSnapMan $15
10. thepurdle $10

Overall Standings
1. Irongirl 617
2. kufolem 506
3. ViezeMan 501
4. imjusthereforthebeer 452
5. DawgRoyal 439
6. brodoughno 429
7. Freeroll26 416
8. natsdad 410
9. DavidMalek 374
10. elc3105 360

Freerolls For Sunday

2006-11-01T14:47:00.000-05:00

01:00 AM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Sloppy Play FR
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15AM
04:00 AM $250 Bodog reg. 3AM
04:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15AM
06:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 5:15AM
08:00 AM $200 Riverbelle Poker reg. 7AM
08:15 AM €50 i4Poker reg. 5:15AM
08:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 7:15AM
10:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 9:15AM
10:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 9:15AM
11:00 AM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 10AM
12:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 11:15AM
12:15 PM €50 i4Poker reg. 11:15AM
12:45 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Stud Lover FR (7 Card)
01:00 PM $1000 Riverbelle Poker reg. 12PM
01:15 PM €700 i4Poker reg. 8AM
01:30 PM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30PM
02:00 PM $200 poker4ever reg. 12PM
02:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15PM
03:00 PM $10,000 Poker.com reg. 3AM
04:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Turned Striaight FR
04:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 3PM
04:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 03:15PM
04:15 PM €100 w/rebuys i4Poker reg. 3:15PM
06:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Buffalo Run FR
06:15 PM $50 OMAHA Poker.com reg. 5:15PM
08:00 PM $400 poker4ever reg. 6PM
08:15 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Dinner Roll FR
08:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 7:15PM
09:30 PM $1500 Bodog reg. 7:30PM
10:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Happy Hour FR
10:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 9PM
10:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 9:15PM
10:20 PM qualifier to $50 Canbet Poker reg. 9:20PM
12:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 11:15PM
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:15 AM TEC Ultimate Bet Poker reg. 1:45AM
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 1:15AM

Saturday Freerolls

2006-10-31T08:32:00.000-05:00

01:00 AM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Sloppy Play FR
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:00 AM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15AM
04:00 AM $250 Bodog reg. 3AM
05:00 AM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
06:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 5:15AM
08:00 AM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
08:00 AM $200 Riverbelle Poker reg. 7AM
08:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 7:15AM
08:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 7:15AM
09:00 AM $2000 Carlos Poker reg. Friday
10:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 9:15AM *fills instantly
10:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 9:15AM
11:00 AM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 10AM
12:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 11:15AM *fills instantly
12:15 PM $50 i4Poker reg. 11:15AM
12:45 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Stud Lover FR (7 Card)
01:00 PM $200 Mermaid Poker reg. 10AM
01:00 PM $1000 Riverbelle Poker reg. 12PM
01:30 PM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30PM
02:00 PM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
02:00 PM $400 poker4ever reg. 12PM
02:15 PM $100 i4Poker reg. 12:15PM
02:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15PM *fills instantly
04:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Turned Striaight FR
04:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 3PM
04:00 PM $2,000 Poker.com reg. 03:55AM
04:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 03:15PM *fills instantly
04:15 PM $50 i4Poker reg. 3:15PM
05:00 PM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
06:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Buffalo Run FR
06:15 PM $50 OMAHA Poker.com reg. 5:10PM
07:00 PM $500 New Depositors Freeroll Poker.com
08:00 PM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
08:00 PM $400 poker4ever reg. 6PM
08:15 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Dinner Roll FR
08:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 7:15PM *fills instantly
09:30 PM $1500 Bodog reg. 7:30PM
10:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 9:15PM *fills instantly
10:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 9PM
10:20 PM qualifier to $50 Canbet Poker reg. 9:20PM
11:00 PM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
12:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 11:15PM *fills instantly
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:00 AM $50 New Player Freeroll Poker.com
02:15 AM TEC Ultimate Bet Poker reg. 1:45AM
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 1:15AM *fills quickly

Freeroll Listing: Weekdays

2006-10-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

01:00 AM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Sloppy Play FR
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 1:15AM
04:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 03:15AM
04:00 AM $250 Bodog reg. 3AM
06:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 5:15AM
06:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 5:15AM
08:00 AM $200 Riverbelle Poker reg. 7AM
08:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 5:15AM
10:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 9:15AM
10:15 AM $50 i4Poker reg. 9:15AM
11:00 AM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 10AM
12:00 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 10:55AM *fills instantly
12:15 PM $50 i4Poker reg. 11:15AM
12:45 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Stud Lover FR (7 Card)
01:00 PM $200 Mermaid Poker reg. 10AM
01:00 PM $1000 Riverbelle Poker reg. 12PM
01:30 PM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30PM
02:00 PM $400 poker4ever reg. 12PM
02:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 01:15PM *fills instantly
04:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Turned Striaight FR
04:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 3PM
04:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 3:15PM
04:15 PM $100 i4Poker reg. 3:15PM
05:15 PM $500 DSI Poker **COUPON REQUIRED**
06:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Buffalo Run FR
06:15 PM $50 Omaha Poker.com reg. 5:15PM
06:15 PM $50 i4Poker reg. 5:15PM
08:00 PM $400 poker4ever reg. 6PM
08:15 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Dinner Roll FR
08:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 7:15PM
09:30 PM $1500 Bodog reg. 7:30PM
10:00 PM $50 Ultimate Bet Poker Happy Hour FR
10:00 PM $1000 Satellite Bowman's Poker reg. 9PM
10:15 PM $50 Poker.com reg. 09:15PM
10:20 PM qualifier to $50 Canbet Poker reg. 9:20PM
12:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 11:15PM
01:30 AM $20 Full Tilt Poker reg. 12:30AM
02:15 AM TEC Ultimate Bet Poker reg. 1:45AM
02:15 AM $50 Poker.com reg. 1:15AM

Blogger Poker Tour Event #3 Recap

2006-10-28T17:47:00.004-05:00

Ultimate Poker Forum.com Tournament Blog hosts Blogger Poker Tour event #3 Saturday at Poker.com.

The fire department claimed that cyberspace was smoking and came very close to evacuating Poker.com this past Saturday during the BPT tournament.

Mild-mannered blogger CawtBluffin had suddenly caught fire midway through the tournament, blistering the cold grasp of elimination before launching her payload in the general direction of the sacred realm of the Poker Gods themselves. It was like watching Tiger Woods shoot 28 on the back nine at Augusta in a hail storm... after a massive bolt of lightening had just nailed him in the groin on the way to the 10th tee box.

Rod Serling might well have emerged from a greenish cyberfog and provided witty commentary that was dubbed in after knowing the outcomes of all the hands. Chips flocked to CB like magnets to steel. Cawtbluffin had somehow tapped into a higher dimension of poker where one never loses a hand; a plane where untold riches could be realized in never-ending ring games feeding on a steady supply of megarich fishes who keep thinking your luck will run out one of these decades. Such a place could infinitely stretch the limitations of human greed; and generousity might eventually be construed as the very evil that has tricked your exhausted soul into playing one more hand..... a billion times.

Ancient poker scribblings and poems discovered on the walls above and adjacent to - but always within arm's reach - of the hand dug latrines in Mesopotamian W.S.O.P. caves, have long suggested that the 'Poker Immortals' occasionially admit humans into their fold under decidedly random and possibly drunken circumstances. (It is also common knowledge that the most effective card protectors during this period were plucked from these same latrines.)

Although very attractive and desirable, CawtBluffin's name was enough to keep her from being abducted into this potential 'Poker High and Low All Night Club' where they nickname you Lucky. When the Holy Rolling Schmucks caught a glimpse of CB's nametag, the redneck jokes started. "It must be trailor park poker night. I'll see your dentures and raise you one belt buckle!" They laughed so hard that many a lung cookie was dislodged as they all chased their bladders around. Then, through divine intervention, CawtBluffin was dealt the same losing hand as Icarus, Mars Probes, and other ill-fated flights of greatness. CawtBluffin's reign over the poker tournament had symbolically parachuted back to Terra Firma. She was back on even poker ground with her foes ond foettes, but her stack size was now twice that of her nearest competitor and the remaining two tables were only partially full.

. Kufolem, Brunsie, ViezeMan, and brodoughno struggled to make the final ten while CawtBluffin attacked with a display of offensive precision similar to the acrobatic skirmishes simulated in 'The Matrix.' Likewise, elc3105, Hacksaw200, Chatuba, and DavidMalek had also been wreaking havoc of their own and emerged at the final table. Sparks started flying quickly after the field was reduced to ten - two players confidently pushed all-in....both revealed pocket rockets! The trend continued and big hands lost to bigger hands and players fell out quickly. When the dust and green fog lifted, the final three players were in a virtual dead heat. CawtBluffin, kufolem, and elc3105 remained to decide the top three spots. kufolem wasted no time assuming the role of the aggressor, and had soon gained a large advantage. The blinds weren't getting any smaller, and CawtBluffin and elc3105 were scrapping it out just to stay alive. elc3105 finally pushed all-in with King-Queen vs. CawtBluffin's Ace-Ten. The dealer flipped over AKQT so both players had made two pair. But the river was a blank, so CawtBluffin inherited elc3105's remaining chips to take on kufoldem heads-up. kufolem made it quick and painless, winning the tournament on the first hand. CawtBluffin almost had the storybook ending, but after that incredible run of cards it was to be expected. Congratulations to kufolem for the win and this was a very entertaining tournament from where I sat for sure. A big thank you to Poker.com and Ultimate Poker Forum.com Tournament Blog for sponsoring, hosting, organizing, and everything else that goes into the Blogger Poker Tour. Here are the top ten finishers of event #3 followed by the current BPT standings:

Event #3 Results
------------------
1. kufolem $125
2. CawtBluffin $100
3. elc3105 $75
4. Chatuba $55
5. DavidMalek $45
6. brodoughno $30
7. brunsie $25
8. Hacksaw2000 $20
9. ViezeMan $15
10. royalroynr1 $10

Current BPT Standings
------------------------
1. ViezeMan 460
2. DawgRoyal 381
3. kufolem 368
4. brodoughno 362
5. natsdad 355
6. Michael1965 344
7. elc3105 318
8. DavidMalek 292
9. Hacksaw2000 289
10. Irongirl 288 ***Hosting event #4***

BPT Event 2: Wild and Wooly

2006-10-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

The $30,000 Blogger Poker Tour's Season #2 has thus far completed two events and it's way too early to declare any of the 70+ participants a clear favorite. The second installment, Royal's Bluff Till You Drop Bender, took place October 7th at Poker.com.

Quackpot and brodoughno both made their second consecutive final table, finishing 8th and 5th, respectively. But their consistency was overshadowed by natsdad, who followed up a strong 5th place finish by winning event #2 with a combination of good solid play, and a small gift from the poker gods. With just three players remaining and a slight chip lead, natsdad pushed all-in with pocket nines. The bet was quickly called by number two chip man damriver, who was dealt Ace-King. The flop, a King and two blanks, was very favorable for Big Slick. But Slick got sick when natsdad caught 2 runners to complete an unlikely jack high straight, sending the aptly named damriver to the rail. That left only one player standing between natsdad and the $125 first prize. iyatoni had been "laying low" for most of the tournament before coming to life at the final table in an impressive display of grit and determination. natsdad was up to the final challenge, however, and had just enough momentum to score the win.

After a three week hiatus, the BPT will be back in action this Saturday at Poker.com, which firmly supports and welcomes players from the U.S.A. This week's tourney will be hosted by the Ultimate Poker Forum.com Tournament Blog, so drop in and check them out. The season is still young, so everyone has bloggin' good chance to win it all. Here is the current top 20 heading into event #3:

natsdad 321
ViezeMan 320
DawgRoyal 300
ReplicantPoker 241
Michael1965 238
brodoughno 218
DamRiver 211.5
Quackpot 201
BobbyOlsen 196
elc3105 189
Irongirl 185.25
iyatoni 177.5
JCL514 151.25
Hacksaw2000 148
booboy119543 144
Mada1970 116
Porkrind333 116
astinaguy 112.5
purechaos 112
xScrewballx 112

Poker Sites: No. Carolina Players Still Allowed List

2006-10-27T19:04:00.000-05:00

Absolute Poker Ace Flush Poker
All In Poker BetCris Poker
BET on USA Poker Big Chip Poker
Bodog Bugsy Club
Canbet Cake Poker
Carlos Poker Diamond Poker
Doyles Room Dream Poker
Full Tilt Poker Golden Riviera Poker
InterTops Poker Jungle Poker
Live Poker MidAtlantic Poker
Mansion OK USA Poker
Pitbull Poker Planet Poker
Poker Host Poker Time
Poker.com Poker Rewards
Poker4ever Purple Lounge
Royal Vegas Poker Riverbell Poker
The Gaming Club TonyG Poker
Tropical Poker TrueWager
Ultimate Bet Vegas Poker 24/7
Virtual City Poker VIP Poker
Worldwide Poker

i4poker Promotions Overview - November 2006

2006-10-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

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Risking It All: Olbermann Lambastes Bush On MSNBC: Must Read

2006-10-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

Published on Friday, October 6, 2006 by MSNBC:

"A Special Comment About Lying - The difference between terrorists and critics"

by Keith Olbermann

While the leadership in Congress has self-destructed over the revelations of an unmatched, and unrelieved, march through a cesspool ...

While the leadership inside the White House has self-destructed over the revelations of a book with a glowing red cover ...

The president of the United States — unbowed, undeterred and unconnected to reality — has continued his extraordinary trek through our country rooting out the enemies of freedom: the Democrats.

Yesterday at a fundraiser for an Arizona congressman, Mr. Bush claimed, quote, “177 of the opposition party said, ‘You know, we don’t think we ought to be listening to the conversations of terrorists.’”

The hell they did.

One hundred seventy-seven Democrats opposed the president’s seizure of another part of the Constitution.

Not even the White House press office could actually name a single Democrat who had ever said the government shouldn’t be listening to the conversations of terrorists.

President Bush hears what he wants.

Tuesday, at another fundraiser in California, he had said, “Democrats take a law enforcement approach to terrorism. That means America will wait until we’re attacked again before we respond.”

Mr. Bush fabricated that, too.

And evidently he has begun to fancy himself as a mind reader.

“If you listen closely to some of the leaders of the Democratic Party,” the president said at another fundraiser Monday in Nevada, “it sounds like they think the best way to protect the American people is — wait until we’re attacked again.”

The president doesn’t just hear what he wants.

He hears things that only he can hear.

It defies belief that this president and his administration could continue to find new unexplored political gutters into which they could wallow.

Yet they do.

It is startling enough that such things could be said out loud by any president of this nation.

Rhetorically, it is about an inch short of Mr. Bush accusing Democratic leaders, Democrats, the majority of Americans who disagree with his policies of treason.

But it is the context that truly makes the head spin.

Just 25 days ago, on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, this same man spoke to this nation and insisted, “We must put aside our differences and work together to meet the test that history has given us.”

Mr. Bush, this is a test you have already failed.

If your commitment to “put aside differences and work together” is replaced in the span of just three weeks by claiming your political opponents prefer to wait to see this country attacked again, and by spewing fabrications about what they’ve said, then the questions your critics need to be asking are no longer about your policies.

They are, instead, solemn and even terrible questions, about your fitness to fulfill the responsibilities of your office.

No Democrat, sir, has ever said anything approaching the suggestion that the best means of self-defense is to “wait until we’re attacked again.”

No critic, no commentator, no reluctant Republican in the Senate has ever said anything that any responsible person could even have exaggerated into the slander you spoke in Nevada on Monday night, nor the slander you spoke in California on Tuesday, nor the slander you spoke in Arizona on Wednesday ... nor whatever is next.

You have dishonored your party, sir; you have dishonored your supporters; you have dishonored yourself.

But tonight the stark question we must face is — why?

Why has the ferocity of your venom against the Democrats now exceeded the ferocity of your venom against the terrorists?

Why have you chosen to go down in history as the president who made things up?

In less than one month you have gone from a flawed call to unity to this clarion call to hatred of Americans, by Americans.

If this is not simply the most shameless example of the rhetoric of political hackery, then it would have to be the cry of a leader crumbling under the weight of his own lies.

We have, of course, survived all manner of political hackery, of every shape, size and party. We will have to suffer it, for as long as the Republic stands.

But the premise of a president who comes across as a compulsive liar is nothing less than terrifying.

A president who since 9/11 will not listen, is not listening — and thanks to Bob Woodward’s most recent account — evidently has never listened.

A president who since 9/11 so hates or fears other Americans that he accuses them of advocating deliberate inaction in the face of the enemy.

A president who since 9/11 has savaged the very freedoms he claims to be protecting from attack — attack by terrorists, or by Democrats, or by both — it is now impossible to find a consistent thread of logic as to who Mr. Bush believes the enemy is.

But if we know one thing for certain about Mr. Bush, it is this: This president — in his bullying of the Senate last month and in his slandering of the Democrats this month — has shown us that he believes whoever the enemies are, they are hiding themselves inside a dangerous cloak called the Constitution of the United States of America.

How often do we find priceless truth in the unlikeliest of places?

I tonight quote not Jefferson nor Voltaire, but Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

On Sept. 11th, 2003, the editor of that publication interviewed General Tommy Franks, at that point, just retired from his post as commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command — of Cent-Com.

And amid his quaint defenses of the then-nagging absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, or the continuing freedom of Osama bin Laden, General Franks said some of the most profound words of this generation.

He spoke of “the worst thing that can happen” to this country:

First, quoting, a “massive casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western World — it may be in the United States of America.”

Then, the general continued, “the Western World, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we’ve seen for a couple of hundred years, in this grand experiment that we call democracy.”

It was this super-patriotic warrior’s fear that we would lose that most cherished liberty, because of another attack, one — again quoting General Franks — “that causes our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass-casualty-producing event. Which, in fact, then begins to potentially unravel the fabric of our Constitution.”

And here we are, the fabric of our Constitution being unraveled, anyway.

Habeus corpus neutered; the rights of self-defense now as malleable and impermanent as clay; a president stifling all critics by every means available and, when he runs out of those, by simply lying about what they said or felt.

And all this, even without the dreaded attack.

General Franks, like all of us, loves this country, and believes not just in its values, but in its continuity.

He has been trained to look for threats to that continuity from without.

He has, perhaps been as naïve as the rest of us, in failing to keep close enough vigil on the threats to that continuity from within.

Secretary of State Rice first cannot remember urgent cautionary meetings with counterterrorism officials before 9/11. Then within hours of this lie, her spokesman confirms the meetings in question. Then she dismisses those meetings as nothing new — yet insists she wanted the same cautions expressed to Secretaries Ashcroft and Rumsfeld.

Mr. Rumsfeld, meantime, has been unable to accept the most logical and simple influence of the most noble and neutral of advisers. He and his employer insist they rely on the “generals in the field.” But dozens of those generals have now come forward to say how their words, their experiences, have been ignored.

And, of course, inherent in the Pentagon’s war-making functions is the regulation of presidential war lust.

Enacting that regulation should include everything up to symbolically wrestling the Chief Executive to the floor.

Yet—and it is Pentagon transcripts that now tell us this—evidently Mr. Rumsfeld’s strongest check on Mr. Bush’s ambitions, was to get somebody to excise the phrase “Mission Accomplished” out of the infamous Air Force Carrier speech of May 1st, 2003, even while the same empty words hung on a banner over the President’s shoulder.

And the vice president is a chilling figure, still unable, it seems, to accept the conclusions of his own party’s leaders in the Senate, that the foundations of his public position, are made out of sand.

There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

But he still says so.

There was no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaida.

But he still says so.

And thus, gripping firmly these figments of his own imagination, Mr. Cheney lives on, in defiance, and spreads—around him and before him—darkness, like some contagion of fear.

They are never wrong, and they never regret -- admirable in a French torch singer, cataclysmic in an American leader.

Thus, the sickening attempt to blame the Foley scandal on the negligence of others or “the Clinton era”—even though the Foley scandal began before the Lewinsky scandal.

Thus, last month’s enraged attacks on this administration’s predecessors, about Osama bin Laden—a projection of their own negligence in the immediate months before 9/11.

Thus, the terrifying attempt to hamstring the fundament of our freedom—the Constitution—a triumph for al Qaida, for which the terrorists could not hope to achieve with a hundred 9/11’s.

And thus, worst of all perhaps, these newest lies by President Bush about Democrats choosing to await another attack and not listen to the conversations of terrorists.

It is the terror and the guilt within your own heart, Mr. Bush, that you redirect at others who simply wish for you to temper your certainty with counsel.

It is the failure and the incompetence within your own memory, Mr. Bush, that leads you to demonize those who might merely quote to you the pleadings of Oliver Cromwell: “I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.”

It is not the Democrats whose inaction in the face of the enemy you fear, Sir.

It is your own—before 9/11 - and (and you alone know this), perhaps afterwards.

Mr. President, these new lies go to the heart of what it is that you truly wish to preserve.

It is not our freedom, nor our country—your actions against the Constitution give irrefutable proof of that.

You want to preserve a political party’s power. And obviously you’ll sell this country out, to do it.

These are lies about the Democrats -- piled atop lies about Iraq -- which were piled atop lies about your preparations for al Qaida.

To you, perhaps, they feel like the weight of a million centuries -- as crushing, as immovable.

They are not.

If you add more lies to them, you cannot free yourself, and us, from them.

But if you stop -- if you stop fabricating quotes, and building straw-men, and inspiring those around you to do the same -- you may yet liberate yourself and this nation.

Please, sir, do not throw this country’s principles away because your lies have made it such that you can no longer differentiate between the terrorists and the critics.

Port Security And.......Online Gambling???

2006-09-02T11:47:00.000-05:00

Whether you're a terrorist or a tourist, you have to question the addition of online gambling restrictions to port security legislation. The sad thing is that most Americans have turned a blind eye to the law making process. The "New World" media doesn't care, either. What's next? Will the 2008 presidential election be cancelled? It seems like the next logical step in this, the most illogical sequence of events in U.S. history.

Chase The Straight?

2006-04-20T22:12:00.000-05:00

The Right Time To Chase A Straight

------------------------------------------------------------
This column is provided free of charge by www.RoyRounder.com

"Roy Rounder" is the pen name of a successful professional
poker player and author. To skyrocket your Texas Holdem
winnings, join his free newsletter. Just click here.
------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Poker Player,

Chasing straights and flush draws will BURN you... there's
no doubt about it.

The term "chasing" means you stay in the hand... hoping to
catch a certain card (or cards) that will complete your
straight.

The problem with chasing is that the ODDS ARE AGAINST YOU.
And as you know, successful Texas Holdem poker is all about
keeping the odds in your favor.

But sometimes chasing a straight IS the right thing to do.

SOMETIMES.

Let me explain...

First off, let's look at the two different types of straight
draws:

1. GUTSHOT - This is when you're trying to make an INSIDE
straight... like if you have 4-5-6-8 and you need the 7.

2. OPEN-ENDED - This is when TWO cards can "make" your
straight... like if you have 4-5-6-7 and need EITHER the 3
or the 8.

There's also what's called a "double belly buster", which is
actually like two gutshots at once. We'll talk about this a
little later.

OK, so how should you play a gutshot straight draw? Let's
look at the odds... if you FLOP an inside (gutshot) straight
draw, the odds of making your straight are 16.47%.

If you have an inside straight draw after the TURN... with
just the river card to go... your odds are 8.70%.

So the odds aren't good. 16.47% might SOUND like it's worth
it... but you've got to ANTICIPATE the bet after the turn
card.

For instance, let's say you flop an inside straight draw and
someone makes a big bet. If you call and then miss your
straight on the turn, what then?

Your opponent makes ANOTHER big bet... do you call to see
the river card? You feel pot committed, but you know the
odds are against you...

This is how you get into trouble with gutshot straight
draws. You become pot committed and you chase a hand that's
not worth chasing.

As a general principle, you should NOT chase gutshot
straight draws... especially on the river.

When I flop a gutshot, I might call a small bet but that's
it. And that's only when the odds are worth it.

As we'll discuss in a moment, you must also factor in the
IMPLIED ODDS... but first, let's look at how to play
open-ended straight draws.

For an open-ended straight draw, your odds of making your
straight are MUCH better. If you flop an open-ender your
odds of hitting are 31.45%.

If you have an open-ender with just the river card to go,
your odds are 17.39%.

Notice that you have BETTER chances of completing an
open-ended straight draw just on the RIVER than completing a
gutshot straight draw on both the turn AND the river.

Interesting, huh?

OK, so what's the right way to play an open-ender?

Many players will just CHECK with an open-ended straight
draw... and then CALL any bets.

This is REACTIVE card playing... and it's the WRONG thing to
do.

You need to be PROACTIVE... and here's why:

Let's say you've got 6-7 of diamonds and the flop hits:

4-5-K

You've got the top half of an open-ended straight draw...
either an 8 or a 3 will give you the nut straight.

The NATURAL TENDENCY here is to check. You don't have
ANYTHING yet... no pairs, no high cards, nothing. So
obviously you'd LOVE to wait to see if you make your
straight before you risk any chips, right?

Wrong.

If you just check, you're making three dangerous mistakes:

Mistake 1: You're showing weakness.

Mistake 2: You're not increasing the pot size.

Mistake 3: You're giving your opponent a read on you.

There's a strange analogy I like to use for this.

If you're ever in the forest or wilderness and you encounter
a mountain lion, bobcat, or other similar PREDATOR, the
NATURAL TENDENCY is to get scared.

Most people would run away!

However... the RIGHT thing to do is to SHOW AGGRESSION and
NOT show fear.

I'm dead serious here.

The right thing to do if you see a bobcat is to make a lot
of noise, to raise your hands in the air and possibly hold
up a coat or jacket (in order to appear bigger), and to
snarl or growl.

It's counter-intuitive... but it's what you MUST do if you
don't want to get attacked (or eaten).

Now... back to Texas Holdem... LOL.

Your OPPONENT is your PREDATOR. Show them weakness and they
will likely attack you.

When you have an open-ended straight draw, you want to see
the next two cards... and you don't want to risk a lot of
chips to do so.

So the RIGHT PLAY is to BET or RAISE the pot.

In our example above, you want to throw out a
reasonably-sized bet. Your opponents might fold right there.
Or you might get one or two callers.

NOW, when the TURN card comes, your opponents will probably
check to you. So basically you're getting a FREE CARD. You
can check and see the river for free.

If you HADN'T taken control of the betting, your opponents
would have made you PAY A LOT to see the river card. And you
might of been forced to FOLD your open-ended straight draw.

By taking control of the betting and coming out strong after
the flop, you're actually investing LESS money overall to
see the next two cards.

Now... the other reason taking control is important is
because it doesn't give your opponent a read on you.

Say your opponent checks the flop and you also check. The
turn card comes and it's a 3... giving you the straight.

Your opponent checks again and now all of the sudden you
come out betting strong.

Obviously, your opponent will SEE what's going on here and
will have a hunch that you just made your straight... and
he'll fold.

If you DON'T bet after the 3, the odds of you making any
real money off of this hand are slim, and you've let your
straight go to waste.

So the key is to bet EARLY... that way if you HIT you're
golden and you'll get paid. And if you DON'T hit you won't
have to invest any more chips.

Say you took control of the betting after the flop and your
opponent called with A-5. He's probably putting you on the
King, but isn't sure... He's got middle pair along with an
Ace.

The turn card comes and it's a 3, so you bet again. Your
opponent calls again.

Finally the river hits and it's an Ace, giving your opponent
TWO PAIR. By now he's confident that you have the King...
and not the straight... since you were betting consistently
after the flop.

So your opponent puts you ALL-IN with his hand... not
knowing that you've got him DOMINATED. You win a big pot,
all because you played the open-ender properly.

There's also what's called a "double belly buster" straight
draw. A regular (single) belly buster is simply an inside
straight draw. A DOUBLE means there are TWO different cards
to make your straight... but it's not open-ended.

For example, if you were holding A-5 and the flop hit 3-4-7
you would have a DOUBLE BELLY BUSTER.

Either a 2 or a 6 would give you a straight.

Double belly busters are great because your opponents will
often never see them coming... and your odds of hitting are
the same as an OPEN-ENDED straight draw.

When an opponent doesn't put you on a hand, THAT is when
you'll be able to win the most chips. This is known as
IMPLIED ODDS.

Implied odds means that when you make your hand, you're
going to get paid a LOT for it.

Implied odds is a very important part of making decisions in
Texas Holdem... just like regular odds. Except the key
distinction is that implied odds doesn't necessarily involve
numbers or math percentages.

Implied odds is more about getting a SENSE for how big the
pot will be if you make your hand.

When your implied odds are HIGH, you can often bet more
early in order to build the pot size.

An example of high implied odds is when there's a straight
draw on the board with HIGH CARDS. For instance, let's say
you're holding J-10 and the flop comes Q-K-3.

You've got an open-ended straight draw... but you might face
opponents who have a REALLY GOOD HAND right now... something
like A-K, A-Q, or K-Q.

An opponent with a big hand is going to be very aggressive
with his bets... and if a 9 or an Ace hits, you're going to
win a ton of chips. Those are high implied odds.

On the other hand, this type of flop is BAD for you because
it means you'll probably have to PAY DEARLY to see the turn
and river cards.

Be careful... don't chase the straight if it's going to
break your chip stack.

An example of a straight with LOW implied odds would be when
it's all low cards on the board. After all, if no one has
anything decent, no one is going to give you a lot of
action.

When you have an open-ended straight draw with low cards and
you sense weakness in your opponents, the best move is to
act aggressively and take the pot down right there.

After all... nearly 70% of the time you are NOT going to hit
your straight. So if you can win the pot by betting, do so.

If you do get a caller, that's OK too, because you still
have a lot of outs and a good chance at busting your
opponent (and now the implied odds are higher since he's pot
committed and must have a good hand).

Another example of low implied odds is when the straight
draw on the board is OBVIOUS. This is especially relevant
when there's only ONE card needed to make the straight.

For instance, let's say you have K-7 and the board reads
3-4-5. And then the turn card comes and it's a 6.

Of course, with 3-4-5-6 on the board, your opponents WILL be
suspicious that someone has the straight. This type of
situation is sometimes good for a check-raise... or a strong
bet to make it LOOK like you're buying the pot. (It just
depends on your table image.)

With straight draws, be extra careful to pay attention to
what ELSE is out there on the board. You will often
encounter hands that BEAT you and wipe out your entire chip
stack.

For instance... look for possible FLUSH draws. If your
opponent might have made a flush, back off. Muck the hand if
you need to and live to see another day.

Full houses are dangerous too. If two cards on the board
pair up, be careful.

And last but not least, always think about what OTHER
straights are possible. For instance, if you're holding A-2
and the flop hits 3-4-5, you have the BOTTOM end of the
straight. Someone could have 7-6, or maybe 6-2, and would
have you beat.

It's the same way with our double belly buster example. In
that example the flop was 3-4-7 and you had A-5. Let's say a
6 hit the board.

Even though you have the straight (3-7), it's NOT the best
possible straight. Your opponent could be holding 8-5...
which would be the nut straight.

It's the same way with FOUR consecutive cards on the board.
If the board reads 5-6-7-8 and you've got the 9, that
doesn't mean you have the "nuts".

The nuts would be 10-9... which would give someone the
straight (6-10).

The possibilities are ENDLESS... and you'll soon discover
that the more you play Texas Holdem the more IMPORTANT every
possibility becomes.

For the most part, keep in mind that you want to only
"chase" a straight when the odds of hitting are most
favorable, when the implied odds are good, and when you
think you can see a cheap (or free) river card.

Knowing how to INCREASE your winnings and DECREASE your
losses is the name of the game. Strategies like these will
also minimize your risk during each pot... and help you
secure a CONSISTENT winning streak.

I can show you how to master the game of Texas Holdem and
play like a pro... whether you want to want to become a
full-time "rounder", win some tournaments, or just knock the
socks off your friends.

With my free poker tips newsletter, you'll learn simple,
step-by-step processes for winning as many pots as
possible... along with pro-level tactics that can boost your
skills INSTANTLY.

Each newsletter is written in plain English that's easy to
understand-- no matter what your current level of play.

So go to this webpage right now and sign up for my FREE,
award-winning poker tips newsletter...

Here's the link:

RoyRounder.com

See you there.

Your New Friend,

Roy Rounder

------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I do not promote illegal, underage, or gambling
to those who live in a jurisdiction where gambling is
considered unlawful. The information within this site and
newsletter is being presented solely for entertainment
purposes. I will not be held responsible for any personal
loss of wagers or damages you may incur. Anyone concerned
about having a problem can contact Gamblers Anonymous for
further information.
------------------------------------------------------------

9/11/01 From My Point of View

2006-03-24T22:51:00.000-05:00

Here's my take on 9/11 the way I saw it live. I had just returned from working out of town and I had the week off, and was sleeping in. My wife was watching CNN and woke me up when the first images from Manhatten were being shown on the air. I saw the whole thing from soup to nuts. Although unrelated to gaming, this topic deserves great attention and was written in its entirety by the editor of Gamingology.

Like many Americans, I watched the events of 9/11/2001 unfold on CNN and FOX (then later NBC, ABC,CBS). During the crucial first moments when the news media broke what was to be the biggest story of the decade, there was no apparent cause for concern. I was intrigued at the notion of a Cessna hitting the World Trade Center. There was no reason to doubt the story, but this was certainly an unusual development. So I was drinking my coffee waiting for them to name this freak/stroke victim/obviously dead pilot. I had watched enough news to know that usually when planes are involved, a few things are usually disclosed almost immediately. Airport of origin, time of departure, and intended destination are the norm, and usually some back- ground information.

CNN and FOX News were repeating the same sketchy account of this mystery Cessna. This is where you should focus your attention. Instead of reporting the facts, which obviously would have been extremely alarming, the exact opposite occured. Most of the free world has seen footage of the second WTC tower being impacted and the reaction from people on the ground. When the first jet impacted the WTC earlier that morning, don't you think it was equally if not more dramatic? Have you seen the footage where a fireman is giving an interview which is interrupted by a jet flying overhead and hitting a skyscraper? If you have, then that is the only known video footage of the first WTC tower being struck at 8:46AM on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001.

Inside the tower, many were killed instantly by the impact and explosion. Others were less for- tunate; trapped and/or clinging to life while burning to death and/or suffocating from the smoke and fumes created by thousands of gallons of burning jet fuel. New York City at 8:46AM was in the middle of RUSH HOUR. The area around the WTC was bustling with commuters.
Buses, taxis, bicyclists, and mostly pedestrians were all going about their normal Tuesday morning routine. At street level, the usual soundsof the city were interrupted by the sound of approaching jet engines, attracting everyone's attention as they looked skyward for the source.

Confusion would have quickly been replaced by panic at the moment of impact as everyone scrambled to escape deadly projectiles. Many injuries ranging from minor to fatal are a fact of life when very big jets hit very tall buildings during rush hour in very big cities. Desperate calls for help to 911 probably jammed the lines. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grand- parents, and friends surely made/received tragic cell phone calls to/from loved ones. The calls for help probably also jammed the cell phone circuits, which could only have made matters worse. Imagine the chaos and uncertainty that must have been spreading throughout New York City as the sounds of sirens filled the air.

Meanwhile, at 8:48AM (two minutes after the first plane hit) a CNN news break painted a completely different picture. The news anchors were stuttering and confused (interestingly one lady was new and 9/11 was her first day on the job) "Apparently... some sort of... small.. Cessna ...type plane ...has struck one of the WTC towers. That's about all we know ....at the moment." As they spoke, they were pressing on their ear-piece as if they were repeating these words as they heard them. There was no implied urgency in their voices, and none was invoked by the images that were shown. From their camera's perspective, which wasn't from the best angle, the story fit the picture. The situation did not appear to be serious.

CNN went to commercial I flipped over to FOX News, only to find the same camera angle (which by the way appeared to be a looped video made shortly after impact since there was very little smoke visible) and similar explanation. They took the Cessna story a step further and spec- ulated as to why and how it might have happened while comparing it to a recent incident where a Cessna strayed into restricted airspace near Washington, DC and was intercepted by F-16's. How do you think witnesses reacted when they turned on live news expecting to get some information and heard the Cessna story? Of course, had the TV cameras shown images from street below the WTC, the seriousness of the crisis would not have required any commentary.

There apparently were not any field reporters dispatched to the WTC by CNN or FOX. No colorful eye witness accounts live at the scene that you would expect. Nope.. nothing like that. They must not have fielded any phone calls from good sources, or looked out the window, removed the ear muffs and their heads from their collective asses that morning. At this early juncture of 9/11, there was a clear and present danger. But niether CNN or FOX gave a hint of urgency to the situation. Why? Did it have anything to do with the stock market? While Americans lay dead and dieing, and many New Yorkers fleeing Manhatten in fear for their lives,
surely ONE of the networks would accurately depict the scene... Afterall, advising viewers of the situation could help prevent further loss of life and make it easier for EMT's to reach the scene.

Instead, they reported that the buildings were safe and the minor damage was confined to a small area and actually encouraged people that worked in and around the WTC that it was business as usual! Why? Is it fathomable that anyone witnessed a JET in NYC disappearing into a skyscraper but mistook it for a Cessna, quickly called a few news executives, and they all bought the story? How likely is it that all of the networks, many with offices in plain view of the WTC, could be so clueless? ABC, CBS, and NBC eventually broke from their regular program- ming to cover the WTC story, all exhibiting similar confusion, speculation, and basically
incompetent news gathering capabilities. Had I not seen this deception play out first hand, I would never have considered such an industry-wide curtain of propaganda to be a remote possibility.

Instead of warning of the inherent dangers and urging people to stay clear of the WTC, they were actually giving the "all clear". I wonder how many viewers in NY headed towards Man- hatten either on business or for a better look to satisfy their curiosity? Something was important enough for the networks to put more lives at risk while losing a little thing called CREDIBILITY. Who is responsible for the muzzle of secrecy that apparently was imposed on the media the morning of 9/11? Was this in place before the first tower was struck? Did space aliens take over the bodies of the news people?

I guess we were supposed to believe that in an age of breaking news stories from highly competitive networks who thrive on accuracy and being the first on the scene; a jet could roar into NYC striking a national landmark during rush hour without drawing attention. Bad news
travels fast. Maybe it headed towards the Atlantic Ocean and had to circum- navigate the globe on 9/11. Further, are we supposed to believe that before anyone had time to run this monumental breaking news story that they were ALL immediately contacted by some entity that instructed them to misinform the public with the Cessna story? All of this
instantly concocted plan of action was perpetrated under the guise of looking out for America's best interest? Every major news agency in America knowingly lied to their viewers/listeners costing many of them their life savings, and others possibly their lives.

Imagine how different it might have been if they had reported the truth. Imagine how many people in the news industry ditched all their stocks! While 99.9% of the stockholders and tax- payers in America and abroad went about their daily lives, their holdings became practically worthless. I'm sure the vast majority of American people would be interested to know the specific activity on the NYSE on and around 9/11. That, however, would require an investigation carried out by a branch of the government that is interested in uncovering facts, which is against
current policy.

Amazingly, it wasn't until the second tower was struck that the ugly reality was revealed to the viewing public in a sick example of shock TV. They made sure that every camera was coined on the WTC live at 9:03AM to show the second "surprise attack". Nobody was on commercial
break at the time. The shock value was so great that the media's earlier bout of amnesia went virtually unnoticed. Then, and only then, the news networks finally started their coverage of 9/11 while acting just as unsuspecting as the general public. In another amazing turn of events, there is no recorded footage of the alleged jet that struck a section of the Pentagon that housed financial records for the Department of Defense. CNN announced at 9:32AM that the NYSE was closed until further notice.

The NYSE opening bell shouldn't have even sounded that day. Time lines on 9/11 have been questioned and there are many variations around, most stating that the NYSE never even opened on 9/11. Whether or not our own government carried out the inhumane acts of terrorism on the WTC is not open for debate. What caused the towers and WTC7 to collapse is trivial and serves as a diversion. The financial implications of 9/11 and what part the media played should be the issue. Many records were conveniently lost. Apparently "We the People" does not refer to American civilians anymore. At some point "We" became "Them".

The state of the union has suffered. It's time to think about getting back to basics. I'm of the opinion that all peace loving Americans should band together and secede from the union. History has shown, however, that such a people would have to live in
heavily guarded bunkers under the deepest ocean to protect against eminent attacks from the United States.

To summarize:

My argument is that the WTC towers did not collapse as a result of damage caused by planes and the resulting fires.

First of all, I don't claim to hold a degree in engineering or related fields of study. My opinions are based not only on the visual evidence and eye witness accounts, but also political and economic factors as well.

IMO, it is quite possible that weakening of the infrastructure created by the impacts, in conjunction with the heat generated by the fires, was sufficient enough to cause structural failures on the affected floors of the WTC towers. But, for both towers to completely collapse
as a result of damage so high up on the structures did not obey the laws of physics. In addition, there were numerous reports of at least one loud explosion near ground level before the first tower collapsed. I was watching along on TV. The CNN news anchors were verbally startled
by an explosion that rocked the WTC area just before the first tower fell. They emphatically confirmed this on live TV with a reporter close to ground zero. As the massive cloud of dust engulfed lower Manhatten, the explosion was likewise shrouded in a cloud of mystery. The same
cloud hung over the Pentagon attack when vital accounting records were destroyed by a low flying jet that punched a relatively small hole in a freshly reinforced section of concrete, while hardly damaging the lawn.

Why the transcripts of various 9/11 broadcasts does not reflect the entire dialogue is beyond me. I can say, without a doubt, that the official record was altered. People close to ground zero gave similar accounts of explosions. This was not thoroughly investigated by the media in the aftermath of 9/11, nor were the numerous shortcomings of the Defense Department and the official story. Instead of feasting upon the veritable smorgasborg of coincidences and failures, the media largely turned a blind eye to the difficult questions.

The massive pile of debris at ground zero was carted away in record time, and assaults on Afghanistan and U.S. civil rights were quickly organized while a pipeline was being covertly constructed. Then, somehow it seemed logical to go to war with Iraq against the wishes of the UN and the majority of tax paying Americans.

As you can see, the role that the fires played in the WTC towers on 9/11 are not that important to me in the overall scheme of things. I cannot adequately express the urgent need for all sides to engage in intelligent debates on the subject of 9/11. If we can all treat each other with respect and keep our emotions in check, a great resource of information is at our fingertips.

What Are Your Opponents Holding

2006-03-24T20:59:00.000-05:00

Know EXACTLY What Your Opponents Are Holding

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"Roy Rounder" is the pen name of a successful professional
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***QUESTION FORM A READER***

Roy,

Your newsletters have greatly helped my play I used to be a
tight wad player. Now that I have changed gears (play more
aggressively) in my head its thrown players off balance a
lot. I take notes on my friends poker play so it helps me
remember betting patterns etc.

I am really good at sniffing out stone cold bluffs (I've
been known to call with queen high before) or strong hands
that are hard to recognize like small sets and low and
medium straights. I've even folded full houses before
knowing that other players have four of a kind by their
erratic breathing and confidence in their voice and shaky
hands.

However I need advanced improvement on reading tells and
avoiding traps. Other then the ones mentioned in Caro's book
of poker tells it is a little outdated. Especially I have
had also a problem with reading people when they play medium
strength hands aggressively - especially in casino
tournaments unlike my weekly poker games with my friends.

After a while you learn your friends play but in tournaments
they are all strangers how to get a read on them? Some
players bet medium strength (not weak strength hands)
aggressively. Does your e-book cover these questions?

Does it also have a section on poker tells as well. I've
played players giving off false tells as a trap such as
acting weak when weak and strong when strong? My friends do
this as well giving off false tells doing the opposite of
the opposite of what you would expect - we've read the same
books.

Thanks,
A.C.

***MY COMMENTS***

I want to start off by saying CONGRATULATIONS, my friend.

Calling bluffs with a queen high and laying down full boats
is a sign of a BALLSY player... That level of faith in your
abilities is a CRUCIAL step towards a successful poker
career.

I am also impressed by your choice to take notes on your
opponents. I notice that there are a lot of players who
CLAIM to want to be better, but don't take the TIME to do
what is needed.

As far as your question about reading poker tells against
players you aren't familiar with... here's what you can do:

When you are at a new table, it is obviously VERY important
that you pay close attention to the GAME and to the PLAYERS
right away.

Most players... when they sit down... get so caught up in
themselves and their own heads that they don't even make it
to this first step...

To put it bluntly:

"SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, and WATCH."

Don't start running your mouth... don't try to act cool...
and don't daydream. The first few minutes you're at the
table is perhaps the most IMPORTANT time there.

Once you've done this, be sure not to rush into any hands.
In fact, I recommend NOT getting involved in any hands at
the very beginning... and here's why:

If you're an experienced tournament player, you know that
most players are eliminated from tournaments when they are
in "shuffle times" (when they are moving from table to
table).

It is at these times when the BIGGEST MISTAKES are usually
made.

Let's say that you sit down a new table. You may have been
playing at a tight table where you could buy a lot of
pots...

You sit at this new table... and fall right back into your
betting pattern. You make a bold move, try to buy a pot, and
get burnt because THIS TABLE is much LOOSER than the last
one.

This puts you at a disadvantage right away... one which you
might not recover from.

When I move to a new table... or begin at a game where I
don't know the players... I always wait at least 3-4 rounds
of betting before I get involved in a hand... and a lot of
times I wait EVEN LONGER.

This gives me a chance to get to know my opponents... BEFORE
I risk any chips.

I call it my "Study Period."

Of course, the WHOLE GAME is a study period in itself... but
these first few hands is 100% devoted towards just watching
my poker opponents.

And here's the added benefit:

If I don't know my competition, THEY don't know ME, either.
By taking my time and doing my study period, I learn about
THEM... but they DON'T LEARN ABOUT ME.

If anything, they just ASSUME that I'm a tight player...

That means within 10 minutes, I immediately have an
advantage over all the other players at the table... even if
I haven't won a pot yet... or even played a hand.

OK, so when you do your study period, what should you look
for?

A lot of newbies think it's all in the face and in the
eyes... which is a mistake.

Most poker tells are the COMBINATION of an entire set of
movements and behavior...

On TV-- especially in movies-- poker tells are portrayed as
something as simple as the twitch of a nose or the movement
of a leg.

Kind of like in "Rounders," when Mike McDee figures out
Teddy KGB based on how he ate his cookies.

TAKE NOTE...

For the most part, this type of portrayal of poker tells is
a TOTAL MYTH.

If you think you can figure out a player's hand just based
on how he blinks, you're in for a rude awakening... and
you'll lose your chips fast.

In REAL LIFE (where you play), tells are more complex...

...VERY RARELY are they "cut and dry."

When you study your opponents... here are the things you
should think about:

1. Past Play

Think about how this player has acted in the past...

Is he usually strong or weak?

Aggressive or timid?

Smart or dumb?

And so on...

2. Timing

If your instinct tells you that a player deliberated for a
long time trying to make a choice, chances are that his hand
isn't too strong.

However, you should also note how long he has taken to play
in the past, to make sure that the move wasn't just a
regular timing move.

3. Posture

Especially with bad players, the posture of a player is a
key tell that will reveal a lot about a hand...

If the person leans back, that USUALLY represents strength.
If he leans forward, that USUALLY represents weakness.

Once again, poker tells aren't black and white. It's a gray
area, where everything needs to be considered together...

4. Bet Amount

If a player tends to make small bets, but then places an
unusually large bet, he could be holding a strong hand. Or
he may be trying to buy the pot.

Always watch for irregularities in betting patterns... most
amateurs don't mix up their bets enough, which gives you an
easy edge if you pay attention.

5. Pulse

This is one of the only "body tells" that I find works most
of the time. You can usually see the intensity of a player's
pulse by looking closely at his neck.

Often if a player gets "shaky," he usually has a great hand.
If the player is cool and collected, it's probably a fake.

6. Your Gut Feeling

Depending on your poker experience, your gut will often be
your best guide...

I've been playing poker for so long now that when I sit down
with newbies, I can usually read the players almost
INSTANTLY, without much thought.

It just comes naturally... and it will come naturally to
you, too... once you gain a lot of experience under your
belt... and once you spend enough time studying the game.

With the pros, of course, you've got to be much more
careful, because they DO know how to disguise their tells
and play their hands in an unpredictable manner.

So, to recap:

1. When you sit down to play at a table of strangers...
especially in a tournament... take your time before becoming
involved in a hand.

2. Go through a careful "Study Period." During this time,
SHUT UP and STUDY the players intensely.

3. When you start betting, watch for the six things we
discussed: past play, timing, posture, bet amount, pulse,
and your own gut instincts.

Finally... there's one more step to add...

And that is:

NEVER REVEAL THE WAY YOU THINK.

Here's what I mean...

Poker is truly a BATTLE of minds. The tells we've been
discussing are mostly simple REFLECTIONS of how a player is
thinking at the time of a bet.

For some reason, it's a natural tendency in all of us to
share our thoughts at the poker table... ESPECIALLY when we
aren't involved in hands.

This is more common during "home games" than in tournament
play or casinos...

For instance, let's say there's a heads up match between Don
and John after the river card.

Don goes all in...

The river was the third diamond on the board. John has trip
Aces.

(Of course, a flush would beat John's three of a kind.)

Anyway... John's has to decide whether Don is a on a
bluff... or if he caught the diamond flush.

THIS is where everyone starts screwing up:

Since Don is all in... and can't change his mind... John
shows his trip Aces to the other guys at the table who
aren't in the hand.

He says, "Man, I don't know whether to call. Don made a
pre-flop raise... I think he's just pot-committed and is
trying to buy it."

Someone else might chime in, "Yea, but he seems like he's
got the flush. Did you notice how he's been quiet the whole
hand?"

Someone else says, "C'mon wuss. Just call his bet and go
all-in... I'm getting tired and want to get going."

And so on...

Do you see where I'm going with this?

John should NEVER show his Aces to the other guys of
course... aside from being bad poker etiquette, now they
just saw an entire "free hand" and got to see how John acted
the whole way with his three of a kind.

The next guy just revealed that he's been watching how
SILENT Don has been... which clues everyone in on how this
guy thinks about tells. Now you know to be very conscious
about how much you talk around this player.

And the third guy reveals an attitude of carelessness...
which means as soon as I caught a good hand I'd try to get
in a heads-up match with him and go all in... because
there's a decent chance he'll call.

When you reveal your THINKING PROCESS, you're simply GIVING
AWAY tons of crucial information... FOR NO REASON.

The other players at the table with pick up a read on you
quickly... both consciously and subconsciously.

So don't do it.

Period.

As you know, Texas Holdem is filled with TONS of techniques
and strategies like these, that anyone can understand if
they just take the time to learn them.

Unlike popular belief, poker is NOT about having natural
talent.

It's about LEARNING-- through experience, analysis, and
expertise-- how to MASTER the game.

To develop YOUR poker genius, subscribe to my one-of-a-kind
poker strategy newsletter. You'll gain the exepertise you
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Your New Friend,

Roy Rounder

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to those who live in a jurisdiction where gambling is
considered unlawful. The information within this site and
newsletter is being presented solely for entertainment
purposes. I will not be held responsible for any personal
loss of wagers or damages you may incur. Anyone concerned
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