Poker

So far we've cover my first hobby: bowling.

Let's move on to my other hobby: poker.

I've been playing online poker for about a year and a half now. I've been lucky/good enough to actually make money at it even though I don't play for very high stakes.

I found an online pokerforum, www.fulltiltforum.com that has become a home away from home for me. It a place filled with all kinds of people and personalities that love to play poker. I have learned so much about poker from playing with them. I got started with them during one of their Tunrys. Tunry is a team poker tournament series. Teams are drafted by captains and every form of poker is played not just Texas Holdem. Talk about a steep learning curve!! I actually read the Stud 8 section of Super System II WHILE I WAS PLAYING THE TOURNAMENT.

Part of learning to be a better poker player involves researching poker in every format. A forum friend told me about some poker podcasts that are available through iTunes for free. One of them, Ante Up!, is produced by two guys at the Tamba Bay Times. They are avid poker players and very entertaining. They have hosted a few private tournaments for their listeners and recently announced a series of tournaments not unlike my forum's Tunry.

The first in the AIPS was NLHE and very popular - over 100 people signed up to play. I went out in the 60s somewhere. The next event was Stud - considerably less popular than NLHE but 70+ people played that event. I finished 35th after having a very challenging first table.

Today's event was Omaha with 45 players. This is a version of poker where you are dealt 4 cards and must use 2 and only 2 of the cards in your hand in combination with 3 of the 5 board cards. I have not played much Omaha and haven't fared too well when I did. I did play a Sit N Go (a one table tournament that starts as soon as 9 players are registered) with a forumer who is very good a that game and managed to finish 3rd (in the money!). I was very excited about that. Last night I decided to play another one as practice for today's tournament. Again I managed to finish 3rd but only barely.

I had to juggle my schedule today in order to make the start of the tournament but I knew I really wanted to play it. My first goal was to make the final table. I managed to sneak in somewhere in the middle to bottom of the pack. Once there I really want to make the money, only the top 5 got paid. Somehow, with some aggressive play and some good hands, I managed to win this tournament!

I finally made the leaderboard for the Ante Up Intercontinental Poker Series!!!

Between bowling and poker I've had a great week!