Monday, March 30, 2009

Good News and Bad News

I was offline for the whole weekend and the Philippine poker community went on without me. Just in case you haven't heard about them, I have good news and bad news for you all.

Good News
I would've posted this earlier if I had read the email but I didn't receive it. Weird.

Anyway, the PAGCOR Cup will be held this week.

PAGCOR Cup details (from text message)
Apr 1-3
Manila Pavillion Hotel then SMX SM Mall of Asia
Buy-in P30,000 + P3,000
Estimated Prize Pool P2.1 Million

I can't afford to play in any of them, and I have work on those days. Tough.

Bad News
This is straight from glenster's post in PokerManila.

This is to enlighten everyone on exactly what went down at Pocket Ace last Friday. 

100K Garaunteed Tourny

Pool Prize:

100k - 10% service = 90k
Total re-buys and add-ons = 22,500
Total Pool prize = 112,500


This is where all the controversy started and let me enumerate each one.

1)  4 tables left, someone (Not an employee and no longer in the tourny) proposed a payout structure on behalf of the management as follows:

Final 30 players will be garaunteed a 1k satellite ticket for 2009 ASIANGEM 4th PagCor World Charity Poker Tournament. This 30k will be deducted from the pool prize. (are they crazy? announcing something like this during the tourny! too many objections and this was a dead issue from the beggining). Funny thing is, they continued to try to negotiate in including the satellite tickets from 30 to the equivalent of the re-buys and add-ons, which is 22,500k, too many violent reactions.

2)   Final 2 tables, this same person drafted a payout structure to the 20 finalist as follow:

11th to 20th place 2k = 20k
112,500 - 20k = 92,500
1st to 10th will be the standard percentage payout from 92,500. 

Everyone agreed to this, there was no objections. 

3)   When it was down to the final table, a new proposal was drafted and invoked, not proposed to the players by the management.

1st to 20th garaunteed 2k
1st to 10th will be the standard percentage payout from 72,500 

The difference in the 2 payout structures is very minimal which is aside from the main point. A payout structure has already been proposed and agreed upon on. Why change it during the final table? Management states that they did not present the initial proposal and insist on the second one. 

I don't want to mention any names, but one person walked out and did not continue to play and claim the prize. He wants to set an example and make a stand for the poker industry. I admired him for this but all I wanted to do at that time was to finish the tourny, get my money and go home.

I seldom paste posts but this actually got to me. I mean, this is just the worst thing they can do for their business and the poker community in general. I haven't been to that poker room and I don't imagine me wanting to go there. Not that they would lose a lot by losing my business but hey, I have a blog.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Poker in a Mask

I believe that in every poker session there's a lesson to be learned. During the PokerManila MegaFreeroll I wore a face mask hoping to learn what advantage I can gain with it.

Poker players try a lot of ways to disguise their tells. They were hoods, caps, sunglasses, surgical masks, etc. It can even be as simple as covering their mouths with their hands.

During this particular tournament, I learned that people do not pay too much attention if they can't see your face. I felt like a fly on the wall throughout the duration ofthe tournament. It was like I was observing everyone on the table and I can't be seen. It's the same feeling I get when wearing sunglasses, with an added advantage of having a clearer view.

I'd actually recommend wearing a mask except that it's hot as hell.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Denim Ong Cup

First there was the Thalia, then came F4. Now, it's the newest craze to hit the Philippines. Denim Ong is now Philippines' own poker legend. He even has his own website, www.denimong.com. (There's nothing on the site but he has one)

There's also going to be a Denim Ong Cup at The Metro. P100,000 guaranteed tournament. P1,000 + P100 buy-in with 1 rebuy OR 1 add-on. March 28, 2009, 2pm. Winner gets to go heads-up against Denim Ong for an additional P10,000.

Tournament moved to Mar 31, 5pm.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Message from Del Ty

Here's an email from one of Philippine Poker's most famous personalities, Del Ty. :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL, ESPECIALLY THE CHAMPION Mr. (Clark)Kent who proves himself to be the SUPERMAN surviving fire and me to re-assert his position as one of Philippines top players behind my MASTER Neil Arce.

1. Kent del Rosario 3m
2. Dexter Cokehyeng 1.65m
3. Mon Santos - Metro Davao 1m
4. Robert Browning - Bravio Cebu 600k
5. Dana Go Coyuito 500k
6. Erik Fam - Singapore 400k
7. Del TY 300k
8. Rizzie Galan 250k
9. Philip Chua 200k

note all local players are metro regulars. Thank you MetroCard Club - all the owners, officers, dealers, and 
support staff (esp. Mr. Brian Malantic) for presenting the successful PERFECT TEN POKER TOURNEY. Thank you PokerStars and Filipino POKER Tour TEAMs (headed by Mr. Alan Escano) for the photo/video production of this historic event. Thank you POKERMANILA TEAM (esp. 11fingers and pocketjoe) for your pictures and live update. THANK YOU ALL MY CO PARTICIPANTS AND PATIENT AUDIENCES WHO HELP MAKE PHILIPPINE POKER HISTORY.

METROCARD Club the PERFECT place to play poker… with great and awesome ambiance… cool and friendly BEAUTIFUL people.


Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Lost 100

Poker players get their hands on a lot of money. Like a cash register, they can have thousands of pesos pass through their hands within a week. So, as a perfect incentive there's a promotion from kotsemo.com to find Mary Ivy Viray's lost P100.

It's simple, whoever find a P100 with serial number PE781750 will get a PSP. Well, it's probably not the simplest thing because the promo is going on for more than a month and there aren't any winners. I still feel that there's a scam here somewhere but it hasn't stopped me from checking my P100.

To check the complete details, please go to the Lost Peso website.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Kent Del Rosario wins Perfect 10

I just got word that Kent Del Rosario won the 10 Million guaranteed tournament at the Metro. I don't have any details yet about anything in the tournament except that he won. 

Kent also won an Filipino Poker Tour event. If I remember correctly, it was FPT1. According to the posters, Kent has also won a Philippine Poker Tour event. But I can't remember that one.

Congratulations Kent! You deserve it!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Paradigm Shift

In the past month, I've had more visits from the United States than in the Philippines. Which is surprising because this blog is primarily for the Philippine Poker Community. Aside from a change in where the visitors are coming from, there's also a change in how they get to this blog. Usually, they come from PokerManila but recently, they've been coming from Google.

Weird.

Philip 'Idol' Chua

Here's a story from Day 1A. Idon't have all the details but from what I remember...

Philip Chua raises preflop. UTG calls. Flop was King high with 2 clubs. UTG bets, Philip calls. Turn club. Check, check. River, club. Check, Philip bets, UTG folds. Dealer awards pot to Philip. UTG realizes he had the Ace of Clubs but the hand has been mucked. Too late.

I can't say that the hand was accurate but moral of the story is that Philip made the nuts fold. And you wonder why he's the Idol. He's still part of the last 18 in Day 3 of the Perfect 10. Also in the mix is Amor's better half, Claude, Kent Del Rosario (who I think needs a break from the bad luck that has come his way recently) and Dennis Orcullo (yes, he's the pool player but he holds his own on the poker table as well).

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Perfect 10 - Fearless Forecast

The Metro's Perfect 10, 10 Million Guaranteed Tournament will start tomorrow. I'm excited even when I'm not playing.

11Finger of PokerManila started a sort of fantasy prop bet. Those who wish to join the bet will choose 10 players and the prize money won by these players will correspond to the bettor's points. The bettor with the most points wins.

These are my top picks for this tournament. (In alphabetical order)
  • Neil Arce aka Dirty Ice Cream
  • Nicky Filart aka 11Finger
  • Rinah Garcia
  • Keshniel of PokerManila (sorry bro, I don't know your name)
  • Franco Mabanta
  • Ed Marcelo
  • Lou Pacia
  • Sunshine Samson
  • Nick Schlebek (not sure how to spell your last name bro)
  • Ronnel Sto Tomas aka Noob
I was choosing between Jun Amito and Rinah Garcia but I went with Tita Rinah instead.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Buyer for Perfect 10 Seat

Here's a message from AttyBubba in PokerManila.
Ross,  i'll pass the responsibility to you.  find me a seat for 18K, i'll buy it and let YOU play it.  let's talk terms later...

So, my call out would be to have someone sell me a seat for 18k. If you happen to have a seat available, please text, Donkey[slash][message], and send to 2269, example: "Donkey/Hi Ross I have a seat for you for 18k!" I've tried it using a Globe number, I'm not sure if it works for other networks. Or you can leave a comment on this post.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Card Dead

I played yesterday and I couldn't believe how card dead I was. I didn't think it was possible to play for 5-6 hours and not get a decent hand. I got QQ once then an Ace came on the flop and a King on the turn. All the pots I won during that session were from stone-cold bluffs. They're not even semi-bluffs.

It was just my luck that it was also the same day of the level 2 satellite for the Perfect 10. There went my chance of getting a seat for the main event.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

PokerManila MegaFreeroll Pictures

These are pictures from PokerManila, taken by resident photographer deejay4.

This is a photo of my first table. Guess where I am? Clue: I'm the one with the biggest smile.


Photo of the final table. And there's a donkey in it.


Sunday, March 1, 2009

PokerManila MegaFreeroll Field Report

The PokerManila MegaFreeroll didn't disappoint. It was as awesome as everyone thought it would be. Maybe the only common feedback given about the event was that it was very, very hard to remember that many names. Apart from not having nametags, everything was great. And it was amusing to see that there were people you talk to through the forums and you also talk to them when you see them at The Metro but you had no idea that they're the same person. I even went to high school with one of the members and I didn't know about it until yesterday.

I actually wished it was a bounty tournament. I probably tookout approx 7 players. Including Maverick who actually did have a P1000 bounty. He had top pair Jack against my overpair KK. I also remember PepeSmith's top pair Jack against my top two pair. It was just too bad that the bounty period was over when PepeSmith, who was one of the few who had bounties, busted out.

And as I hoped, I found my way to the final table. Albeit shortstacked, I still felt that I had a chance to win after doubling up on the 1st (or 2nd) hand dealt at the FT. And after hitting a miracle 2-outer on the river when my AT went against Toybit's 98. All-in preflop, flop 88T, turn 3, river T. I swear that it was the most railed tournament I've ever seen in The Metro.

After that, I was going all in against Saintalbert who was also shortstacked and was trying to survive. We couldn't bust each other out to build our stacks to be able to go against the big stacks, Noob and Toybits. In my last hand, I was BB or SB when Noob raised preflop. I went all in but he only needed to add a very small amount. He had 42o and I was commited with K5o. Blanks on flop and turn. River 4. I finished in 5th place and won a seat to Saturday's level 2 satellite to the Perfect 10.

Noob and Toybits were heads-up and one of them was going to get the seat to the Main Event. These were players we've been playing with since 2005 or 2006 (can't remember). Back when we were playing home games and tournaments on rooftops with lamps or other undisclosed places. The heads-up was great. Both players deserved to win. But in the end, Noob got to take home the Perfect 10 seat. I think he also got a bounty for taking out 11finger (not sure) and also a couple of prop bets.

Congratulations Noob. Congratulations PokerManila for a very successful event. GG everyone.