Final Table Donkey

Year of the Freakin Tiger

2010-12-16T20:14:00.002+08:00

Around February 2010, before the Chinese New Year, there were lots of talk around Feng Shui, astrology, good luck, bad luck, 5 element temples and all.

They all said that I won't be lucky this 2010. I've never completely believed in them because I've been an advocate of forging your own path and that you have the power to change your own destiny. However my bankroll seemed to listen to the experts' advise more than I do because it kept slipping away.

So I decided to save a little money and not play poker until the Year of the Tiger is done. And maybe I'll start to listen a bit more to what the experts say about the coming Year of the Rabbit before I start to loosen my purse strings again.

FHM True Story

2010-12-08T14:13:00.002+08:00

Exerpt from FHM Philippines Dec 2010, True Stories

"I was playing in a popular poker hub in Ortigas, seated at a 10/20 blinds table. Whenever I win, I get myself a beer, which was tad expensive compared to the bars outside. That time, I was already done with my seventh bottle and was looking for the waiter to order another one. The waiters in the place wear all black outfits so when I saw one, I waved at him violently and said, 'Psst! Halika dito!' He replied, 'Who me?' I nodded in agreement so he approached. I said, 'Isa pang beer!' The guy looked stunned and shouted back, 'Customer ako dito, gago!' He was fuming mad. I tried not to laugh as I apologized for the misunderstanding. When I peeked in the exclusive room for high rollers and VIPs, I saw the dude in black seated with a mountain of P10,000 chips in front of him. The guy was so filthy rich he could easily buy off a man to take me down. Had I pissed him off more, I would be in deep shit right now. -Christopher lee kimura, by email"

Moral lessons:

Don't wear black in The Metro

Don't mix poker and alcohol

Always be courteous to service people

Cheating at Poker

2010-08-24T23:45:00.002+08:00

I just came home from a poker room. This is what happened.

I was playing 10/20. It was going fine and I was winning a bit. One hand, villain raised to 100+. Everyone folded to me. I had 55. I asked villain how much he had left, he showed 300+ total including his raise. I put him all in and he called. We were heads up so by my count, pot was 600+. He had KK which was fine. He took down the pot. So he had around 600.

A few hands later, I saw that he wasn't in his seat but chips in his place were just 330. He hadn't played any hand since his KK so I was wondering where his chips went. He came back and I saw that he had 300 in his hand. This was ok. Then after a few hands, I saw him stand in his place and put his hand in his pocket. After that, I can clearly see that he no longer has any chips in his hand and the only chips he was playing with was the 330 in front of him.

I wanted to be real sure that he kept the chips so I was waiting for him to play. Within the same orbit, he went all in (330) with JJ against an opponents QQ. (I'm not sure about the cards because by this time I was on tilt.) He had never played another hand so he should have more than 300 with him.

After I saw him go all in with only 300+, I stood and went to the floor manager on duty and told him about it. I'm not sure what happened after because they need to check the recording but I swear that he kept those chips. I would stop playing poker if I'm proven wrong.

Ricardo Festejo

2010-07-06T17:32:00.002+08:00

I was watching TV a couple of weeks ago and saw a player who looked Filipino playing in a World Poker Tour event. He placed second which was great but I was wondering why no one talked about him. Apparently because he just made 1 appearance in a big event.

It was an old tournament; 2005 Borgata Poker Open. Festejo placed 2nd after being crippled by this hand. Let's start at flop of K 7 2. I can't remember what the pre-flop action was but Festejo was ahead in chips by a small amount. Villain was first to act and checked his 32, bottom pair bottom kicker. Festejo raised with A2 around a little more than pot-size. Villain moved all-in. If Festejo folded, he would be behind in chips but it'd still be anybody's game. Anyway, after a few minutes in the tank, Festejo called. He called his freakin' bottom pair for almost all his money against an overbet which, well I won't even speculate what the reason was.

Whatever the reason was, it was great call. That is until a 3 came on the river which gave the villain 2 pair. No help on the river and that's all I know about Ricardo Festejo.

Plan B - Fail

2010-06-26T09:25:00.002+08:00

I was going to grind at the 25/50 tables. So I... ground? grinded?

Anyway, I failed to get enough to buy in. I guess I won't be playing this FPT. Damnit!

Facebook Fan Page - Update

2010-06-23T07:20:00.003+08:00

I've added a new widget on the right-side of this blog. It's for the Final Table Donkey Fan Page. Now it'll be easy for everyone to see updates on the Fan Page. This will come in handy when I'm posting live updates.

Don't forget to click on the like button below.

Pokermanila Satellite to 5M tourney

2010-06-20T23:36:00.002+08:00

I joined but it was a blur. Short-handed with 15-minute levels. I got one premium hand, KK, which won. I lost almost half my stack when I hit my straight against a flush. Then I was struggling until I went out with middle pair vs middle set.

I wanted to post updates through the Final Table Donkey Facebook fan page but I didn't have the time to do so. Maybe next time.

Plan B is to play 25/50 to get the buy-in for the 5 Million guaranteed tourney this coming weekend.

Facebook Fan Page

2010-06-16T13:55:00.005+08:00

Final Table Donkey now has a fan page. If you like Final Table Donkey, go to this link,

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Table-Donkey/127580453942417

The Midas Touch - Field Report

2010-05-22T11:23:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, May 21, 2010, the new poker room in Henry Javier St., Oranbo, Pasig opened. This PAGCOR accredited poker room is called The Midas Touch and has the potential of being another alternative for poker players. However, it's hard to say this early on if poker players will actually like the new poker room. They're just in their soft opening and there's still some room for improvement.

Pros

It's very spacious. Tables are far away from each other that people can go through without disturbing the players at the tables.
Their tables include a built-in card shuffler which is pretty interesting. It's supposed to make the dealing faster but I can't tell if it actually is.
It being near a more stable poker room will make the competition a little bit better. If there's competition, the players get the better of it.

Cons

There's no ATM nearby. The nearest one is a 10-minute walk or 2-minute drive away. And when the player who needs to withdraw goes that far to do so, there's a possibility he won't return.
Lack in quorum. Of course I did go there on their first night when only a few people knew that it was open. We'll see in the future. For now, it's hard to play when employees outnumber the guests.
There's a line on the house rules which is a little disconcerting. "Fights are not permitted inside the house. Fights are only permissible at the parking area and only after all the side bets have been made." I mean, why should this even be on the list of house rules?!?!

I may be spending my time playing here. Just because it's literally just across the street from where I live. Maybe until they lose my confidence.

Fail!

2010-05-02T18:47:00.002+08:00

I entered Day 2 of the Labor Day Tournament with an average stack and I felt good. It was the first time that I reached the second day and I was ready.

But the strategy I had made in my head never materialized. It was one bad decision after another. I got a second chance when I was able to crack AA with my 99 but then I lost most of it a few hands after when I hero called a raise on a board of 33A2A.

I was short stacked with just a little more than 10x BB and the buzzer just signaled the end of another level, I needed to make a move. I was SB and everybody folded to me, I had A2o. I shoved hoping BB would fold or just have a smaller hand. He had A4. This was fine as there was a very big chance of a split pot. Flop comes 7-6-x. Turn shows a 5. It was already a split but then river showed a 3. Villain has a straight and that was that...

Labor Day Tournament Update

2010-05-01T04:34:00.002+08:00

I made it through Day 1!!!

I think I've joined around 5 multi-day tournaments but this is the first time I reached Day 2! Next goal, I have to win.

New Poker Room

2010-04-29T21:36:00.002+08:00

A friend texted me about a new poker room. And lo and behold it's across the freaking street where I live. I stopped by earlier but they were still closed. The caretaker said they're going to have a sort of soft opening this coming Monday.

I guess I'll stop by again this Monday after I win the Labor Day Tournament this weekend.

PokerManila 40k guaranteed

2010-04-19T07:31:00.002+08:00

PokerManila gives the best tournaments, in prize, price, and skill.

Yesterday was PokerManila's 40k guaranteed. For just Php 100-300 (depending on forum activity) a member can win some cash and a seat to either an APPT satellite or the Labor Day tournament at The Metro. The best thing about it is that the field is full of top players.

I won a seat to the Labor Day tournament and it looks like I'll be playing another multi-day tournament. I'll be going for the win. It's about time.

Poker Debt

2010-04-11T17:22:00.002+08:00

Poker debt is part of poker though it's often kept between the people involved. I just feel that it's timely to bring it out in the open and talk about it a little.

It's common for poker players to lend and borrow from each other; maybe poker players just view poker money differently. This ranges from a few hundred to thousands of pesos. The reasons also vary from need (player needs to play but is short) to convenience (player has money but not at that particular time and place). I've heard of a few people who have borrowed money from other players for gambling. No one has heard from them after they've "gone into hiding" from not being able to pay. On the other hand, there are also some who seems to always be short and needs a helping hand, but they always pay and no one hesitates to lend them. There are some who would ask to borrow from strangers or acquaintances.

Here are some guidelines when it comes to poker debt:

Don't lend money to strangers.
Don't lend money if you can't stand to lose the amount.
Don't borrow money without a sure way of how to pay. (Don't assume that the money borrowed will win)
Don't borrow money from people you won't lend to.
All debts have to be paid.

Poker Break

2010-04-03T15:04:00.003+08:00

I'm running bad again. And as usual, I'll be taking a break from poker. The thing is that my bankroll can't sustain a two-week losing streak. And I don't even play that often. This is becoming a routine which I definitely need to stop.

I don't want to start playing again only to find myself in the same situation. I'll only be playing invitational tournaments or if I'm staked. In the meantime, I'll be focusing on the other things like writing and painting. Not to mention my kid and my day job.

The thing is that I always here about people who don't have to worry about money winning at poker tournaments and cash games. I guess there really is that unquantifiable factor about playing scared. I can have a 50x buy-in bankroll and I'd still be a little scared only because I'm not rich. So first things first, I need to be rich before I start poker again. That can be a long time.

Korean poker players

2010-03-27T01:40:00.001+08:00

When poker started in the Philippines, people generalized Koreans as loose players with a lot of money to give away. They mostly played in the casinos and they were, in my opinion, instrumental in how popular poker is in the Philippines.

After a while, they started to learn how to play and there were less customers. But today, a Korean fish sat at my 10/20 table at The Metro.

Everyone's play instantly adapted. Players started playing tighter than a nun's... ummm... whispering eye. One didn't need to raise monster hands as they could just limp and the Korean player would more than likely raise to 30x BB. He raised 95% of the time and folded 5%. He never limped, called a raise or checked. And he'd always bet on the flop. I think he actually bet on all streets.

The main problem was that he was very lucky. His pockets would hold and draws would hit. There would be someone in the table who would rebuy after every other hand.

Needless to say, I lost 2 buyins and I called it a day. Last hand, I called his massive 40x BB preflop raise with my AKs which put me all in. I missed the board and his 66 held.

Sent from my iPod

Skylounge Reunion

2010-03-16T21:21:00.001+08:00

I wish the Metro people would create a Skylounge Reunion. It would be great to get to play with people who around five years ago when only a few played poker.

Sent from my iPod

The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King

2010-03-02T16:18:00.002+08:00

I just finished reading The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King by Michael Craig. I have to say, it's the best book I've read in a while. And I don't normally read books written by people who are still alive.

The book doesn't necessarily make one a better poker player but it made me think about being a professional poker player more than before. Maybe it doesn't sound so crazy after all. Everything he said about the characters were dead on as the way they are here. Poker does transcend race and age and everything else that keeps people apart. It doesn't matter if you're a pro playing in the Bellagio or a rounder playing in The Metro, everything's the same.

-

This month I'll be rebuilding my bank roll again. This time I'll do it right. I'll put 20k in the cage at The Metro and leave it there. That's only for poker and I won't take out anything from that except to play poker. I'll build it so I can move up.

Fold AA?

2010-02-21T19:08:00.004+08:00

It's been a while since I encountered a hand worth writing about and this ranks near the top of the list. It happened during a PokerManila satellite for the P3M tournament this coming March. There were around +/- 45 players who joined, 21 of which were initially set to have seats to the P5,000 buy-in main event.

This is how I remember the whole scenario. Pardon me for writing a very long post.

There were around 28 players left. I had a healthy stack of about 25,000 to 26,000. Blinds were 500/1000 with 100 ante. People were starting to tighten up as we were approaching the bubble. I was in middle position with AA. I raised to 3500. Everybody folded and I showed my aces. Ariel saw the aces and commented that if I had limped, he would have gone all-in and he would've been in trouble. I replied that if I had limped and he had gone all-in, I probably would've folded my aces as I would be risking too much of my chips as he almost the same amount of chips as me. Besides, if I did limp, I would only have 1000 invested and I didn't think it was worth it.

An orbit later with the blind still at 500/1000, I got AA again. I was again in middle position and I raised it again to 3500. Ariel was in late position pre-flop (button or SB, I can't remember) and he raised all-in. I had around 27,000 to 28,000 and I had him covered by a little more than 1000. I tanked.

My initial thought was he had KK or QQ. I didn't want to go against those. He could have low or middle pockets but with the cards that I've been advertising, I doubt that he'd re-raise against me with those cards. He could have nothing because I said that if he'd push all-in that I'd fold even AA. There's a chance that he has Ax but that's not too probable. And there's a smaller chance that he has AA as well. I decided that he has big pockets and I don't want to be chasing an ace if he hit his trips on the flop and be busted out with only a few people left.

I said "fold" and I showed my AA. I never thought I would ever say that I folded AA pre-flop, but I did. Ariel was a sport and he showed his AA. We both had the same cards and he won the hand without contest.

If I knew that he also had AA, I would've called in a heartbeat. Sklansky said that "Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents' cards, they gain." Does this mean that since I would've played it differently, I actually lost?

Mathematically however, I really had way too much to lose if I had called. All 21 winners would get the same seat which has the same value. I wouldn't need to win 1st place; I just need to outlast 7 people. With my stack, it would be easy for me to do that. My stack wasn't enough to guarantee a seat because the blinds are going to increase but it won't be hard. With the bigger picture in mind, my decision can be seen as sound.

But since there's math involved, there's nothing better than AA and if I won't call with AA, what else would I call with? AA can play against any hand and it'll still be a favorite.

The argument can go both ways and there may not be a right or wrong in this particular case. But I think that just by thinking about it this much shows that my game has matured. I also don't have any reservations about my decision and I'd probably do it again in the same scenario. I won the seat and I think that it made folding aces the right decision for me.

Neil arce places 2nd in pokerstars

2010-02-15T23:04:00.001+08:00

Neil Arce remains to be the most decorated Philippine-based poker player today. He just recently placed 2nd place in the PokerStars' Sunday Warm-up. You got to hand it to Neil. I don't think anyone in the country has accomplished what he has in the recent past.

I just can't wait for the Neil Arce Cup this March 2010.

Sent from my iPod

Poker Income IPhone and iPod Touch App

2010-01-13T14:41:00.000+08:00

I've been looking for a way to track my bankroll for a few years. Before, I tried to keep track of it through Microsoft Excel. But it proved to be too tedious. Recently, I've found an easier way. This is through an iPod application called Poker Income.

Poker Income can show hourly rate, which games are worth playing, it tells you how you're running, etc. Everything I was looking for in a bankroll tracker. And it's right in my pocket. No need to remember my playing details until I get home to my laptop.

I'd definitely recommend getting this app even if you're just a casual poker player. Get this at the App Store.

World Blogger Championship of Online Poker

2010-01-11T14:32:00.003+08:00

This will be my 2nd time to join this PokerStars event. All bloggers are given a free pass to be a poker champion. I was able to make it to the main event the last time. I hope I'm able to win it this time.

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! This PokerStars tournament is a No Limit Texas Hold’em event exclusive to Bloggers, you too can take part by registering on WBCOOP

Registration code: 013659

Ad from the web...

2010-01-06T19:07:00.002+08:00

Here's an ad i chanced upon on the web. The ad doesn't provide that much info so i decided to email them. I'll be posting their reply when they do reply.

Online Poker Player
(National Capital Reg)

Responsibilities:

Play of at least 15-30 games per employee during the work day. Limits to that based on losses and skill level. Maintaining play consistent with the strategy and performance guide we will provide, but also a moderate understanding of game play is a plus.

Requirements:

Candidate must possess at least a Bachelor's/College Degree , any field.
At least 4 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.
Preferably 1-4 Yrs Experienced Employees.
4 Full-Time positions available.

Sent from my iPod

The Metro Ultimate BMW Freeroll

2010-01-01T18:34:00.002+08:00

The Metro Card Club is going to have another freeroll for regular players. Players just need to complete 300 hours of play from Jan 1 to Mar 31, 2010. After completion, they will be registered to the freeroll for a chance to win part of the 1.5 Million guaranteed total pot and a brand new BMW.

This is definitely much more manageable than the 150 hours required last November.

ICM

2009-12-14T18:06:00.002+08:00

When I started playing poker, there was pot odds and implied pot odds. I tried my best to understand these concepts and I feel I understand them enough. Then there's the Independent Chip Model (ICM) which wasn't introduced until recently. I tried to read about it and I honestly don't understand it. Or at least I don't know how I can apply it when I'm in a tournament.

I didn't have the patience to read all the ICM articles on the web. I'll just look for someone to teach them to me.

FPT 12 - Metro Anniversary Special

2009-12-12T18:19:00.002+08:00

My whole tournament was uneventful. My stack was pretty much the same throughout my whole tournament life. Except for this last hand.

5th level, 200/400 ante 50. I had around 18,000. I needed to double-up if would have a chance of lasting until day 2. Early positions fold. Derek raised to 1,100. Aggressive, unknown player calls. I'm on button with AK. I though about raising but wanted to see the flop first so I called. Total pot, 4,350.

Flop K87. Derek checked, unknown player bet 3,500. I raised to 7,000 (I had top pair top kicker). Derek called. Unknown player folded. Total pot 21,850.

Turn J. Derek bet 8,000. I had around 9,000. I went all-in. Insta-call from Derek. He showed KK. I was drawing dead.

Maybe next time. Good thing I won this seat from a P500 tournament.

Metro Card Club site down?

2009-12-06T00:54:00.002+08:00

For the past couple of months, every time I try to visit Metro Card Club's website, it's down. I can't say if it's my computer or internet connection or if it's the site itself. I did hear one other person who said he can't access it so I'm thinking it may be their site.

1 week to go...

2009-12-06T00:41:00.003+08:00

I've just registered for day 1c for the 10-Million guaranteed tournament. This'll be on Saturday, December 12. I'm in table number 6, seat 5. See you there!

Metro 500 Part II

2009-11-06T19:55:00.001+08:00

I played the Metro 500 tournament again. And this time I took it down. I got my seat to the 10 Million guaranteed tournament on Dec 10-14, 2009.

I have to plan what to wear. :)

Metro 500

2009-11-05T20:36:00.002+08:00

It's been a while since I've played a tournament and it's been longer since I've placed reasonably high.

Today, I played the Metro 500 (500 buy-in, 30k guaranteed) tournament at The Metro. And I placed 2nd! I won 3k for my efforts. To bad I didn't win the whole tournament as the winner gets 4k + a seat for the 10M guaranteed tournament this coming December.

Oh well, I guess I'll try again...

Once a player, always a player...

2009-11-02T18:16:00.002+08:00

I planned to save a bankroll. I was thinking of not playing until I can get enough to not play scared. I got to Php 3,000 and I couldn't take it anymore. So I first tried to play freerolls at PokerStars. The way I did when I wasn't playing with real money yet. I was playing every freeroll I can register to. Even the 2-7 single draw tournaments which was interesting but I wouldn't want to play those with real money.

But it wasn't enough. I went back to the Metro a few days ago. Everything was going well bankroll-wise until yesterday. The Metro has this promo where players can register for a freeroll if they can put in 150 hours for the whole month of November. I only need 142.5 hours to go but I'm already throwing in the towel. With work and the baby, I definitely won't reach 150 hours. Even if I did, it'll cost me a lot and it's not going to be much of a freeroll. Take yesterday for example. I bought in for Php 1,000 and I was up Php 3,000. I normally should've stood but I was only there for 2 hours and I needed at least 5 hours per day. Long story short, I lost Php 4,000.

I'll probably be back this week. But this time, I won't aim for the hours. I'll just play the way I should and quit when I'm ahead.

Poker Bankroll (or rather, the lack of it...)

2009-09-14T13:03:00.002+08:00

For the past weeks, I've been saving some money to properly build a real bankroll. Ever since I've started playing, I've never had a separate bankroll and I know I had to build one if I was to play regularly. So I've avoided playing poker and was saving a little every payday. My plan was to save enough and deposit it online so I can play any time I wanted.

Saving enough money was taking forever so I took a chance and played at The Metro last night. And as the case for those playing without the necessary bankroll, I played scared. And I lost. Now my bankroll is back to zero. I have to save again and this time, not play until I have enough.

This is one of those times when I wish I had deeper pockets.

Happy Birthday

2009-08-30T15:32:00.000+08:00

Happy birthday to Cass of Metro Card Club.

FPT10 - Trivia

2009-08-01T08:52:00.003+08:00

Some things I found out about FPT10...

A 13 year old qualified for FPT10 through PokerStars. Of course he wasn't allowed to play. I'm not sure what happened to his seat. (This is hearsay and I wasn't able to verify if it was true)

On Day2b, there's a prop bet where a player will dance to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" if he loses a pot. (Heard from people from PokerManila)

That's all the trivia I found out. :)

I don't have anything to write about the tournament because I'm no longer in it. I have to settle for trivia.

FPT10 - Day1a

2009-08-01T02:41:00.002+08:00

I busted out of the tournament.

The tournament was full of callers. There were an average of 4 people who saw the flop and it was always an unraised pot. Every so often there would be a pre-flop raiser but then around 4 people would still call. They were very passive. It's like they were all new; except they were not. I was doing fairly well because I played a little aggressively.

Until I got QJs (both clubs). I raised preflop in early position (I had above average chip stack). Around 3 people called behind me. Flop comes with 2 clubs and an Ace. I made a pot-sized bet to represent an Ace. 2 people folded, the last one called. Turn was a brick. I bet again, he called. River was still a brick. I didn't make my flush but then again, I was betting the Ace. I bet, he called with QQ.

I was betting on each level and I still can't represent an Ace. I admit that I tilted after that. I thought about leaving the table to smoke but I didn't want to miss any action. But I tightened up after that. I still played aggressively but with less hands.

Then I got AA in early position. I raised 4.5x BB and got 4 callers. Flop were middle to low cards, all hearts. I didn't have any hearts but I wanted to find out who had a heart. I raised more than the pot size and I got 1 caller. Now I found out who has a heart. Turn was not a heart. I overbet with all-in to make him fold. He called. He didn't have a heart, he actually had two. His flush was made on the flop. I was drawing dead. I left the card room disgusted.

FPT 10 - Prologue

2009-07-30T17:37:00.002+08:00

I've intentionally blocked of this day as the day for me to prepare for the Filipino Poker Tour 10 - Metro Hi-5 tournament. I'm scheduled to do absolutely nothing and I've achieved that pretty easily. Actually, I used a little bit of time to get a haircut. I now have my mohawk on and I'm ready.

I'm mentally prepared. I've slept comfortably. I will last a whole day of playing poker. I've envisioned myself playing tomorrow until heads-up. This tournament is mine...

FPT10 Metro Hi-5 Pre-registration

2009-07-18T19:59:00.001+08:00

I just signed up for Day1A of the FPT10 event. I was the second person to do so. Excited.

FPT on TV

2009-07-11T23:42:00.003+08:00

They showed FPT4, the charity event. This is the one I was able to join but busted out early.

I personally didn't like it. I didn't see much action. Real poker action at least. It was a long drawn out commercial. And when they're not hyping up poker, it becomes a Tessa Prieto show because Tessa steals the spotlight from everyone on the table.

I understand where they're coming from because they want to promote poker in the Philippines but it's far from WPT, High Stakes Poker, or any other foreign poker shows.

I hope that next time there'll be more hands shown.

Filipino Poker Tour on TV

2009-07-11T02:06:00.003+08:00

Finally, the Filipino Poker Tour will be airing on local television. July 11, 11pm on Studio 23. I think this is FPT1 that they're showing. It's been so long that I forgot who won.

FPT10 Metro Hi-5 Schedule

2009-07-04T02:46:00.003+08:00

It's official. The Metro Hi-5 will be on July 31-August 3.

I already have my seat to this tournament. I can't wait.

Friday Metro 75

2009-07-03T23:53:00.003+08:00

Here's a hand from today's Metro 75.

Blinds 300/600 ante 50

Villain UTG raised to 1200 on a pot of 1300.

Everybody folds to me in cut-off.

I have KK. I raised to 3600 total.

Everybody else fold to villain who tanks then calls.

Total pot so far, 8500.

Flop, 679 with 2 diamonds.

Villain checks.

I go all-in for around 12000.

Villain tanks for a long time. Then calls.

I turn my KK over and villain shows JJ.

Turn, blank.

River, Jack.

I'm out of the tournament.

Online Satellites to The Metro Hi-5

2009-07-02T13:24:00.002+08:00

The Metro Hi-5 will be a Filipino Poker Tour event which makes it the 10th in the series. It also means that PokerStars will be holding satellites online for the whole month of July.

Just go to Events > Special and look for Filipino Poker Tour 10 Metro Hi-5

If you don't have a PokerStars account, click on the link:
Sign up for a PokerStars account now

New Poker Room in Metro Manila

2009-06-25T10:16:00.002+08:00

I received a text message announcing the opening of Planet Poker. They're located at Wilson St., San Juan City, beside Zirko Greenhills. I don't have much information about the place but it's good to know that there are other poker rooms opening. It'll just spread the community faster. Hopefully they're able to provide good tournaments and fair policies. That's all the players ask for.

Metro Saturday Freeroll

2009-06-08T06:06:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, I decided to play the Metro Saturday Special. I thought it was at 2pm so I was there early. Apparently, the tournament was changed to 3pm.

So I decided to play 10/20 to while away the time. In 3 hours, I won 4,000 which was enough for the tounament buy-in and the rebuy. I just love it when that happens.

Unfortunately, I busted out early. And I realized, I haven't played well for the whole day. I was chasing all my draws and calling with bottom pair. Maybe it's because of being away from the felt too long.

The Best Online Poker Room

2009-06-02T16:33:00.002+08:00

PokerStars have just released another promotion to give players reason to reload. If you use the PokerStars Reload Bonus Code RF300, you will get a chance to join their daily freerolls and the final freeroll. A total of $300,000 will be given away in these freerolls.

This is just one more reason to play at PokerStars. And if you don't have a PokerStars account yet, feel free to create a PokerStars account here.

The PokerStars Bonus Code for 2009 is still valid for first time depositors.

Manny Pacquiao Poker Tournament

2009-06-02T12:03:00.002+08:00

According to Philippine poker oracle, Del Ty, there will be a P250k guaranteed Manny Pacquiao Poker Tournament at the Asia Poker Sports Club on June 12, 2009. Buy-in is at P5,000+P500 and 10 places will be paid. They set a cap at 10 tables of 10 players each but they didn't indicate if alternates will be used. However, it was announced that the people's champ, Manny Pacquiao will be present at the tournament.

There are daily satellites with a buy-in of P200.

Asia Poker Sports Club is at the 5th floor of the Pan Pacific Hotel, M. Adriatico St. cor. Malvar St., Malate, Manila.

I probably won't join the tournament because I'm saving my money for the Metro 5 Million guaranteed this July but we'll see.

Metro Schedule this June

2009-05-31T23:37:00.001+08:00

Here's a message from The Metro Card Club in Facebook.

THE METRO MID-YEAR SPECIALS
OVER P4,000,000 IN TOTAL GUARANTEES FOR JUNE!
3 NEW TOURNAMENTS! LOWER BUY INS! BIGGER GUARANTEES!

METRO MONDAY 200K
P200,000 Guaranteed!
P1000 buy in w/ 1 re-buy and add on
100 Players MAX! Register Now!
Mondays, 7PM Sharp

METRO 75x3! TRIPLE UP!
P225,000 Guaranteed!
P3000 buy in, Freezeout!
80 Players MAX! Register Now!
Wednesdays, 7PM Sharp

METRO 75 ORIGINAL!
P75,000 Guaranteed!
P1000 buy in, Freezeout!
80 Players MAX! Register Now!
Fridays, 7pm Sharp

METRO SATURDAY SPECIAL
P350,000 Guaranteed!
P2000 buy in w/ 1 re-buy or add on
150 Players MAX! Register Now!
Saturdays, 2PM Sharp

Only @ THE METRO. See you! :-)

www.metrocardclub.com

Hi-5 Teaser

2009-05-21T18:18:00.002+08:00

There's going to be a 5 million guaranteed tournament this July at the Metro. Details are not yet released but the buy-in may be at 10k+1k only. It'll be a good deal for tournament players like me.

Metro Special Tourney

2009-05-21T18:09:00.003+08:00

Breaking news from The Metro. There will be a 350k guaranteed tournament at the Metro Card Club this Friday, May 22, 2009, 6pm. Buy-in is 2k. 180 players max.

The Ring Finger and Gambling

2009-05-19T11:28:00.002+08:00

The Ring Finger is an indication of a person's affinity to ostentation and fame. If the ring finger is longer than the index finger, the person may lean more to wanting ostentation and loves taking risks such as speculation and gambling.

Taken from http://astrospeak.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-2029345,flstry-1.cms

I checked my fingers, on both hands, and lo and behold, my ring finger is longer than my index finger. Now only if palmistry could tell me how to win the big money...

Back to Poker...

2009-05-10T09:17:00.003+08:00

Today, I broke my Mafia Wars routine and started playing again. I went to Metro to play 25/50 and bought in once for 4k. I cashed out 15k+. Not bad.

But, against my better judgment, I played while drinking beer. Though it paid off, I'd still stand by the general rule that no one should ever play drunk. children, do not try this at home.

Welcome Back Yoko

2009-05-06T12:00:00.002+08:00

A couple of days ago, Yoko texted and said she wanted to play poker. We went to the Metro to play the Metro500. We busted out early and we played cash instead. The plays itself were mediocre but the main point is, Yoko's back. Welcome back to the poker community, Yoko!

Is it obvious that I'm running out of things to blog about? Hehehe.

Hellmuth vs Leonidas USPC 2003

2009-04-28T21:53:00.000+08:00

Del posted a link to this video from YouTube on PokerManila.

I have to say, this is at the top of my list of the best poker videos I've seen. It's so great, I just have to post it.

Poker Face

2009-04-26T19:18:00.004+08:00

I wore a mask during the FHM Poker Night tournament at the Metro.

Then I got AA and hit my set on the flop. I slow-played and milked as much as I could in that hand. Then the "victim" raised his concern about the mask. He said that it shouldn't be allowed because it doesn't let him see my face. I kept quiet the whole time he was ranting and tilting. Even then, he wasn't able to convince anyone, even TD Bryan. Long story short, my mask was officially announced as legal and that's all anyone had to say about that.

My stand is, it's the same with a mask that Del wears. I just have a little bit more of a disadvantage because it's hot and I have limited peripheral vision.

Nonetheless, the girls seem to like it.

Except the right-most girl. LOL!

Happy Birthday Nick Galan

2009-04-26T05:17:00.001+08:00

Happy Birthday to Metro Card Club Boss Nick Galan!

FHM Poker Night - Field Report

2009-04-25T21:32:00.002+08:00

I just got home from the FHM Poker Night tournament. The structure was a little fast for my taste. In the middle part of the tournament, most everybody were short-stacked and no one could make a play. But I guess all's well that ends well. I finished 20th out of 160 players earning 4k.

Now it being an FHM and Premiere Condoms sponsored event, there were several girls. But as is the case anytime I play a tournament, I don't notice the people other than those on my table. I'll probably just wait for the pictures to be uploaded.

WSOP 2009

2009-04-23T10:45:00.002+08:00

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the World Series of Poker. WSOP 2009 is scheduled for May 27 to July 15, 2009 at the Rio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. The series will be composed of 57 events with the main event being the World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em $10,000 buy-in tournament.

Hopefully, the Philippines would have a bigger contingent to this series and maybe, just maybe, a Filipino get fortunate enough and show everyone that we're as good as anyone is.

Daniel Negreanu on X-Men Origins

2009-04-20T02:21:00.002+08:00

Daniel Negreanu has a cameo on the upcoming, illegally leaked, X-Men Origins movie.

Open Letter to Joey De Leon

2009-04-19T20:44:00.002+08:00

Dear Joey De Leon,

Long before poker became mainstream, I saw a TV show which featured your collection of casino chips or poker chips. I remember that it was a remarkable collection but I can't find any articles about them on the internet.

I would want the chance to feature your collection on this blog. If this letter somehow catches your attention, please feel free leave a comment or email me through oliveross@yahoo.com.

Thank you,

Ross Del Rosario

Final Table Donkey

Most Searched, Denim Ong

2009-04-15T21:28:00.002+08:00

I was checking my blog stats and Denim Ong has exceeded other Philippine poker personalities in the number of searches. Previously, Neil Arce's name was leading this metric but Denim Ong has passed Neil.

It's amazing how much this fad has spread. PokerManila peeps, you should be proud.

FHM Sexy Poker Night

2009-04-15T21:03:00.003+08:00

On the 25th of April at 2pm, there will be a 200k guaranteed tournament at The Metro sponsored by FHM Philippines and Premiere Condoms. Buy-in is at Php 2,000 + Php 200 with one optional rebuy or add-on. Some FHM celebrities are expected to play the tourney but they haven't released who they are.

Share this blog on Facebook

2009-04-10T11:30:00.003+08:00

I've no idea what this does because I don't use Facebook. But since a lot of people use Facebook, you may have some use for this.

Share on Facebook

If you can tell me what it does, please leave a comment.

Daniel Negreanu on Twitter

2009-04-08T12:14:00.002+08:00

I seldom read Daniel Negreanu's blog. His articles are often really insightful but they're also long. My short attention span can't keep up. Which is why I like to read his twitter page instead. Here's Daniel on Twitter.

Daniel Negreanu's $10 Challenge

2009-04-07T12:17:00.002+08:00

Last January, PokerStars announced that Daniel Negreanu will be aiming for $100,000 starting at just $10. He's looking to reach the goal within a few years. He started at the lowest stakes possible, $0.01/$0.02 but they didn't announce where he is right now.

Which makes me wonder, I know I'm not as good as my friend Daniel is but does it mean that my poker goals should be less ambitious? Good thing about it is that aiming for $100,000 is as ambitious to me as aiming for $1,000. Let me do that first.

More Congratulations...

2009-04-06T14:54:00.002+08:00

Fresh from his win of the Denim Ong Cup, Alan Escano places 2nd in the PAGCOR Cup. Special mention to former DJ Lil' Joey, Joey Agustin, who finished 7th in the same tournament.

I'm working on my game again so I wouldn't need to keep posting congratulatory posts on this blog and post about my win for a change.

Denim Ong Cup Results

2009-04-02T22:33:00.002+08:00

The results are in. Alan Escano bested 100 players (my guesstimate) and won the whole tournament. Denim Ong won their heads-up (Alan was big underdog in this heads-up because Denim had the crowd's support).

Congratulations to Alan and Denim and The Metro for this very successful event!

Good News and Bad News

2009-03-30T00:20:00.006+08:00

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.

Poker in a Mask

2009-03-24T21:49:00.002+08:00

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.

Denim Ong Cup

2009-03-20T23:11:00.004+08:00

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.

A Message from Del Ty

2009-03-18T19:11:00.004+08:00

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.

Lost 100

2009-03-17T18:02:00.003+08:00

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.

Kent Del Rosario wins Perfect 10

2009-03-16T08:59:00.002+08:00

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!

Paradigm Shift

2009-03-15T15:08:00.002+08:00

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

2009-03-15T14:49:00.003+08:00

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).

Perfect 10 - Fearless Forecast

2009-03-11T18:36:00.003+08:00

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.

Buyer for Perfect 10 Seat

2009-03-09T20:54:00.002+08:00

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.

Card Dead

2009-03-08T07:35:00.002+08:00

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.

PokerManila MegaFreeroll Pictures

2009-03-05T19:38:00.004+08:00

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.

PokerManila MegaFreeroll Field Report

2009-03-01T08:26:00.003+08:00

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.

FPT Airdates

2009-02-24T22:25:00.002+08:00

I've seen cameras during Filipino Poker Tour (FPT) events and it's been announced that they're televised. But I've never seen any of FPT events on TV.

If anyone has information about when they were/will be aired, please comment on this post.

Serendipitous

2009-02-17T10:26:00.003+08:00

I went to Metrowalk planning to buy a cellphone charger. I lost mine and I needed a replacement. But it's virtually impossible to be in Metrowalk without playing poker. So I sat at the 25/50 table for a few hours. I bought in for P4000 twice.

In the end, I cashed out P8150. Then I bought a charger for P150. It's like I got a free charger. Well, it was either going to be free or like I bought it for a ridiculous amount if I lost at the tables.

'Swerte sa Sugal; Malas sa Pag-ibig'

2009-02-14T11:51:00.002+08:00

This literally translates to 'Lucky in Gambling; Unlucky in Love'. True enough, while I was dateless this Valentine's Day, I went to The Metro and tripled my buy-in.

So, to those who don't have dates this Valentine's, may you all make a killing playing poker. Happy Valentine's Day.

PokerManila MegaFreeroll

2009-02-05T08:35:00.002+08:00

PokerManila has been the biggest and most active poker forum in the Philippines. They're also having a big live freeroll on Feb 28, 2009 for members with 2 stars. Winner will get a seat to the Perfect 10 tournament. There will also be seats to satellite tournaments and cash prizes.

I believe there are only a few 2 star members so far, so there's a big chance of making it. And the other 2 star members are not really that good. Hahaha.

Perfect 10 Staker

2009-02-03T12:52:00.003+08:00

I have a staker. I'm now $5 closer to playing in the Perfect 10 tournament. Thanks tityBOI.

Again, here's my proposal for stakers.

Neil Arce wins APT Philippines 2009

2009-02-01T19:26:00.003+08:00

The news has spread to the whole Philippine poker community. We now have a Filipino champion in an international poker tournament. Neil Arce (Antonio Arce, Dirty Ice Cream) has won the Philippine leg of the Asian Poker Tour 2009 held in Dusit Hotel, Makati City, Philippines, Feb 1, 2009.

This is just the start of how Filipinos will dominate in international poker.

Congratulations Neil!

Neil Arce - APT Philippines 2009

2009-02-01T16:42:00.003+08:00

Neil Arce does it again. Here's part of a text message from Alan Escano earlier this morning...

"Our good friend Neil Arce is the only Filipino in the Final Table of the APT! He's in great shape to win the P8.7 MILLION first prize w 377k in chips (3rd out of 9 players)..."

This just shows how much skill is involved in poker. Neil just couldn't be the luckiest person in the Philippines. Then again, perhaps he is, but that's neither here nor there.

The tournament is currently on-going at the Dusit Hotel. I'm dropping-by later to see the action and rail Neil.

The Perfect Proposal

2009-01-29T08:01:00.009+08:00

The Perfect 10 guarantees P10 Million. That alone should be more than enough reason to join this tournament. The tournament is slated for March 12-15, 2009 at The Metro. It costs P28,000 to join for a chance to win more than P3 Million.

There are several satellites currently on-going. Sadly I can't join the satellites because of my work schedule. But I will gladly absent myself from work if I get to play in this great tournament.

I have a son now which limits my ability to play as much poker tournaments. Ergo, here is my proposal. I need stakers for me to join the Perfect 10. I need approximately $603. If there are any kind souls out there reading my blog, I would appreciate any contributions you can make. You can transfer any amount to my PokerStars account, abaddon_ross.

Any possible staker would be interested in what's in it for them, so here it is.

If I make it to the money, I'll give back the stake amount for each staker and I'll provide a freeroll for all stakers total to half the net profit.
If I make it to the final table, I'll give back the stake amount 5x and a freeroll for all stakers.
If I win 1st place, I'll give back the stake amount 10x and freeroll for all stakers.

I think that's a good enough incentive for stakers given that anyone can stake even as little as $1. In that case I'd need around 603 stakers total.

I'll post a list of stakers and the stake amount in this post.

tityBOI $5

pocketjoe P3500

Metro Card Club Wiki Entry

2009-01-25T08:54:00.002+08:00

Currently, searching Metro Card Club in Wikipedia will only yield an article for things named Metro. And it's only there because I edited it and placed it there. I haven't submitted an actual article for The Metro Card Club mainly because I don't know how to and also because these are based on what I know and may not be completely accurate. But if I were to write one, this is how it would go...

Metro Card Club

The Metro Card Club (The Metro) is a poker room located in Metrowalk, Pasig City, Philippines. The Metro was open to the public around August of 2007 and was the first legal Philippine poker room to open outside of a casino.

History

Before The Metro opened, poker in the Philippines was isolated to the poker room inside the Casino Filipino, home games and illegal poker rooms. It was problematic for Filipino poker players as the casino offered too many temptations for gambling, home games were usually for small stakes and illegal poker rooms were vulnerable to raids.

The people behind The Metro were already involved in promoting and building the Philippine poker community since 2005. They had a dream of expanding what was then a small poker community to what it is now.

The Metro had a soft opening early in 2007 and was supposed to open then. But being the first card room outside of the casino, they received their share of public critisism. Philippine elections were also scheduled for May 2007 and it was decided that it would be more prudent to wait until after the elections.

The first Metro location was beside Yoohoo Barbecue in Metrowalk, Pasig City. It had 12 tables in 2 storeys. At the time, the poker room was only open late in the afternoon until early in the morning. Due to the increase in players, there was also a need to eventually operate 24/7. The first poker room was still not able to accomodate all players.

In mid-2008, The Metro moved to a bigger location, still within Metrowalk, Pasig City. The second location is able to accomodate 30 tables.

Personalities

The Metro has several notable regular players.

Neil Arce - FPT Champion, best finish by a Filipino player in the WSOP 2007 Main Event

Sunshine Samson - Consistent tournament finisher and winner of several tournaments

Derick Hernandez - Best finish by a Filipino player in the APPT Manila 2007 Main Event

Alex Pagulayan - World 9 Ball Champion

John Estrada - Philippine actor

Ross Del Rosario - Blogger for Final Table Donkey

External Links

The Metro Card Club Official Website

Final Table Donkey blog

Worst Bad Beat Ever

2009-01-20T16:12:00.001+08:00

Me in Blue, Villain in Red.

PokerStars Game #24085542309: Tournament #135227204, $1.00+$0.20 Hold'em No Limit - Level I (10/20) - 2009/01/20 3:07:27 ET

Table '135227204 1' 9-max Seat #4 is the button

Seat 1: SmokinAceXIV (1500 in chips)

Seat 2: DennisC86 (1470 in chips)

Seat 3: Ricalis (1590 in chips)

Seat 4: abaddon_ross (1580 in chips)

Seat 5: 2MsMaverick2 (1700 in chips)

Seat 6: chiefs12 (1340 in chips)

Seat 7: ModestZL (1340 in chips)

Seat 8: meo007 (1500 in chips)

Seat 9: ska511 (1480 in chips)

2MsMaverick2: posts small blind 10

chiefs12: posts big blind 20

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to abaddon_ross [Ah Qh]

ModestZL: raises 20 to 40

meo007: calls 40

ska511: calls 40

SmokinAceXIV: folds

DennisC86: folds

Ricalis: calls 40

abaddon_ross: raises 340 to 380

2MsMaverick2: folds

chiefs12: folds

ModestZL: folds

meo007: folds

ska511: folds

Ricalis: calls 340

*** FLOP *** [Kd Ts 2s]

Ricalis: bets 20

abaddon_ross: raises 1180 to 1200 and is all-in

Ricalis: calls 1180

*** TURN *** [Kd Ts 2s] [5s]

*** RIVER *** [Kd Ts 2s 5s] [Ks]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

Ricalis: shows [6s 9d] (a flush, King high)

abaddon_ross: shows [Ah Qh] (a pair of Kings)

Ricalis collected 3310 from pot

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot 3310 | Rake 0

Board [Kd Ts 2s 5s Ks]

Seat 1: SmokinAceXIV folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 2: DennisC86 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 3: Ricalis showed [6s 9d] and won (3310) with a flush, King high

Seat 4: abaddon_ross (button) showed [Ah Qh] and lost with a pair of Kings

Seat 5: 2MsMaverick2 (small blind) folded before Flop

Seat 6: chiefs12 (big blind) folded before Flop

Seat 7: ModestZL folded before Flop

Seat 8: meo007 folded before Flop

Seat 9: ska511 folded before Flop

Multi-tabling

2009-01-20T06:58:00.003+08:00

One advantage of playing online is that one can play multiple tables at a time. I've never tried playing more than 3 tables at a time and I thought I should give it a try. I played 6 SnG's at the same time and it was very confusing for me.

There were 2 9-player SnG's, 2 18-player SnG's and 2 27-player SnG's. I busted out early on the 18-player SnG's and the 27-player tables were not that good either. I finished 2nd and 3rd in the single table SnG's. I invested a total of $7.20 to paly these 6 tables and I got back $4.50. I lost $2.70 in this experiment and I don't plan on doing it again. I'll stick with playing a maximum of 3 tables.

More Than Just Poker

2009-01-12T21:51:00.002+08:00

The latest addition to the Metro Card Club is just what the place needs to have a little more variation. At the far end of the card club, near the bar and VIP area is a pool table. Just like the old poker room, there's an option to play some pool if the cards aren't going in your favor.

But some people prefer to watch the action in the pool table as some of the Philippines most recognizable pool players are probably playing. Alex Pagulayan has been a Metro regular for some time now as well as another pool player whose name escapes me. I just know him as the guy who always wears a jacket with the number 4 on it. I've seen Django Bustamante in the old Metro location. I haven't seen him in the new one. Today, I saw Efren "Bata" Reyes and Dennis Orcollo. I heard from people that Ronnie Alcano was also there but I didn't see him.

Less skilled pool players don't stand a chance against these pros in the pool table but they do sit on the other tables as well. And in poker, anyone has a chance to win.

Reading People

2009-01-12T21:12:00.000+08:00

This article was published in the Philippine Star, January 11, 2009. Please note that the intended readers are non poker players.

From the Poker Table to the Conference Table

Ross Del Rosario

We often hear that communication is composed of three parts, what you say, how you say it and body language. Of these three components, the actual words used have the smallest portion in the message being delivered. The pitch of ones voice, intonation and pace when saying the words weigh more in getting the message across. However, body language has a bigger role in communication than the first two combined. And this is a fact that is often applied in the poker table than anywhere else.

Poker players are accomplished liars, at least on the table. It’s foolish to base ones decisions solely on what the opponent said. Seasoned poker players have also learned to sound convincing. Not only do they say they have great cards when they’re bluffing, but they say it in a way that it sounds believable. The caveat is that to the meticulous observer, their body language gives them away. This is what poker players try to look for when playing. There’s a lot of communication going on in the workplace and lessons learned from reading body language are as applicable in there as they are on the poker table.

Here are a few things to watch out for when communicating in the office with a superior, colleague, subordinate or customer.

The Head

Tilting the head to the side shows interest. That’s as much as can be said about head tilting.

There’s also lifting and dropping heads. Lifting shows confidence while dropping means the opposite. This is often seen when people greet each other and shows what their mood is at that time. This assumes that the people are about the same height. If they’re not, this doesn’t apply at all.

The Eyes

When excited, the iris dilates (the iris gets smaller). If your boss’ iris dilates after your pitch for a project, then you know you’ve hit the spot. You may just be able to get an increase in the budget for that project.

When people try to remember, their eyes move to your right (assuming that the person is directly in front and not at an angle). When they’re trying to create, their eyes move to your left. If you asked a subordinate where his report is and he answered after looking to your left, he may not be completely truthful and may be making up reasons. He’s trying to reach in his right brain hemisphere where creativity is controlled. A little bit more root-cause analysis may be required.

Closing the eyes, blinking more than usual or rubbing the eye with a finger means the person didn’t like what they saw. Be wary of a person who touches their eye right when you came to view.

Closed eyes combined with a dropped head means the person is sleeping. If he’s your subordinate, wake him up.

The Mouth

Licking lips, biting lips and hiding lips are all signs of hesitance. There’s a good chance that the person displaying any of these behaviors have something to say and may just need a little coaxing. Unconsciously, their mind is trying to tell them to restrain themselves from speaking but it still stands that they have something on their minds. They won’t be effective listeners if their minds are still filled with thoughts.

As with eyes, touching the mouth or covering the mouth means the person said something he knows deep inside he shouldn’t have. It can be a secret or a lie or even as simple as something he really isn’t sure of.

The Ears

Given that the ears don’t move, the only thing that can be said about it is if a person rubs their ears. It often means they don’t agree with what they heard. You may want to rephrase what you said or alter it completely before the receiving end disagrees with you completely.

The Hands

Hands can be seen massaging different parts of their bodies. Hands rub the temples, nape, face, forehead, neck and hands can rub each other. These are signs that the person is in a deep thought. They’re thinking of something important to them that they have to relieve the stress with self-massaging. If your boss is seen massaging himself, it’s not the best time to ask for a raise.

Hands can also be seen with fingers touching each other and pointing up. This means that the person is considering something he’s happy with. If the fingers are interlocked, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s happy about what’s in his mind. Except if the interlocked fingers are on top of his head and he’s leaning back. That’s a positive sign of approval.

The Posture

People lean forward when they’re interested and lean back when they’re not. Picture a jaded co-worker and they’re probably leaning back on their chairs the whole time. If they’re leaning forward, they’re probably updating their Facebook on their computers.

The Feet

Feet indicate interest. If ones feet point to a person, then they’re interested in that person; if the feet are oriented towards the door, the person wants to go out. Their whole posture can indicate one thing but if their feet say otherwise, it’s safe to listen to the feet. Let’s say two colleagues are talking with each other and their feet are facing each other, then a third person joins the discussion, even if their torsos face the newcomer but their feet stay put, they’re just being polite but the newcomer is not welcome to join them. If you’re the third person, take a hint.

In poker, these are called tells and person adept to reading these tells do a whole lot better at the tables. But these tells are not only limited to poker players. The better one is to reading people, the more informed their decisions will be. But all of these tells should be taken in their proper context. One has to analyze them properly to decode what they mean. Practice reading co-workers and you may be steps ahead at the conference table.

Plug

2009-01-10T18:46:00.002+08:00

I wrote an article for the Philippine Star about how reading body language in the poker table be applied to workplace scenarios. The newspaper's policies prevent me from writing about poker solely and this is as close I can to poker writing. You also have to excuse the content because it assumes that the reader is not a poker player as they constitute the majority of the readers.

The article will come out on Sunday, January 11, 2009. Philippine Star, business section.

Bacolod Poker Room

2009-01-07T14:15:00.003+08:00

I came from The Metro last night and saw General Manager Bryan Malantic. He told me that they have just opened a poker room in Bacolod. So, there's now a poker room in Bacolod. (I don't even know where that is)

Great job Metro.

Railing Moneymaker

2008-12-28T10:55:00.002+08:00

I was waiting for a tournament to start and didn't have anything to do so I tried to Find a Team PokerStars Pro. There were 5 of them online, Alexandre Gomes, Chris Moneymaker, Humberto Brenes, Lee Nelson and Marcin Horecki.

I was going rail either Moneymaker or Nelson, but Nelson was playing 3 single-table double or nothings so I elected to watch Chris Moneymaker play the Nightly Hundred Grand. I thought I'd try to learn something watching a pro.

He finished outside of the money in that tournament. What I learned was he seldom let his dealer or cut-off position go without a raise if everybody folded to him. But without knowing what his cards are, I really can't say what he's exactly doing. It was just fun railing a pro.

Last Sunday of 2008

2008-12-23T14:28:00.000+08:00

December 28 will be the last Sunday of 2008. This means that it will be the last Sunday Million tournament for the year. As a year-end bonus from PokerStars, guarantees for the Sunday Warm-Up and the Sunday Million have also been increased to $1 Million and $2.5 Million respectively.

I'm thinking of using one of my $215 tickets for one of these tournaments. Hopefully I get deep and make it ITM.

PokerStars Bonus Code for 2009

2008-12-22T21:24:00.003+08:00

PokerStars will be changing the bonus code for first time depositors for 2009. The bonus code itself will change but the bonus itself remains the same. The first deposit bonus is still 100% up to a maximum bonus of $50. This is dependent on the account holder earning FPPs equal to 10x the bonus amount after depositing.

If you don't have a PokerStars account yet, Sign up for a PokerStars account now.

Starting Jan 1, 2009, the new PokerStars first deposit bonus code will be stars50.

WBCOOP 2008 - Main Event

2008-12-22T06:40:00.002+08:00

I just busted out of the WBCOOP tournament at 115th place out of 169 players. Everything was going well until the tournament chip lead sat to my right and started bullying the table. I stood up to him but the cards didn't cooperate.

Hal888 finished at 114th place

Novagalaxy finished at 157th place

Atshu finished at 192nd place

So much for the Philippine WBCOOP contingent. Let's do better next year.

WBCOOP 2008 - Main Event Prologue

2008-12-22T03:33:00.003+08:00

According to the PokerStars Blog, there are going to be 369 players for the main event. Only 4 are from the Philippines: abaddon_ross, atshu, hal888 and novagalaxy. All 4 are members of PokerManila.

GL to everyone. Let's take this down.

PokerStars goes for Guinness Record

2008-12-21T18:00:00.000+08:00

On December 28, 2008, 15:30 EST (December 29, 2008, 4:30 MNL), PokerStars is going to attempt the World's Largest Poker Tournament. It's a NLHE tournament which guarantees a total pot of $500,000. Buy-in is at $10+$1.

There are several satellites available to get a seat for the main tournament, Tournament ID 126551369.