There is a new book on No-Limit Hold’em that is a MUST read! Written by some friends of mind who are experts in Poker Theory and Practice! Matt, Sunny and Ed are top notch guys and I wish them all the success with their new book!
Professional No-Limit Hold ‘em: Volume I (Paperback)
by Matt Flynn (Author), Sunny Mehta (Author), Ed Miller (Author)

Check out the book here:
Professional No-Limit Hold ‘em: Volume I

One of my friends pointed this out to me today, I knew I was high but not that high.  Google:  “Poker Coaching” and try it yourself!

The main reason I have survived these last few year by playing online has been my involvement in poker away from the table.  I coach, get coached and constantly discuss poker.  It’s the vaccine to the busto-virus!

You can get free access to my poker coaching website, DeucesCracked by signing up for rakeback on www.joetallrakeback.com and reaching $500/month in total rake (MGR).  See the link for DeucesCracked info on the rakeback page for instructions.
There has been a buzz created about DeucesCracked on twoplustwo, you can check out the feedback in this thread HERE.

My friend, Crazy Mike, runs a website called, Destroythebots.com.  He is madly obsessed with poker bots online.  If you don’t think there are bots playing online, check out the WinHold’em forum and WorldPokerBot Championships.  That may convince you otherwise.  I’ve played against bots and have watched some of my friends play against bots online.  Crazy Mike put on a demonstration that was amazing when he played a bot.  The often play Shorthanded or Heads Up, Limit and No-Limit Hold’em.  I’ve never seen a bot play in any other game and frankly think the programing maybe too complicated since Hold’em bots are only decent, not great, players.  Surely, as the coding advances, this will change.

The motherboard got a hold of my last blog post and there is some agreement about what I have said. You can read that here.

The ME showed about a 20% decrease from last year, I think. I have yet to look at the actual numbers. When I get a chance later today, I will explore this further. I feel the 50k HORSE may surpass the ME in about 5 years for prize pool. Should be interesting.

I have noticed a trend in poker over the last eight months. The hold’em games are getting very tough. This goes for the live games I was in at the WSOP this year and witnessed while I was at the Bellagio. We have seen this online since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of Oct 2007. Don’t get me wrong, the games will always be good enough as the gambling gods will keep the fish coming back. (God bless the bad beat.) But one thing has gone unnoticed; the “mix” games have been great, even better than they were before UIGEA. The interest in last years WSOP $50,000 HORSE (Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, Stud eight or better) has sparked a new curve in the industry. The interest in this year’s $50k tournament was even higher. We saw well known internet hold’em tournament players, like ZeeJustin, playing in the $50k HORSE. ZeeJustin is a gifted tournament poker player and faired well. We are only a few years away from the $50,000 event to eclipse the main events prize pool.

Games like stud, omaha hi/low, stud hi/low have become slowly more popular. Well known twoplustwoers who have been hold’em players for some time are now finding their way into Mix-game tournaments and cash games. Such as Nath, THAY3R, and ZeeJustin, all know for their hold’em tournament expertise are now playing in Everyone knows how to play hold’em now a days, the good players are finding tougher times to find soft games.

I do not think it was coincidence that the high cash games at Bellagio during the WSOP this year were 300/600 and 400/800 mix games. The highest game at the Rio the other night was a 150/300 Stud8 game. I took at look at those games and they were good. Then I visited my friend, Mike Schneider in a 200/400 Limit Hold’em game that was absolutely awful. It was an all-star limit hold’em lineup that looked brutal to play in. The 100/200 Limit Hold’em games weren’t that much better. Last year’s WSOP cash games you could build a retirement fund in a week. This year, you may be better off dropping down to 30/60 to make the same win rate!

There is a lot of evidence that mix games are getting more popular. Threads like this that start out “3rd street doesn’t matter…” is pure comedy to read from a stud player. There are some serious poker minds involved in that discussion. There is nothing wrong with them trying to get into the other-games. I think it is great for the mix games as they confuse concepts from hold’em. Looking at a hand like (J3)J in stud8 and thinking they have a monster is going to be good for mix games.  Maybe when the learn how to play the other games they can finally call themselves poker players.

I had (QQ)6 vs (JJ)2.  I made QQQ vs this JJJ and we got it all in.  He filled, I didn’t, such is poker.  Michelle came and surprised me so we will have some fun and do some wedding arrangements.  Thanks to all who supported me.

I have 7200 chips.  Avg stack is 10,000.  There are 142 players left and 72 make the money.  There were more entrants than anticipated, 730 total with a payout of 157k to the winner.  Day2 starts tomorrow at 3PM.  I didn’t see the www.gutshot.com guys but www.cardplayer.com and www.pokerpages.com.
Hopefully I can get a better finish than my 4th at the Bike a few weeks ago:  Check the write up here.

I need one good hand to move up as this next level is going to be tough.  I haven’t been running that great but the field is very soft and I’m playing some of my best poker.

Thanks to baby-mama and everyone who is cheering for me!

I have entered the S.H.O.E tournament at 5PM today in the WSOP.  If I run into the www.gutshot.com guys, maybe they can cover a bit of my action.  They do great feature stuff and were nice enough to cover me at bit in last years WPT and WSOP events.  With the $10k PLO event kicking off at noon, I feel great about this tournament since it may not have most well name pros.

Hope the cards run well, so I can get Baby-Tall new shoes!  (and Baby-mama new shoes too!)