i was reading a magazine article recently and Joost was mentioned and i found it interesting. you can only download their software and create an account by invitation… but i figured what the heck, i’ll just buy an invite on eBay for $5. maybe i’ll have invites soon to sell and i can make my money back…. no wait… i wouldn’t waste my time with that i’ll just give them away to those of you who suck up to me for one

so far it’s decent.. it’s definitely beta, but it has some huge potential.

anyhow if you haven’t guessed it their website is http://www.Joost.com

i was expecting to play at least 1 tourny last summer, but the job demands pushed a trip to Vegas until months after the series. this year i’m hoping to not miss it. in fact one very particular tourny i wanted to play in last year runs on some ideal dates for me barring any work or financial set-backs i’m already beging to prep.

if you’re interested in the World Series of Poker 2007 schedule >> here it is. if the timing is bad or too rich for your bankroll try a nearby circuit event… vies the 2007 WSOP Circuit Events schedules >> here

i’m looking at entering the June 17th No-Limit Hold’em Shootout ($1500 buy in). i’m only short $1500 haha. if somebody backs me i will not take a penny of prize money, however if i win i’d just want the bracelet.

here’s the full schedule of events this year:
http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/wsop.asp

Big Mistake Number: 2
Game: No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Cost: $130
Title: Letting the dealer distract
Story: i sit down at a table with $xxx (the blinds are $5 and $5) and i wait a very very very long time to pick up a worthy playable hand. i probably sat thru 20 hands before i finally picked up an Ace & 8 of clubs; which didn’t make a hand for me. so i sat thru another 20 hands or so before i finally picked up another playable hand.

just before i pickup up this 2nd playable hand my table got a new dealer. i immediately asked the dealer for a table change. i wanted a table change because the table i was on had a couple of really good players who had built up very large chip stacks. any smart/good player knows that those are the kind of guys u don’t want at your table… unless u are one of those guys . there was also a new table that opened up next to ours which had a bunch of small stack players on it and a couple of open seats. that was exactly the table i wanted to be on.

the dealer starts dealing cards while answering my question/request. his answer was “what do u mean?” so i told him “i want to change tables” and he looked at me all strange (he didn’t understand that in most cardrooms this is not obsurd). in the meantime this idiot of a dealer hands me an A,Q offsuit… FINALLY some playable cards.

at this point i’m a little aggrevated with the dealer because he is telling me that they do not do table changes and that i could leave the table and re-register and hope to be sat at another table. during my moment of aggrevation and my continued discussion with the dealer the flop comes K,Q,7. i had put in a raise before the flop and had 4 callers so now as it was checked over to me i put in another raise after the flop. the turn card comes and is a Ace. now i got a big 2 pair and as i’m aggrevated with the dealer and still chatting with him a guy in the first position bets into me $100… while there is about $150 already in the pot everyone folds but me… i decide to push the remainder of my current stack in by calling. i was halfway thinking… well if he has an A,K i gotta see it.

he didn’t have A,K… he had J,10! in other words the nut straight. and the river could only save me with a Jack, which did not come of course.

i was boiling mad now. not at the other player. he made a great play. i was mad at myself and the dealer.

if you have read my earlier post about poker mistakes you should know that by now i take measures to study the board very seriously before making decisions. however, i obviously did not do so this time.

so $130 bucks gone and WHAT DID I LEARN? a few things:

1. do not be distracted from the game when playing a hand! don’t talk to the dealer. don’t talk with other players. don’t do anything that will distract you from playing your hand to the best of your abilities. i can guarantee you that i’m excellent at reading the board now and before this mistake. i don’t overlook possible hands, when i’m looking for the possible hands.

although some might think this mistake is the same as my first one blogged, well… it is and it isn’t. i was distracted, which led to me making a similar mistake “misreading the board.”

DON’T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DISTRACTED!
TALK BEFORE AND AFTER HANDS, NOT DURING HANDS!

2. read the board perfectly! everytime! see my first big poker mistake.

well… u may be laughing at me, but hopefully you are taking my candid advice to heart so that u do not have to feel the burn of such a bad play.

til next time.

well not me… haha… i guess i’ll just come out and say it… i make mistakes. sometimes some big ones. the big ones are the ones that i’ve learned the most from. so without total embarrassment and for your benefit i will mention some of the big ones i’ve made.

Big Mistake Number: 1
Game: No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Cost: $50
Title: Flopping the ace high flush
Story: i sit down at a table with $50 (the blinds are $.25/$.50)and after a couple of hands i get an Ace & Queen of diamonds (happy to see it). i lead out with a raise to $1.50 and get 1 caller. the flop comes: 2,9,Jack of diamonds. i’m first to act so i check… and yes… he puts in a raise of $3.00 and i smooth call. the turn card is a Jack of spades and i check again. he puts in another raise… $5.00 and i smooth call. the river card comes and it’s an 8 of clubs. at this point there is $19.00 in the pot and hey… i got the big flush… unbeatable right… haha well… not quite. anyhow i push in all the rest of my money (another $40.00) and he hesitates for a while… so i’m thinking… ‘call it sucka’ and during the hesitation i’m looking at the board and it dawns on me that there are 2 Jacks on the board…. meaning there could be a possible full house… which would destroy my BIG FLUSH… so now i’m thinking ‘dont call… please dont call’. well, he called and guess what he had pocket 9’s, he must have been afraid i had a Jacks over fullhouse versus his 9’s over fullhouse, hence the hesitation.

so 50 bucks gone and WHAT DID I LEARN? a few things:

1. first things first… with every card that hits the board think and study. figure out not only what u have but what can beat u and if there is the possibility of that or those hands being in your opponents hand. this doesn’t mean ‘be scared’ of every card that hits the board… just give each card respect, don’t be blinded by your sweeeet hand.

2. in this situation, where there is a possible full house and he was leading with a raise i feel strongly that i should have checked to him and called his final raise. chances are he wouldn’t have pushed in as much money as i did, not knowing i had a big flush. of course if i had known he had a full house i wouldn’t have even called a penny… but with a big hand like a flush… even if a full house is possible it’s hard to lay down just because a ‘possible’ full house exists. i woulda been ok with losing $15.00 trying to find out if my flush was good… but $50.00 hurts… especially when i was the SUCKA for pushing in.

hopefully u will take this example to heart and not get hurt with the same play!