Archive for December, 2008

Staff Tourney All-in-athon

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 22nd, 2008

Every second Friday here at CarbonPoker, we all slack off a tad from our usual poker related work duties and take an hour or so to enjoy the game and software we created. Typically there will be a small prize pool – around $60- $70 that gets split between the top three, so its more for bragging rights than cash prizes. Actually – no one overly cares about winning, its more about busting friends out of the tournament with ridiculous hands. eg a first hand all in with J10 off suit.

So now that you have the background….

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Bad Beat: Bad Miss

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 21st, 2008

Only a day after the Bad Beat Jackpot surpassed the $800,000 mark it had its closest call yet.
Im sure that its well known that you have to have quad 7’s or better busted to have the jackpot pay out, so when a player had quad 6’s busted by a straight flush, the tension must have been at a definitive high.

Taking place on the infamous Bad Beat La Grand Place table at the $.50/$1 stakes, it started with Shoe12 being dealt pocket sixes. The action starts with a fold, a call from Clintasaurus, a raise by Shoe12and two callers. The flop falls 10 4♠ and 6♠. Destroyerhere leads the betting with top pair – 10♣ and A in his hand. Clintasaurus raises on a straight flush draw and and Shoe12 with a set of sixes makes the call followed by destroyerhere.

The turn – 5♠.

Top pair for destroyer, a straight flush for Clintasaurus and trips for Shoe12.

Destroyer leads of with a check, Clintasaurus slowplays and continues the check, to Shoe12 who bets twice the blind. Destroyer folds as Clintasaurus makes the call. The River comes – 6♣

Clintasaurus checks, followed by a bet by Shoe12, a raise by Clintasaurus, two more re-raises take place before Shoe12 pushes all in. Clintasaurus makes the call to show 8♠7♠ as shoe turns quad sixes.

Unlucky Shoe12, and well played Clintasaurus. The Bad Beat marches on!

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Poker Tunes & Glasses pt. 2

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 18th, 2008

Yesterday I talked about how many people dumb down their senses and their perceptions at the table focusing particularly on why a lot of players choose to wear sunglasses. The other side of the dumbing down the senses tirade is about the way in which many players like to have tunes cranking in there ears while playing poker.

Now similar to the sunglasses thing Ive tried this out too, mainly because I was bored and didn’t see myself doing much more in the tournament other than gradually blinding to the felt over the next several hours. So out come the tunes, something to keep me interested and motivated – a bit of Radiohead, Jimmy Eat World & Refused. However after 15 minutes and a few rounds, I cant hear a thing at the table and my focus is quickly shifting from the table to auditory explosions occurring in my ears. What I couldn’t get my head around was how a pro who was at the table was not just listening, but actually watching TV shows on his iPod.

What I couldn’t understand is is how on average two people were plugged in at every table. Maybe its just a part our continuing drive to be plugged in constantly. We need the whole experience enhanced. Soundtracks in our ears, and our lives played out in high definition 1080.
So call me pixelated but, I feel that my game is not enhanced by being plugged in and focused through accessorized media. What are your thoughts on the subject?

$5 for the most intuitive informative response.

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Poker Tunes & Glasses pt. 1

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 17th, 2008

A walk around any casino’s poker room and its easy to tell the amount of people who are plugged into ipods, mp3 players and other digital devices. It started out with a handful of people wearing sunglasses, but now with the assistance of technology, it seems like everyone who sits at a poker table is dumbing down their senses.

This seems quite contradictory, when considering that poker is largely a game of information and disinformation. Its no wonder a certain James Bond, was so skilled at the game – as a master of the world intelligence game he is well equipped with all the skills necessary to defeat the slick jokers ( in his case criminal masterminds) at the poker table. So the reason I’m scratching my head is that why dull the senses when a higher sense of perception would give you an obvious advantage.

The sunglasses – I heard once and strongly reiterate; there are only two types of people who wear sunglasses inside or at night; rock stars and tryhards. Though I figure that the poker player falls in an obscure grey area between the two. Though that’s all besides the point. So is it that you lack in self control and cant help but give away what your holding through your eyes? In my experience, any time Ive tried the glasses thing its made me play worse and I end up removing them, also its never fazed me when picking tells against an opponent. If their eyes are covered, its the other things that give them away. The question I’m going to leave you with here, how do shades improve your game?

$5 cash in your player account for the best most informative response.

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Poker TV

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 14th, 2008

There are plenty of poker programs that find their way onto cable TV networks, but one of the best, and undoubtedly this blogger’s favorite is NBC’s High Stakes Poker. Not only does this program feature the worlds best players, it pits them out against one another in some of the highest stakes cash games around. The best part however is the incorporation of several rules to liven up play, such as deuce seven.

For those that have been living under a rock around these parts and don’t know what 2-7 is, it is a rule introduced where if a player wins a pot with 2-7 as their hole cards, they collect a predetermined amount from every player. Its not too bad when playing at a small home cash game, but when the buy in is a minimum of $200,000 (that’s double last seasons!) then it makes for some very interesting play.

This seasons show not only introduces the 2-7 rule, but also straddling and double straddling. Players are also allowed to prop bet on other matches.

The line up for this seasons matches is a killer with, Patrik Antonius, Mike Baxter, David Benyamine, Doyle Brunson, Nick Cassavetes, Ivan Demidov, Tom Dwan, Peter Eastgate, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Barry Greenstein, Phil Hellmuth, Jr., Phil Ivey, Phil Laak, Howard Lederer, Giorgio Medici, Daniel Negreanu, Ilari Sahamies, Bob Safai, and including quasi celebrities Nick Cassavetes (director of The Notebook) and Sam Simon (”The Simpsons” co-creator).

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Aussie Millions Seat Winner!

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 8th, 2008

Our Aussie Millions team is growing into a formidable force to be reckoned with. We now have 5 players gearing up to head down under for the southern hemispheres biggest poker event. The most recent winner or I should say winners as there was three of them, are C001HandPuke, Presidenten1954 and DeZilk. Each of these fortunate players found themselves pocketing a cool $15,000 package that includes Main Event entry, travel and accommodation, and finally spending money! Hope you guys enjoy the win and enjoy Melbourne. Im sure you will though – its an absolute blast.

Dont forget that there is still a few more chances to win seats with another live seat final on the 27th of Dec! Come join us in Melbourne!

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How would you spend…

Posted By : CarbonPoker December 8th, 2008

$257, 950….
How would you spend that amount of money? A new Mercedes?
5 Star hotels for two in the worlds greatest cities? Traveling the globe for the next 5 years? Seeing and doing everything you ever wanted?
A house payment? A 200 inch plasma TV? A holiday home in on a secluded beach in Thailand?
Heliskiing down K2? Become a high roller in Vegas? A suitcase full of $20 bills? A bath tub full of money to? Go on…you’ve always wanted to bathe in cash…

The possibilities are endless. But either way your life is guaranteed to change forever. This is the amount you would win as the loser of the Bad Beat Jackpot.

Currently sitting at just under $750,000 the Bad Beat Jackpot is going to make a handful of Carbon Poker Players, very very rich. You don’t even have to be the one who loses to the massive bad beat! You just have to be playing at the table!!!!

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