Elvis

by Phil

7 Comments

Forgot to tell you guys... Saw the new Elvis Show at Area (Cirque du Solei) on Valentines day with Jennifer.

It rocked... Elvis is the King... Such the man... wow.

Two random comments on that show.

1) Happy they didn't have some guy running around trying to be Elvis... They left that up to old footage used as background visuals for the Elvis 'presense'.

2) The bit with all the comic guys being super heros and flying all over the place... That was the best bit of entertainment I have seen in a long while!

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Later

Phil

 

Premier League - 3 and 0

by Phil

0 Comments

8 * 8 is 64
and 64 *8 is 512

One time in 512 times.. that is about what it takes to win three in a row...

I was just trying to crawl forward into more points .... but I ended up finding a win as I tried...

The first bit of the day was actually very active with lots of pots building... (which I was happy enough with... because whenever anyone goes out... you get
a few more points...) However... the banter didn't get going til mid-day for some reason..

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Here is a pic of the starting line up...

 

 

This is a pic of me short against Benyamine with my KQ os vs his A9 os (I guess it was taken before the flop but after the bad news... I was behind... again....)

 

And this was us a bit later... waiting for flop... sometimes they take a bit of time as it is a TV thing....

 

Obv I got there... after that the stacks were about the same for a LONG while... many hands... It was a bit before the final one.....

 

And this was after yet another suck out... my K10 os vs his AK os..  How I won three of these things in a row is anyones guess....

 

All Pics by Mickey May of Matchroom Sport... Thanks Mickey!  U rule!

Random observation.

On all three heats I played the final two players always had chip stacks of 1,880,000 vs 520,000 .... IDENTICAL in all three matches..
How nutso is that...

 

==========================

 

Manana... (8 hrs from now) Jesse May and I will be commentating on Heat 5.  This will be a blast for sure...

 

Cheers all...

Phil

Premier League - 2nd Heat - Another win!!

by Phil

1 Comments

Ubber Sick.

I am having a sick heater.... Won the second one.

Highlights.....

Roland de Wolfe was on over drive with the needles on Hellmuth.  High octane stuff. (Will make for great TV)

JC Tran got into it in with a few hands with Hellmuth.  Sick bluffs and twisted stuff for sure. (More great TV)

I hit a miracle 10 on the river to save me from going out in forth against JC Tran.  (When that 10 dropped my body and my mind were separate for about a minute or two.)

I hit a miracle 2 on the flop to finish Roland off when we were down to heads up.  (88 vs 22) (I just stared in disbelief.  I did it.  I won the second one.)

I get to commentate on Tuesday.  I love sitting in the commentary box.  You get to see everything in real time and it is the coolest thing ever.  (Also, I get quality time with Jesse May, and that is always great.)

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The celebration dinner was at Jasmine at the Bellagio.  (Yes, again - what can I say? I love that place.)  We had lots of cool dishes... As it is Chinese New Year the menu was super old school traditional Chinese style... and it was fun for sure.

When the amazing fried crab plate arrived.... I wondered what it might taste like.  But until I get to either 'ubber fit 'or 190 I am maintaining.  No fried food, no cheese, no ice cream, and crazy super limited intake on dairy, bread, pasta, and rice.  At 196 and holding strong.  When I get there I will have cheat days for sure... but til then.... I am going to see if I can be a machine all the way there.

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Lady GaGa.  Her music, though pop simple or whatever it is defined as, is actually good.  No... very good.  And her videos are really great. 

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Movies.... Wolfman opened and I still have not seen it.  This movie for sure is going to be great.  Still waiting to see Daybreakers.

Up in the Air.  Saw it.  It was ok.  I liked it a bit... but I would only give it an 80 or so.  Whatever...

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Ok, later

Phil

 

By the way... These two pics show what it looks like when u see that u r not racing but in fact a huge dog for the match... and the subsequent photo is what it looks like after the miracle card comes and you have settled in to the fact that indeed you have won the match!

 

Both of these pics from Mickey May of Matchroom Sport.  She rules.

Premier League - Won my first Heat

by Phil

1 Comments

Wow...

Won my first heat...

First I hit middle set against Negreanu's bottom two... Sick. 
It came 6c 5s 10c
I had 6d 6s and he had 5h 6h

I will win this match up 986 out of 987 times.  And I did.  (Running 5s could do me in.)

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Later I got it all in bad against Ian Frazer's KK... (I had 88)
but I hit an 8 on the flop and that was that...

Then there was a long stretch of normal (not all in crazy big pot style poker)...
And then a bit later.... the delicate pressure started to show its rewards and, and before I knew it ... it was Yevgeniy, JC Tran and I left.

(Random footnote... JC Tran was on my left... And on most of the unraised pots I looked down at junk and just went with the simple play.  Fold.  I folded LOADS of hands to him in that spot.   ... of course there were a few times where I raised with real hands, but for the most part he could pretty much assume I was folding the small blind because that was what I had been doing all night long.

However.... One time I went agro.  I raised with A8os (like this play) but I should have folded when he reraised me.  I felt I was beat and the math wasn't there.  But instead I went all in agro style and he made the quick call with 99.  Why do I donk style poker like this?  Such a spewtard move.  Anyway... I was needing an Ace for a HUGE ... mega huge pot.  I hit it.... And nearly broke him.)

Anyway... 3 handed I had an easy call to Yevgeniy shove and my hand held up.  So it came down to heads up between JC Tran and me. 

There was a bit of back and forth in the heads up play but he was in a tough spot to start as the lead started with me. (1,880,000 for me and 520,000 for him.)

On the last hand he had me preflop with A5os vs. my k7ss and that was that.  7 on the flop and it was over.

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So I have started the series with a perfect score.  16 points.  32,000$ bonus for the win, and my next match is tomorrow.

If you want to follow the action there are updates on...

http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/partypoker-premier-league-iv/premier-league-iv/day1/

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The luck spills over to the rest of my life as well.  Jennifer and I drove to the Bellagio afterwards to have dinner with my mum (who is in town for a few days).  Waiting at the bar in the restaurant for mum I thought it might be nice to catch her on her way in.  So out to the casino I went and tried to predict the path she would take.  Fail.  Too many options, too many people, bad idea.  Start walking back to restaurant (Jasmine - amazing Chinese food btw) and my buddy Noah from NYC (who I have not seen in 6 months) was just happening along on the same stretch of carpet.  He was also hungry.  He joined us for dinner and we had a great time.  

When you are on a streak the good stuff just starts hitting you from all angles... 

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A few random thoughts from tourney today.

1) Put some bubble gum into a pot today.  A first.  It was against Luke "Bubblegum" Schwartz.  (I like that for a nickname more than FullFlush.)  Seeing what I can do about starting to change his nickname.  I may fail, but heck, no harm in trying. He just looks like the type of guy who would chew gum and play cards.  And I think the name is just more fitting.

He won the pot.

2) Vanessa Rousso had killer shades on today.  Aviator, mirrored shades.  And Bubblegum Schwartz did too.  Vanessa and I donned ours 100% of the hands, while Bubblegum had them on only about 25% of the time.

Daniel Negreanu mentioned that he thinks they should not be allowed.  Huh??  That is crazy.  Shades, Hoodies and Free Speech is what I say!  However, Negreanu is in good company, Doyle Brunson thinks they are bad for poker as well.

3) JC Tran thinks that the buffet at the M Casino crushes (is better than) the Bellagio Buffet.  I thought it was close.

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That's it. More later.

Phil Laak
Degen for Life

 

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Pics below...

First one...  Starting Line Up...

 

And this one is me after I sucked out on JC.  My A8 (os) vs his 99.

 

And this is just some random pic of me at the start of Heads Up Play... Me vs JC Tran.

 

And then Finally... this is a pic after all the cards have settled.  My K7 (ss) out ran his A5 (os) to win the match, and that was that.

 

 

All these amazing pics were shot by Mickey May of Matchroom Sport.  She rules, and she happens to be the lucky lady married to Jesse May (Commentator and Author of "Shut up and Deal" (one of the top three poker books ever written).)