APL - 03/15/06

I went and played the 9:00 pm game at the End Zone in Plano last night. I started out good, getting cards that actually matched with the board. After a full house and a flush, I was up to 6500 in chips. After the break, another player suffered a bad beat and went all in under the gun. I had KJ and one other caller. I decided to call since he only had 2500 chips left. Flop was 478 and the person to my right went all in for 2200 more. I figured he had a king or an ace, so I decide to call. He turns over A10 and neither of us hit so he takes the side pot. The tilted player turns over Q7 of which he has the heart to make his flush with the 4 hearts on the board. Next hand with only 1600 left I go all in blind, get two callers and lose to the straight. I had 610 and he had 89 offsuit calling that after another player went all in before him for half his stack!!!!

Last night

Ok, here we go, Monday night I played at Big Johnson's Beer Garden. This bar is partially owned by Tex Barch who finished 3rd in the 2006 WSOP main event. The poker is run by the Amateur Poker League and Tex regularly plays in the game. If you are good enough to knock him out of the tournament, you get a $100 bounty and bragging rights to all your friends. I show up an hour early and sign up just in time. Tables are randomly assigned and they start with 9 tables of 8 players each on those annoying octagon tables. Well I draw table 8 and lo and behold Tex takes a seat. I am ready to take him out... I start off folding my first 20 hands either because they suck or a MANIAC two to my right is raising 10 times the blind or going all in preflop or on the flop. There is one thing worse than a maniac donkey and that is a maniac donkey who CATCHES his cards. I make it to the break only down 200 chips and the maniac has knocked out 4 players. Tex is still in so I am waiting for my chance. First hand after the break I look down at JJ so I raise 3x the blind to 600, everybody folds except for guess who? The maniac who pushes all in?!?! I know he is playing any two cards, so I call and he turns over A6s... (BUT THEY ARE SOOOOOOOOTED!!!) Flop is 578 and I know what is coming, turn is.... 9!!! and he gets his straight. As I stand up from the table, head hanging in disbelief I hear Tex say "amazing" and I walk off.

Free Poker

Since I have nothing else to do at work, I will post my experiences at playing poker. I mostly play the free tournaments around town such as APL and NPPL. My favorite game in Dallas is at the Lodge run by Dan Michalski. It attracts about 70-90 good players each week and it pays the first 5 places which is not bad for a freeroll. Each of the places come with a free lapdance.

1st - $150 in gift certificates
2nd - $100 in gift certificates
3rd - $60 in gift certificates
4th - $40 in gift certificates
5th - $20 in gift certificates

So far I have won it once, came in 2nd twice and made the final table 3 other times.

Another great thing about this tournament is you earn points just for playing and even more points if you make the final table. When you cross a threshold set by Dan, you are invited to a "Tournament of Champions" where the winner gets a $1000 seat to a WSOP event. Also the point leader at the end of the "season" gets a prize as well. The "season" started in October of last year and runs until June.

Every now and then, I will go play a cash game, but I don't have a bankroll as of yet so those are few and far between.

First Post - 03/15/06

Well I decided to join the million other people out there who are blogging about their poker experiences. Unlike the others however I am not much of a writer, but I am going to give this whole blogging thing a shot. My name is Derek Boswell and I am 31 years old. I live in Plano, Texas and have been playing hold 'em since October 2004. I got my start at a local bar in Addison where they were hosting a free tournament and first prize was a $40 gift certificate. I had watched a few WSOP episodes before that and I knew about Chris Moneymaker, but other than that, I had never played NLHE before. I signed up and before the game even started, I made the final table since there were only 7 players total!! We start playing, and I pretty much play any two cards and end up winning the tournament with 83o by flopping the boat!! My heads up opponent flopped two pair with his K8 and went all in, I happily called and realized this game is for me. After winning a few more tournaments at this bar, I felt like I could take on Doyle Brunson and suck out with 72. Finally I realized I wasn't playing correctly and after busting out early, I decided to learn how to play so I bought a few books. I now consider myself an average player who seems to do better against good players than suckouts.