Poker and other gambling

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 12:51 am

Texas Hold-em, stud, razz, horse betting, sports betting, whatever - let's talk.

If you're interested in playing poker online - for free or for real - PokerStars is the place to do it. Most other sites have closed their doors to US customers, so don't bother.

If you're interested in horse betting, you're on easy street. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that congress passed a couple months ago protects the practice, which is a real mindfuck.

If you're interested in sports betting, you're on your own. The UIGEA is mostly aimed at this. Get yourself a bank account in Ireland and wager through proxies.

For discussion on the UIGEA, there's a slow thread here.

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With that taken care of, my game of choice is NL Hold'em, PokerStar's turbo tournaments to be specific. You start pretty short-stacked, and the blinds move up very quickly.

The appeal of these tournaments is that the math involved can be broken down rather methodically, and good (break even long-term) play can be learned in a few weeks. The biggest appeal, however, is that you can play so many hands (think - roughly 30 hands per hour, multiply that by how many tables you are playing (my coach plays 8 at a time)), and the return on your investment comes back so quickly.

Anyway, let's talk poker.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 6:01 pm

This is why you don't make retarded pushes. I took his AK down. What a donk.

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:59 pm

Fuck off with your stupid gambling crap. Thank you.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:06 pm

This thread looks like spam.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:18 pm

Well then thank you for bumping my spam.

I just wanted to see if there was anyone else here who had more than a passing interest in the game. A scrabble thread is better?

Caravan Ray · Post by **Caravan Ray** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:39 am

The Sober Irishman wrote: A scrabble thread is better?

A Scrabble thread is a zillion* times better

(*with the zed on a triple letter score plus 50 for using all my tiles.)

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 3:01 am

I dunno, I think this is kind of interesting. And it's why we've got a monkey business section of our forum, right?

Edit: I downloaded this game and I've lost about 3 grand in fake money. Fun! I won't be bellying up to the cash tables anytime soon.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 1:51 pm

Well Jim, if you change your mind, you can always come sit directly to my left at any table. Your mone- ah, presence - would be welcomed.

Also keep in mind that the free games are a different game altogether. People there are retarded and don't care about what they're doing because it doesn't cost them. At the low cash games people care, but they're still retarded.

jimtyrrell · Post by **jimtyrrell** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 5:53 pm

Yeah, I can tell that people are pretty careless with free money. The sad thing is, I'm really trying, but I'm still losing hand-over-fist. Of course, I don't know much about the odds. I'm familiar enough with the gameplay. I'm like ex-Quarterback Steve Deberg, as he was once described: just good enough to lose the game.

Having fun, though.

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 6:29 pm

January 17th, 2007:

Sober, malnourished and homeless, gets arrested for solicitation outside a 'net cafe. No one is surprised.

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:16 pm

Sven wrote:January 17th, 2007:

Sober, malnourished and homeless, gets arrested for solicitation outside a 'net cafe. No one is surprised.

The surprising thing is that he thought I'd pay fifty bucks for it. I mean, really. Twenty, tops. He ain't that cute.

Sober · Post by **Sober** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:03 pm

Revive!

After some searching, I see that Billy's Little Trip plays on a regular basis. Blue also occasionally plays, it looks like. Does anyone play online?

I've switched back to tourneys from cash with good success. Cash was a nightmare of variance, and I couldn't deal with it. I'll be moving to a higher stake table once I hit $600.

I also need to get a second monitor so I can play more than 4 tables at once.

everlikemikey · Post by **everlikemikey** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 12:41 am

Reist · Post by **Reist** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 9:21 am

I tried playing craps. That game is so hard to win.

Billy's Little Trip · Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:34 am

I don't play Internet poker. In fact, I do as little as I can via the inter web.
I am an avid poker player, but a huge part of it is getting together with friends to drink, smoke cigars (or whatever one smokes) and shoot the shit. Plus there is a very gratifying feeling about taking a guys money face to face, fair and square and he has to hand it over because of the gamblers code.
It's like that pirate oath, when they say "parlay". There are no contracts or legalities, it's just a code that everyone has to live by, and respect.

EmbersOfAutumn · Post by **EmbersOfAutumn** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 1:13 pm

I actually am a huge fan of Hold-em for play money. I never would gamble with real money.

I think the game is a really interesting look at the human psyche, asking yourself "Why would he bid what he did during that particular event?" and what-not. I even find myself watching it on tv.