HH Tourney

Players will start with T5000 chips. Blinds will be 20 mins long.
Payout is set for 1st=$250, 2nd=$150, 3rd=$100

25-50
50-100
75-150
100-200
200-400
300-600
400-800
500-1000
1000-2000
1500-3000
2000-4000
2500-5000
3000-6000
4000-8000
5000-10000
10000-20000

Good luck to all!!

HH Tourney Blind Structure

Players will start with T5000 chips. Blinds will be 20 mins long. Payout is set for 1st=$250, 2nd=$150, 3rd=$100

25-50

50-100           
75-150
100-200        
200-400
300-600
400-800
500-1000
1000-2000
1500-3000
2000-4000
2500-5000
3000-6000
4000-8000
5000-10000
10000-20000

Good luck to all!!

Christian Poker

I wanted to write something that weighs heavy on me from time to time.
Being a Christian and playing poker. I wanted to explain my thoughts
on the subject. To my knowledge it doesn't really say anything
directly about gambling. But there are several warnings in the
scriptures. Most of the problems Christians have with gambling is
because it involves uncertain money.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people,
eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves
with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10.

Every leisure activity is not a sin, but all sin is not clearly listed
in the Bible. Added to that, God doesn't just want us not to sin, but
he gives us an even higher goal. The Bible encourages us to consider
our activities in this way:

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial.
"Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by
anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

This verse appears again in 1 Corinthians 10:23, with the addition of
this idea: "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is
constructive." When an activity is not distinctly described as sin in
the Bible, we can ask ourselves these questions: "Is this activity
beneficial for me or will it become my master?? Will participation in
this activity be constructive or destructive to my Christian life and
witness??

The Bible does not explicitly say, "Thou shalt not play poker." Yet by
gaining a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures we have a trustworthy
guide for determining what pleases and displeases God.

Pleasing God isn't hard. He wants us to love him, and love others.
Playing poker can actually involve both of these. Loving God has
nothing to do with poker, tieing my shoes, eating an orange, or any
activity. So love God with your whole being. Loving others is often
hard at the table when they make a call for a one outer to come on the
river and it hits. I can honestly say many poker players are gonna be
disliked. But can you love people as Christ loved us and still give
them a hard time about their play?? I think the answer is yes, as long
as your not condemning his character. I also think God encourages
loving people through friendships. I have met and played poker with
thousands of people, and when that many people are put in your path
for a game I believe it's for a reason. God has blessed my life with
problems, and those hardships help others learn how I can glorify God
in hard times. I thank God for being able to minister through a game
and I hope I can continue. Remember being an influence to someones
eternal life can be as easy as being the small blind and talking about
your life to the big blind.

Keeping It Skinny,
FlacoJake

Luck in Poker

Throughout my poker career, brief as it may be, I often hear statements about the luck versus skill factor involved in poker. I also hear people's thoughts on bankroll management, and many other things, many of which I find erroneous and are backed by little statistical evidence. Many involve extremely small samples sizes, for example: "Man, I got 2 out-ed 3 times last night. Poker is all luck." "Why do I need $5000 set aside to play $1/$2? The maximum amount I can lose in a single session is only $500 tops. You're bankroll management concepts are absurd." I would like to present some statistics about the extreme ups and downs of the game. The data I use in my analysis is the hands that I played online on Full Tilt Poker during the month of September, at $.02/$.05, and October, at $.05/$.10. On the following graphs, the dark green line represents my actual winnings for that particular month. The light green represents my "All-In Expected Value". What is All-In Expected Value (or AI EV)? All-In EV is an imperfect measure of the luck factor that one experiences while playing poker. If you go all in before the flop with AK before the flop against 22, you will win about 48% of the time, and lose 52% of the time. Since you are almost even money, your All-In EV line will remain flat. If you win the hand, your winnings line will increase relative to your All-In EV line, and in that case be running better than your expectation. All-In expectation is only an imperfect measure because the times that you go all in on the flop in a blind versus blind war with T8 on a board of J,T,8 versus JT, your all in expectation is extremely negative, although this was obviously an extremely unlucky situation for you. Also, the times that you call an all in on the river with AA on a board of A, 2, 3, J, J versus your opponents JJ, your All In expectation line will sharply decrease despite JJ having 1 outed you on the river. In short, All In expectation only considers your expectation on the street when you are actually all in. With that in mind, how much can someone's winnings differ from their all in expectation? X-Axis = Dollars Won. Y-Axis = Hands Played. September: < September Winnings Image> October: By the end of the month of September, I had actually won $40.39 at $.02/$.05. But my All In Expectation was only $17.80! Essentially, luck accounted for over 400 big blinds, or 4 buy ins of 100 big blinds, of my winnings for the month of September. At hand 4,762 for the month of October, my All-In EV was -$2.01, but my actual winnings were -$62.27! And these swings are over a relatively small sample size of only 26,000 hands! (statistically significant samples are typically 50,000 - 100,000 or more hands) Greg Raymer, WSOP Main Event winner, once said that a single session of poker was 100% luck, and that a solid year of poker was 100% skill. I'm inclined to say he was right. Don't concern yourselves with the results of an individual hand, or even an individual session. Play solid poker, and over the long run your play will be rewarded. -Eric "Abacus" Detweiler

Hail To The Pros

I was watching poker after dark the top guns cash game. I was tottally impressed with a hand that involved Eli Elezra, Phil Ivey, Patrick Antonius, and Ilari Sahamias. Cue the video to 5mins 10secs and watch the awesomeness. I would like to say I make these correct moves, but I don't. Read the rest of this blog after watching the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksDoMPV28LI   Its amazing to me the knowledge and good decision making these players have. I ask you all this question. When you watch poker shows can you learn anything to use in your game?? In this hand you see Eli lay down a open ended straight draw, Patrick lay down a pair, and Phil say "how did I get involved in this hand in the first place". This hand also shows you the justice of poker. The best hand won the pot and was played well. It also showed how to lay a hand down. Im keeping this episode on the DVR for awhile. Oh, BTW I am not a Tom Dwan fan but I really enjoy his hand analysis. He is very informative and would be a good teacher if he ever loses his bankroll.   Keeping it Skinny, FlacoJake

Respect The Donk, No Matter What Color Chips He Has

There is a point to this title, you just have to look deeply. Over my years of playing poker I have played a lot of differant stakes. I've played .10/.20, all the way up to $5/$10 cash games. I've played in $500 buyin tourneys down to $5 buyin tourneys. When playing these differant levels of investment I've tried to play good cards and not let the money affect my play. However, I find myself laying down the nut low to a $250 bet thinking I'm getting three quartered. (bad play), or calling every bet at a .25/.50 cash game because it's only 50 cents. This shouldn't be the case in either level. I should respect the game of poker, and not the money. If I'm playing .25/.50 or $5/$10 I should play the style of game I have consistently won with. I have to give Chris Ferguson props he can start out with $1 in an account and play his same style and turn that $1 into $10k in one year. How?? Well he respects his skill and doesn't let the money affect his play.
Small or big stakes the game itself doesn't change. Here comes the explanation of the title. I have found that it is very common for a losing player to blame his or her loss on the stakes they were playing. For example, I play in a .25/.50 cash game from time to time. I have lost a total of $300 at that game this year and I've only played there 4 times. Everytime I left the game I always thought "I just can't play those low stakes." I realized just recently that I'm not respecting the game or my skills. I can consistently win if I'm playing consistent to my playing style and knowledge. I also have decided to not let another player needle me about the stakes I play. If I play .25/.50 cash games and have a profit everytime I play then I'm happy with my play. I do not want to become a stake snob. I need to respect the game itself and look at it as the task at hand. The task is to have more money then I started with. I know a lot of you look at playing
cards as just recreation and you play just to have fun. Well, I do too! I have fun when I win. It's not much fun if I lose everytime I play. If im losing all the time it's probably not because I have white $1 chips in front of me instead of black $100 chips. It's probably because I suck!! And if your playing against players who suck at cards, then get ready for the suckouts. Keep playing your winning style no matter who the players or how big the big blind is. Respect the donks that's where your money will come from.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

I Got A Sick Table!!

I want to start this post off by thanking everyone who had a hand in surprising me with a beautiful poker table. Its the table I have designed in my head and the right people payed attention to the right things I said I wanted. I want to give a special thank you to my table guy Bryan, my dad, and my super hot wife. Without Bryan's great creativity on tables the PP House would not exist and neither would my table. Thanks to my dad and wife for pulling the trigger for me. They knew I would never spend the money on a poker table for myself, so they spent it for me. And of course everybody who through some money in the pot to help a fellow player out. This gesture really shows that our players know the value of friendship. I can't wait to play on my table. Thanks a ton!!

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Where Is Everybody??

I have been wondering where everybody went?? Our regular Friday game has shrunk a bit. Many of the regulars have been absent several weeks and I'm getting a little sad. I know some of you have made your wives/girlfriends, work, saving money, etc a priority. But it's getting pretty crazy. I've missed River Moseley, Abacus, Andrew, Frank the Jew, Wayne and many others. I hope everyone is doing ok and is back to the house soon. I hope this next game has somemore familiar faces.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Thought's from a new Dad!

Monday afternoon was one of the best days of my life to date. As you all know by now, Trudy and I are going to have our first baby. It is a strange feeling knowing that is nine short months we will have a little bit of Trudy and myself rolled up in to a tiny little person. It has already started putting my life in prospective, the way I think of the future, and the way I look at Trudy, the way she looks at me. I find my self-thinking of the fun stuff.

     Teaching a little part of us the ways of life, and things my father taught me, to have pride in everything you put your hands on because it will have your name on it. Teaching this little person how to play poker and the different kinds of hunting and how to calling in that spring Turkey that's so far away in a distant pasture into range, and I find myself asking myself " Am I ready for this".

    I see Trudy and how she smiles when we talk about the nursery and how we want it to look, the long nights and the worry we will have when this little person start walking and pulling on Allie floppy ears. It's always the same answer, " however hard, we will find the way".

I can't wait for the future to get here, Trudy will be a great Mom, and with her help I will be a great Dad. Time will tell us all what we need to know. God has true blessed us with this great news, and with him walking with us I know that things are going to be fine.

 

Terry

 

News Of The Week

I just got some great news. Our resident poker babe Trudy is going to have a babe. Terry just phoned to tell me that he's gonna be a daddy. They are both super excited. I'm very happy for them. I'm glad you could go all in when it counted!!

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

This week I have chosen my good buddy Scott. Scott is a regular at the
PP House. He has become a staple like many others. Scott is gambler,
he's not afraid to put all his chips in the middle. He's always ready
to bluff, but also ready to call a bluff. Like all of us Scott has had
his good and bad runs but one thing is a constant with Scott he always
has a good time. He is always making everyone laugh at the table. His
poker skills have really developed over the last year. I have seen him
turn his game around from wreckless endangerment to just endangerment.
I mean that in the best sense!! Scott met our game through my brother
J. Scott and J go to church with one another and also play in a band
together. Scott is a happily married man to his wife Candice and has a
daughter Mackenzie. He's a proud dad, he talks about his sassy little
girl frequently. He also loves his wife dearly, except when she's
sending him text photos of ugly man crocs shoes she wants to buy him.
Glad you said no to those buddy. Scott has become a very important
part of our poker family. He has also become a dear friend to me and
my family. I'll see you at the table Scott, I'll try and make good
reads when we mix it up.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

What Did You Say??

I'm having a hard time picking this weeks player of the week. I had several suggestions of who it should be. I also had a couple of people in mind. However, I still have no idea who to pick. I try and pick someone who shows a certain amount of poker skill but also a good amount of character. I'm sure that most everyone that is a regular at the PP House knows everybody is basicly a good person. We all needle each other and smack talk back and forth. This is all done without bringing someones character or behavior into the game. I was not really impressed with anyones poker this week. The reason why I wasn't impressed is because there was some needling and comments being made that went beyond the line of poker smack. I'm not mad by any means and nothing that was said was picked up by anyone but me. So no need to elaborate on who, what when or where. I really think that poker is a game of life. Everything in the game of poker is in the game of life. One certain part of life and poker is choosing ones words very carefully. I'll be honest with you there was only one player that made any comments that directly influenced my decision to post this online. I don't really care about people getting needled, its part of the game. I don't even care if it seems like one players is getting picked on more then the others. Most comments are directly influenced by someones play not their character. Like Dave calling any preflop bet with ace rag, or Scott and Mark blind betting, or dad hitting the flop with deuce 4 and saying he had pot odds. These are plays that ask for needling from other players. Most players except this and dont take it personal. When you take needling personally and then you retaliate with what you think is a great come back turns out to be a jerk comment then your in the wrong. This is what happened Friday. Let me be very clear.. I love the needling, I love the smack talk, and I don't want anyone to change this part of our game. What I would suggest though is make sure your smack talk is only valid at the table. If you give someone a hard time about behavior or actions outside of the game then keep an eye on your feet. I wouldn't want you to put your foot in your mouth. I'll be posting player of the week probably manana. Keeping It Skinny, "Flaco" Jake www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

This weeks player of the week is Tom Borgerding. Tom is a one of the CSOP founders. He's played in almost every single CSOP event. He has been instrumental in several of the changes to help improve the CSOP. He has also been instrumental in the decision in giving each player more chips to start out with. This is because Tom needed more bluffing room in the beginning of the tournament. What can I say about Tom's poker play?? Well, Tom's play is like watching a good movie, you have no problem paying to be entertained. I have seen Tom play bald headed with a fake tattoo pasted to his forehead. I have seen him bust out the first hand and I have seen him beat everybody to take 1st place. Tom is not a middle ground type he usually busts out early or makes it to the end. His play is super aggressive and you never know when to believe him. He has come along way since I first played the game at my first CSOP. I can honestly say that he is very entertaining to
watch. Every week I try to pick a player with a certain flare to their play but mostly players who show good character. Tom is a great dad and a happily married man of several years. He gives his family priority and keeps their needs met. He is a jack of all trades. He owns a few businesses that he keeps running all by himself. He is also a God fearing man who has been a spiritual leader to many people. He understands and appreciates Gods mercy. He has been through many physical battles with heart troubles, but presses on knowing God is in control. We should all take heed a bit to the way Tom looks at poker and life, sometimes it's not how well you play but how much fun did you have playing?? Congratulations Tom on being player of the week, I think you got your groove back.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

I'm going to throw a wrench into the spokes a bit. This weeks player of the week is Terry Morgan. Yeah, I said Terry. I know he wasn't at the game on Friday. However, he was at the Monday game and was a huge winner after playing well and getting good cards. He was absent for the Friday game when out of town trips came first. Terry has become a regular fixture at the Pettigrew Poker House. His play has improved dramaticly over the last year. Terry is an eager student of the game and continues to show great growth. Making good reads, slow playing big hands, and laying down at the right times is very important when your a poker player. At the PP House we admire character more then skill. Terry is a young man with a growing character and attitude towards life and it's many roads. He has shown me great improvement in his maturity in the short time I've known him. He has also shown a great amount of love and respect in his relationship to Trudy. I respect a
man that always includes his companion in the things he enjoys. I am blessed to call him my friend.

Now that is all out of the way, I still want to say that Jake remains neutral in the Scott vs Terry CSOP prop bet.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

I Was Robbed!!

After further investigation, I have been notified through the Department Of Public Safety and by the Fort Worth police department. The speed limit on a residential street is 30mph. I write this for the record that I was screwed out of $20 by my own flesh and blood. I love my father dearly but man what a cheater!! Just kidding, he did win the bet. However, the prop master will soon have another wager ready to go and I'll be sure to not get screwed on the next one.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

Okay, last nights late night texting I apologize for. I will give you a recap of how things unfolded. Last night dad, J, me, and all of our families were coming back from Shreveport where we were visiting my other brother who lives there. Bored and trying not to fall asleep I ask dad "what is the over under on arrival time??" He says with his supreme driving skills we will arrive at 11:43. I said I bet the over. So the bet was set that if be arrived before 11:43 he won $5, if he arrived at 11:44 or later I won $10, if he arrived within the minute of 11:43 he gets $30. In the car the bet has been made and my nephew says "i gotta pee". We all start to bust out laughing. With that pit stop it added about 5 minutes to our trip. At around 11:00 dad starts to get a little nervous. With my supreme prop betting skills I decide to renegotiate with him. The new bet was if we arrived at 11:48 or under he got $10, if we arrived within the 11:48 minute he got $30 and
he also got my vote and J's vote for player of the week, if we arrived at 11:49 or later I got $15 and dad had to run around the car twice. J and I had our GPS systems working overtime, and the hamster in dads brain was running like a race horse while dad calculated speed, mileage, and time left. We also put a call into Abacus to see who was the favorite. Going off of GPS and all the calculations we knew it was going to be close. At 11:40 we were going under the bridge of Bryant Irvin on I-20. The rules were he could not exceed his speed anymore then 5 miles above the speed limit and he couldn't drop below the speed limit at any time. Exiting 377 he had 4 minutes. At the red light at Williams Rd he had 2 minutes. After the light turned green he had less then 2 minutes. I was getting nervous, I figured I was going to lose I just wasn't sure of how much I would lose. Turning onto Willowbend he had 30 seconds. Traveling down his street at 12 miles an hour
(what is the speed limit on a residential street??) he pulled into his driveway 10 seconds into the 11:48 minute. I lost $30 and dad had become victorious. He won money and because most people voted for themselves as player of the week he had the majority of votes with 4 votes. Props goes to dad for his driving and math skills. As far as his poker playing I guess he did aight. Stupid prop bet, who was dumb enough to bet on that crap??!! I do wish to know what the speed limit is on his street. If it's higher the 12 miles an hour then arbitration may be in order. :)

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

I had a hard time picking this weeks player. I decided to highlight a player that hasn't been to the game in a while. The reason I decided to make him player of the week is because he won one of the biggest pots he could ever win on February 14th. Blake Riggs raked in a good looking baby boy named Tommy Blake. Blake has played many times with us and has had his share of good and bad days at the Pettigrew Poker Casa. I'm sure his poker sessions will be a little limited for awhile. We all know babies take time and money. These two things are imperitive to a poker player, so it was great to play with you Blake. Just kidding buddy. Congrats are in order and hope to see you at the table again soon.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Player Of The Week

I have decided to try and post a player of the week column. We will see if I can keep it going. My first player to be singled out is my good friend, Mike Neil. Mike is a great friend I met through the CSOP. I have seen his game grow by leaps and bounds over the course of about 3 years. He has really grasped the game in both cash games and tournement play. He runs a great poker game as well with the CSOP going into it's 2nd season. More importantly then anything else he's a very good person. His character is pure and simple. He is a godly man who understands he's nothing without Christ in his life. He is a great father and a devoted husband. Unlike a lot of players Mike keeps poker in it's correct spot on the priority list. I can honestly say that Mike is a true friend, even though he jipped me out of the point lead in last years CSOP. I love playing the game with you Mike. Make sure you keep the game up, because at your age it's going to start getting
tough keeping other things up. I love ya man.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

Gracias!!

I just wanted to thank everbody who came out to my birthday game. It turned out to be a great game and a good time. I was able to spend time with some old friends and get to know new ones. We had several great moments that I will remember forever. I really appreciated the awesome card covers that were custom made for me. I wanted to thank my pop for throwing the shindig. I also wanted to thank you for not punching anyone or anything. Congratulations are in order for being up a $1, you proved the fact that every dog plays with his bone, ooops I mean finds a bone sometimes. All joking aside sir, you are my best friend and I want to thank you for being there for your boys. Everyday I'm thankful for another breath, I am truly blessed to have friends and family like all of you. Thanks again for everything.

Keeping It Skinny,
"Flaco" Jake

www.36kilos.blogspot.com

From the dealers seat.

Jake stole my topic in his blog at 4:30 a.m., so I this should be quick. I've been gone for a few weeks, and this was my first week back. Gotta say I missed the game, especially from my usual seat behind the deck. Good turnout, new faces, old faces we haven't seen, but a few people that weren't there, that were missed. No Scott, Mosely, or Abacus and it was noticeable. Last night was marked by some gutsy moves, some ridiculous betting, and some stunning folds (that none of you ever saw). Most notably, Matt laying down pocket queens with only a few dollars in the pre-flop raise. I know he was playing tight and low on chips, but that pot would have been a no-contest all in from me. *doing my Abacus impersonation* - Ahhh, but I digress...

From my vantage point, I got to evaluate the good and the bad, and here's my opinion and that's all it is. I'm not a pro, and I'm definitely not the best player at the table (EVER), but I watch alot of poker, mostly at our game. There isn't a single player at our game that I don't think belongs there. Every one has their place. I don't agree with the way some players play, but that doesn't make it wrong. Maybe all the poker books say that when someone takes a certain action, you should raise, fold, or fall on the ground kicking and screaming, but that doesn't mean everyone should play by the book. Everyone has their style, so play the player, not the cards. We've got players who are willing to take a risk to chase cards to the river. Players that will play any two cards, and raise with them. Players that will throw $20 at a pot without even looking at their cards. And yes, players that will fold pocket queens to a $4 raise.

I don't see anything wrong with any of that stuff. It's just their style of play - right or wrong. They shouldn't have to change their game, or learn to play "the right way". They might win alot of money that night, or lose $200 in 30 minutes. Overall the smart player will always come out on top. So just relax, keep coming to the game, and only bring with you what you are willing to lose. If your not having fun, you're missing the point.

Until next time, I'll be here shuffling...

~J~