9/24: Batman and Robin in The Adventures of Superman

Sunday night, Sept 24, 2006

1) Website
2) General
3) Radio
4) Reviews
5) Issue Notes
6) Space/Ocean Headlines
7) Quiz


1) Website

http://jophan.org/mimosa/

Mimosa is a pretty interesting fan magazine, with all its issues archived online. Check it out - you’ll enjoy it.

2) General

Bad/stupid/obscene ads:

“A car dealership in Ohio is making jokes about Muslim jihadists: COLUMBUS, Ohio - A car dealership's planned radio advertisement that declared "a jihad on the automotive market" has drawn sharp criticism for its content but will not be changed, the business said Saturday.

Several stations rejected the Dennis Mitsubishi spot, which says sales representatives wearing "burqas" — head-to-toe traditional dress for Islamic women — will sell vehicles that can "comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back."

"Our prices are lower than the evildoers' every day. Just ask the pope!" the ad says. "Friday is fatwa Friday, with free rubber swords for the kiddies." A fatwa is a religious edict.

Dealership president Keith Dennis said the ad does not disrespect any religion or culture. He said it was "fair game" to poke "a little fun at radical extremists."

"It was our intention to craft something around some of the buzzwords of the day and give everyone a good chuckle and be a little bit of a tension reliever," he said.

The Columbus chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations decried the ad as disrespectful.”

I wouldn’t say it’s disrespectful to muslims, but it’s certainly disrespectful to all the people who have been killed or mutilated by Jihadists...and is in *incredibly* bad taste.


3) Radio
Episode 10 of Journey Into Space and last Jefferson 27 now online at BBC Radio 7.

4) Reviews
Everyone’s Hero is an animated film. “Yankee” Irvin is the son of the janitor at Yankee Stadium. He longs to be a baseball player, but he can’t bat for toffee. He visits his dad at the stadium, and sees a man dressed as a security guard. This man is actually a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs, who has to steal Babe Ruth’s bat Darlin’, so that his boss (Robin Williams in an uncredited role) will allow him to pitch against the Yankees. The Cubs and the Yankees are playing in the World Series (which actually never happened in real life, by the way.)

The movie’s....okay. It never got as many laughs as Barnyard did from the little kiddies, and did seem to go on and on... Baseball fans will probably like it - although I was kind of disappointed that although Gehrig’s name is seen on a locker, we never see him (the movie’s supposed to take place in 1926). The Yankee manager will probably look familiar - he resembles Joe Torre and Torre provides the voice as well.

The ending is ridiculous...”Yankee” gets to bat in the game, and gets an inside the park homerun, which spurs the rest of the team to recover and win the Series. If it hadn’t been for that...

5) Issue Notes
Too much football today...but I did finish Batman’s Great Mystery (radio script) and a page on superhero collectibles.

6) Space/Ocean Headlines

Space
Japan launches Sun 'microscope' -- BBC News
NASA Chief in China to Discuss Space Cooperation -- New York Times
Why trust China in space? – Houston Chronicle
NASA chief in China, meets top officials - China Daily

A Sit n Go Machine

For the readers who may not be familiar with the term "sit n go" I will explain. A sit n go is a small poker tournament with a set number of players. For example, a ten person sit n go is a ten person poker tournament where everyone buys-in for a set amount of money and top 3 places will make some money and the other 7 people will get nothing. Some common sit n go's contain 10, 9, or 6 players.

Over the past 3 nights I have been playing 2 person sit n go's. Myself and another person will put up a certain amount of money and winner will take all. Since poker cash games have been going so shitty lately i decided to take a brake from that and try something less stressful which are the small sit n go tournaments. I've been playing anywhere from 50 dollar to 100 dollar sit n gos. No Limit Hold em and Pot Limit Omaha are my two best tournament games. So ive played a few of these heads up sit n go's the past three nights and i've made a 1000 bucks off of them so far.

The opponents I have been playing are soooo terrible. They really have no idea what they are doing. Playings me one on one is a very bad money management decision. I rarely lose and when i lose it is mostly because of my opponent getting lucky on a hand he played poorly.

I just moved into my apartment and am dreading the thought of school coming on monday. I can get good grades with little studying so it still leaves plenty of time to play poker. The thing that might distract me from playing is my 3 other roommates because we are always going to be doing stuff together.

I'm not playing any sunday tournament this sunday because ill probaly be busy and I dont really like big multi-table tournaments anyways.

I'll prolly keep grinding out these sit n gos for awhile until i get bored of them and jump back into the cash games. Everyday i think about how next summer i will finally venture off to the World Series Of Poker and make my run for some big wins. No poker tonight though. Hopefully when i wake up tomorrow i can get a few good hours in.

Can't make the World Series of Poker?

Then enter the World Championship of Strip Poker, taking place in London next month.

And apparently they're not kidding.

Note to Doyle Brunson - if you're going to enter, for the love of God, don't lose!

poker superstars: Maryland accountant Benjamin Lin thrashes all ...

by Nolan Dalla filed under World Series of Poker


Las Vegas, NV – When play at the final table of the $5,000 buy-in Seven-Card Stud championship became three-handed, a few bystanders glanced at the remaining players up on the main stage at the Rio. They had the following exchange:


Spectator 1: Who’s left?

Spectator 2: I see Cyndy Violette up there.

Spectator 1: Who else?

Spectator 2: There’s Sean “Sheik” Sheikhan.

Spectator 1: What about the other guy?

Spectator 2: I don’t know. He’s just some other guy.


Benjamin Lin represents all the “other guys” who play poker. He epitomizes many thousands of mostly-unknown names and faces who plow through huge tournament fields, make final tables, yet are not given the attention and admiration they probably deserve. While television and media focus mostly on the poker superstars, many “other guys” (and ladies, too) are out there day in and day out fighting for prize money and respect – not necessarily in that order.

Three days ago, Benjamin Lin walked into the Rio Las Vegas as a 31-year-old accountant from suburban Washington-DC, who liked to play poker in his spare time. After winning the Seven-Card Stud championship at the 2006 World Series of Poker, presented by Milwaukee’s best Light, Lin is walking out of the Rio as the latest WSOP gold bracelet winner. He pulverized a highly-competitive field of 182 entrants who each put up five grand in what has become known as the “world championship” of one of poker’s most long-established games.

After 174 players had been eliminated over two days, eight players took the final table on the Rio poker stage. The eight finalists comprised a formidable lineup. Two were former WSOP gold bracelet winners – “Miami John” Cernuto with three wins, and Cyndy Violette with one victory.

This final table was exceptional for at least one reason. Perhaps no single individual has done more for poker during his lifetime than Mike ‘The Mad Genius” Caro. The former hippie used to destroy lowball draw games that were popular in California during the 1970s. Later, he started writing about poker and became one of the game’s top theorists. Caro played against (and beat) a computer, devised numerous strategies that helped thousands of poker players, and appeared on national television numerous times as the game’s top spokesman. In the 1990s, he founded “Mike Caro University,” which held classes at the Hollywood Park Casino in Los Angeles. Books, magazine articles, and seminars turned losers into winners. Yet for all of his contributions to poker science over the years, many newcomers still do not know of Caro’s profound impact on the game.

In the stud event, Caro -- who rarely plays in poker tournaments -- was making his first WSOP final table appearance in twenty years. Unfortunately, “The Mad Genius” was the first player to bust out. He lost holding (Q-10) 10-K-5-2 (X) against (K-10) A-K-3-7 (3) – which made two pair. Caro collected $21,385 for eighth place, which was his third cash at this year’s World Series.

Lupe Munquia went out next. Munquia, who owns a paint and body shop in Odessa, Texas, crashed in seventh place when his split kings were topped by two pair. Munquia had (K-4) K-2-A-10 (3) which lost to Allen Kessler’s (J-3) A-8-3-8 (6). Munquia received $29,939.

Patrick Bueno was the next player to be eliminated. The businessman from Paris, France went out on a diamond draw, which missed. Meanwhile, his opponent Benjamin Lin made a lowly pair of nines which was enough to take down the pot. Bueno was sixth – good for $38,493.

On the very next hand, Benjamin’s chip stack increased even more when he knocked out veteran poker superstar “Miami John” Cernuto. “Miami John,” who once worked as an air traffic controller before becoming a full-time professional, went off the radar screen when his buried tens failed to improve. Cernuto had (10-10) Q-3-J-2 (8) which lost to Lin’s (Q-8) Q-J-A-5 (4). Fifth place paid $76,986.

Allen Kessler has been playing on the tournament circuit for five years. The Temple University graduate has cashed many times and has made it to several final tables, but he has yet to achieve a WSOP win. Kessler’s attempt came up short again when his split tens improved to two pair, losing to Cyndy Violette’s higher-two pair. The final hand showed Kessler with (K-10) 10-3-5-4 (4) against Violette’s (J-6) 2-J-Q-K (Q). Kessler collected $76,986 for fourth place.

When play became three-handed, Cyndy Violette had to like the circumstances. Violette, who has been playing professionally for 15 years and who is one of the East Coast’s top Seven-Card Stud players, was competing for gold bracelet Number Two. This marks the third consecutive year she has made it to a WSOP final table. Violette was the early aggressor but just as it appeared she might run over the table, her two opponents began playing back at her and started taking down big pots. On her final hand, Violette was dealt several high cards and missed a flush draw, which knocked her out of the tournament. Violette’s (Q-9) A-10-7-K (X) with four hearts was cracked by Lin’s (K-K) 8-6-6-3 (X) which made two pair. Cyndy Violette received $102,648 for third place.

Sean “Sheik” Sheikhan has been described as poker’s lightening rod. He certainly electrifies any game he plays in – mostly the world’s highest-limit cash games. Sheikhan did his best to unnerve his opponent with table talk, daring his adversary to call when at a competitive disadvantage and at other times simply making it clear to everyone within listening distance that the “Sheik” was the better poker player. Unfortunately, Sheikhan ran bad in heads-up play, often starting with a solid hand which turned into a loser.

Sheikhan lost the final hand of the night when his (9-6) K-A-K-J (2) was snapped off by Lin when he caught an inside straight on seventh-street. Lin ended up with (9-9) 6-8-10-5 (7) – good for the ten-high straight. Sheikhan, who was born in Iran and now lives in Las Vegas, collected $171,080 for second place.

Benjamin Lin took his place the elite class of 396 players (out of over a 100 million worldwide) who have won a WSOP gold bracelet over the entire 37-year history of the world’s premier poker spectacle. Lin’s winnings amounted to $256,620.

Winning an event at the World Series changes everything. Perhaps the next time he makes it to a final table heads-up, the conversation will now describe Benjamin Lin as a poker champion – playing against the other guy.


Note: “X” denotes unknown card.


Overall Tournament Statistics (through end of Event #28):

Total Entries to Date: 25,432

Total Prize Money Distributed: $ 52,786,707

The World Series of Poker

Mere words can't describe what I was feeling after I checked into my room at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon. I was finally here, the World Series of Poker. I went down to the poker area after I dropped off my luggage in my room, and quite frankly, I have never seen anything like it. There were hundreds of poker tables in this gigantic meeting room, and God knows how many people playing poker, milling about, and gawking at the poker royalty. Within fifteen minutes I had introduced myself and spoken with Daniel Negranu, said hello to Greg Raymer, and eyeballed almost every poker superstar I had ever seen on television. I was in nirvana, and the fact that I was going to be part of it was beyond thrilling.

After I made the final registration for the next day's tournament, my buddy and I went to the Sahara Hotel to play in a no-limit tournament there as a warm-up for the next day. The very first poker tournament I ever played in was this very same tournament at the Sahara almost two years ago, and it had a very familiar feel. I did pretty well and lasted until there were four tables left before I got knocked out. Then we went back to the Rio and joined a 4-8 limit hold em game on the WSOP floor. You see, while the actual WSOP tournament events are taking place, there are satellites and sit and go tournaments, and money games, both high and low limit, all happening at the same time. There were a couple of real arrogant big mouth buffoons at this table, and they obviously pinned me for a fish right away. I lost seventy bucks pretty quickly, but then started to catch cards, and trapped them in hands, and bluffed successfully, and check raised successfully, and I took these bozos down that night for two hundred and fifty dollars. It was sweet.

And then, the next day, yesterday to be exact, came the moment of truth, the one thousand dollar buy-in no limit event. I had a pre-determined strategy, where I was going to be ultra selective about the starting hands I was going to play, I was not going to chase, I was going to follow my gut instinct, and I was not going to let myself be put all in unless I had the nuts. The very first hand came, and I was dealt pocket 9's. You gotta be kidding me, one hand into this tournament, and I already have a tough decision to make. The big blind was 25 dollars, and the guy to my right raised it to 75. I called, several people dropped, and then a guy in late position re-raised to 375. Holy hand grenades, Batman, this is only the very first hand, and already I have a tough decision. The guy to my right folded and it was up to me. I put the raiser on either a higher pair or a hand like AK or AQ. Well, I didn't want to shove in a bunch of chips and lose right off the bat to a higher pair, or a drawing hand that may end up with a higher pair after the flop. It was just too soon for me to play a middle pair like that, at least in my mind. So, I folded it. Was that the right play? Who knows, all I know was that if the pair had been higher I would have called, but my gut instinct told me to lay it down, so I did.

Four hands later, I was dealt AQ in early position to the left of the big blind. I raised to 150. Everyone folded, except for one guy, who called. The flop came A-J-3, rainbow (meaning all different suits). I thought I was golden with a pair of Aces, and a high kicker, so I bet out 300 (mind you, everyone starts out with 1500 chips and there are no re-buys, once you're out of chips, you're done). The guy raised me 300. So I thought about it, what could he have? An ace with a higher kicker? Maybe. But I just didn't think so, I thought I had him beat and he was trying to bluff me off the pot. So I called.

The turn card was another Ace, so now I had three aces with a very high kicker. I thought again about what the other guy might have, and my gut instinct said to play it aggressively. I threw all my chips in, he called, and the son of a bitch turned over an AK. I couldn't freaking believe it, the bastard had me out-kicked. Of course, there was no help for me on the river (only a Queen could have saved me), and just like that, I was knocked out. Twenty minutes into the tournament. I felt like crying.

I ran into Chris (Jesus) Ferguson heading towards the tournament as I was heading back to my room, and I asked him if I could go over the hand with him. He agreed, and told me that there was nothing I could do, that I played it right, and I just got beat. Damn!!!

Since then, I have run the hand over and over in my mind about three hundred times, and I realize that I didn't think things through sufficiently. When the guy raised me after my bet on the flop, that should have told me that I was beaten at that point, that either he had me out-kicked, or he had AJ (which would have given him two pair), or that he had pocket jacks and had flopped a set. I should have laid the hand down at that point. The other thing to consider is that, since I was first to act after the blinds, I was out of position. Dan Harrington, in his book on no limit poker, says to be very selective from that position, and that you should not play AQ unsuited when you are first to act. Well, I learned a very expensive lesson that Harrington was right. I wish I had remembered that, and had lain the hand down.

Here was my thinking. When the second ace came out on the board, that meant three aces were accounted for (the two on the board and the one in my hand). Only a little more than half the deck had been utilized, so the chances were pretty good that the other ace was in the unused part of the deck. I thought that maybe the guy was trying to bluff me off the hand with something like KJ or QJ. I just didn't believe that he had the other ace with a better kicker. And, for once, my gut instinct failed. Part of my gut instinct said to fold, and the other part went through the analysis laid out above. The bottom line was that I was beat.

The next time I am in that spot, I won't play the hand in that position. And if I do play it, and I get raised like that, I will respect the raise and fold. Easy to say now, but very tough to do. Think about it, I had three aces with the second best kicker. How in the world do you get away from that hand? Or as Jesus Ferguson told me, "what are you gonna do?" My first experience in the World Series of Poker, and I was gone in twenty minutes. Unbelieveable.

That night, I went back to the Sahara and played in yet another no limit tournament. There were 176 players, and I survived to the final two tables and finished 17th. Not good enough to win any money, but a pretty respectable finish. The tournament was filled with players who had played in the WSOP and had been knocked out on bad beats and were licking their wounds. I felt like I was not alone. I also learned that Jennifer Tilly, the actress-turned-poker pro, who won the ladies event at the World Series last year, was the first person knocked out of the World Series event on the very first hand. I guess she played her pocket nines, or whatever marginal hand she was dealt.

So now here I am, back home in Tucson, where I didn't expect to be until Thursday night. Yes, I'm licking my wounds, thinking about the beat I took, and playing it over and over again in my mind. And at this point, the only thing I know for sure is that I'll be back next year. My friend Jimmy (who also played in the tourney and lasted about an hour longer than I did) and I have already promised each other that we will try again next year. You see, we have this dream that we are both at the final table, we've knocked everyone else out, and we're going heads-up for the bracelet. Maybe it will happen next year.

Playing the Mook at the World Series of Poker

Juan Carlos Mortensen maintained a big chip lead and his tower has turn a lovely yellow.

Jen Harman keeps her energy up, compliments of Marco and Starbucks.

Late into the night, the Matador's tower had taken a hit that was now significant. Mortensen had doubled up two players in thirty minutes, and he was now a member of the field rather than the monster stack. He has the heart of a champion, although the break couldn't have come at a better time.

I wanna be a cowboy, so you can be my cowgirl. Playing in the Mook with fellow bloggers while sitting in the World Series of Poker Media Room was a bit surreal (not sure if that word is correct, but it was weird). I could head to the Bellagio and play with Linda, go out and try and qualify for an event or play a juicy cash game, or play with folks who are now buddies. I chose the latter, and it was a great time. I played great but was outlasted by Lucypher. Fought back from the depths, eventually taking out factgirl who played solid as well. Mookie99 has the write-up, so head over. If you're ever looking for a great tourney to donk around with, pick this one. Oh, and Dr. Pauly himself guest played for me (when my bot wasn't playing), knocking out the host when his/our AA flopped a boat. The ole min raise AA, although mook couldn't do anything with his short stack.

Must write much stuff. Have to head, so thanks so much for all the emails and comments and everything. Really, it keeps all of us going, especially me as a newbie.