A Future Poker Star is Born!

Poker is great, but nothing compares to witnessing the birth of your first child. I see it's been quite some time since my last post, as you can imagine I've been pretty busy with the prep leading up to my daughter being born on June 15, 2009. She is now 13 days old and is super adorable, healthy and awesome in every way. I can't wait to not only spoil her (as I'm doing already), but to teach her some cards real soon - the earlier the start the better!

Greyhound Bus Service Note

Greyhound Bus Service between NYC (Port Authority) and Atlantic City is $33 round-trip (purchase at ticket counter 79 at the Port Authority) then you get a $20 cash voucher when you get to the casino. What a great round-trip deal for $13!

Travel tip: When departing from NYC, try to get there at least 30 minutes prior to departure time, as the line fills up pretty fast. When departing from A/C, you want to try and leave from a **Casino** departure point instead of the Bus Terminal, since the buses pick up passengers first from the casinos, so by the time they get to the bus terminal the bus could be nearly full.

Scroll to the bottom of this blog for links to the bus schedules.

WSOP Satellite...Cancelled (Boo Hoo)

Well, Kristin's satellite to the WSOP Main Event is cancelled. Why? She got engaged (and is getting married in the summer). Can you believe that? Unreal. But seriously, I'm really happy for her and Doug and wish them all the best. Congratulations! At least she gave me my $550 from the super-satellite win (from this tourney).

A Royal Flush!!!

In poker, as in life, sometimes you just have to play what you're dealt. Sometimes you play brilliantly and still get unlucky. Sometimes you get lucky and just can't seem to maximize value at all. But sometimes the planets align and everything just falls into place. On September 6, 2007 I got dealt the very best hand - I met this girl - and to top it all off - on March 1, 2008 she said YES! Yes, readers, I got engaged on March 1 to the greatest girl alive. Now that's what I call a royal flush - for life.

Poker Players Alliance

If you're a poker player, especially in the NYC area, then you should show support for the PPA: Poker Player's Alliance

Closing in on one million supporters as of December 12, 2007, the PPA, lead by former New York State Senator Al D'Amato exists "to promote the game, ensure its integrity, and, most importantly, to protect poker players' rights." The PPA's tagline is "keep it legal", so passing laws to protect our right to play online as well as convene in live play is what you are showing support for.

If nothing else, the minimum contribution of $35.00 (you can show support for free too) gets you a really cool t-shirt AND a poker calculator. (When I joined for $20.00, I got a t-shirt only, but that level doesn't exist anymore.) Descriptions of the PPA's contribution levels are here: PPA Contribution Levels

WSOP 2008 in Atlantic City

The WSOP circuit events are back in Atlantic City in 2008, March 5 to 15 at Caesars. Check out the link at the bottom of the page or just go here: WSOP Circuit Atlantic City 2008

Poker NYC

On a whim I decided to create this blog. Over the past 2.5 years in NYC years I have played with many poker players in many venues (read: different people's apartments, clubs, casinos) and thought it would be nice to have one place where we can discuss the game. Various topics of discussion may include:

> Where are the great home games in NYC, both cash and tourney?

> Which poker books do you think are the best for beginner or advanced players? Do you think poker books suck?

> Do you think there is a difference between tourney and cash play strategy, and what are the major points to consider?

> What bankroll should you have for playing various cash levels? What is your strategy to advance to higher cash levels?

> Do you use pot (or implied) odds, when, why, why not?

> What is it about poker do you love?

> How many players really make a living from poker, consistently from year to year, where do they play?

Of course, please feel free to start a discussion on any poker topic.