Keith Urban Concert, Charleston WV

This is just one of the many pictures that were taken at the Keith Urban concert last night. This one wasn't bad for being taken by my cellphone's camera. Uncle June says he's got a lot of good pictures, that he has to get to me. Teresa, Laura, JR, and I ALL had a great time last night. Teresa claims to have pawed Keith Urban as he made his way through the floor crowd. The man may never be the same, after gettin' just a little of Big Red! We had great seats, although we abandoned them for the 2nd half of the concert, and hung out with the whole mob in the aisles. Very entertaining show to say the least. And the confetti you see flying around... that stuff ended up in some very interesting places. I'll get some more pictures uploaded soon.

Point and Counter Point

My friend wvwolfie proprietor and chief bottle washer over at the Riversedge Blog (http://frankwolfe.net/?p=159) put up a very thought-provoking post entitled "Is the popularity of poker diminishing?" He's got some very good points in there and it's a good read, but I offer up some different thoughts on the subject.

First, I'll grant that the numbers were down for NDPT #18; but I can't blame it on solely on the popularity of poker diminishing. I acknowledge that the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) put a damper on online poker, but it's done more to clear out the online gambling holes of fish than anything else. The competition that you encounter online at even some lower levels is vastly improved from the days of old. BUT, back to NDPT #18 and its low turnout. Headed into the game Saturday Night, I had 19 people on my list as confirmed to play. Outside that number, I know of an additional 4 that were otherwise committed to attending the WVU football game. Also, the surprise turn in the weather, caused some of the die-hards to back out and not show up. Two of the initial sign-ups backed out for fear of what the iced roads might mean for them to get home. Another late cancellation came from a player who was still on the road returning from a trip to see a child away at college and found that icey roads were delaying them. Still one other NDPT regular was off to play in Las Vegas at the time, so he gets a pass for the night. : ) Now, some of the larger numbers that we've seen recently at NDPT tournaments have included some new blood. I did not include everyone from the Eagles in my invitation, as I should have, since this was still a bit of a home game. Not that I have anything against any of the players there but the home games have typically been about close friends and a very tight-knit core group.

I CAN agree with wvwolfie on the fact that "we might have even been guilty of over saturating our own players." That is highly likely, since a lot of people still believed that they needed to attend every game. BUT from the outset of this year, my goal was to provide a number of opportunities, in different venues: homes, Eagles, etc... on different days, so that others might be able to attend. I think we actually picked up some really dedicated, fun players as a result of this widening of the net, but in other areas we've lost some people. We all have lives outside of poker. Between my daughter Whitney's cheerleading schedule and my son Cole's basketball schedule I'll admit even I'm stretched. That's why more often than not you'll find me drinking a bit too much to blow off steam rather than concentrating solely on the game. : ) But also, the Yanok's have stepped up the frequency of their games too. This year, they had a qualifier every month, and I think they may have thrown in another game or so as well. Plus, in the last couple months they have made BOTH games of the night qualifier games and so more people have been playing in BOTH games each time. This increased personal costs. But actually increased family (husband and wife) each putting up $30 for each game for $120 expense on the night.

JR is hosting the Eagles game, and promised a monthly tournament to see how things shape up over there. And wvwolfie has also offered up his home as another venue for the NDPT membership. Even Shuman has routinely held more of his cash games this year as well, and those are "meaty" as always. Admittedly, each location though, picks up players that sometimes won't play anywhere else, and that's okay.

Also, I know several of our "regular" players routinely play elsewhere, outside of the NDPT scope. And I'm all for it. That's great! Am I offended at not being invited? Hell no! I've got more opportunities to play than I can keep up with now. I think even now more and more people are playing, and more and more people are hosting their own home games and tournaments.

I think there has been a great increase locally even of a lot of underground cash games, (ones that are raking the pot) here in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Not only have several new games cropped up, but higher stakes has become the name of the game. Let me go on record officially, none of the NDPT games is a raked game. (Tell the SWAT team to friggin' stand down!)

As wvwolfie also pointed out the "legal" brick and mortar poker rooms at Wheeling, Chester, and most recently Cross Lanes further opened the poker market, BUT I haven't really noticed a shortage of players there. At least every week I hear of someone who has made a trip to one of the local casinos to play and found them really busy. But, I think people are really branching out to play other places and with other people. And that's okay too. Recall a scene from Rounders in which a number of the New York Rounders find themselves at the Taj in Atlantic City seated with one another and one of them laments, "...if we wanted to take each others rolls, we could've just stayed at home." And then, the "fish" begin to arrive at the table and the fun begins for all!

All I'm saying is this (yes Virginia there is a point to cheer_dad's story!!!)
The N Debt Poker Tour (NDPT) has most certainly created and improved a lot of poker players here in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Within our ranks are some VERY crafty players. The skill level has most definitely gotten a lot higher. There have been a few people show up at our games and commented to their buddies that they were "gonna show us how to play this game" and we sent them packing, with an emptier wallet. We have NEVER fleeced anyone though! I'd like for people to come back and play (and bring more money.) BUT not just for the money, also for the friendship of the thing. I have made a lot of good friends playing poker and wouldn't trade the time and experiences for anything.

In closing let me say this... I didn't write up this blog post to argue with "wvwolfie," I think he has some very valid points in his post, again found here, http://frankwolfe.net/?p=159 and besides that, he's a good friend of mine. But I can't subscribe to the point-of-view that in the area of the popularity of poker that "...we are about halfway down a long downward slope." Instead, I offer up that instead of a linear path, that poker in our neck of the woods has branched out in a lot of different ways. And that with the larger numbers of games and places to play, that some competition for the players time has been introduced. I for one can vouch for the fact that I've played a lot more live poker this year than I ever thought possible, and I didn't host 1/2 as many times as I did in previous years. I even turn down some games, in favor of others. Although, I still play online, my time in front of the computer screen has been reduced because of the large numbers of options at my disposal. There is a lot of variety out there, and I don't think things are going to dry up on us anytime soon.

Besides, my kids will be heading off to college before you know it, and not only will I have additional free time to play poker, but hell someone's gotta help me foot the bill for their tuition, and the wages my Uncle Sam is handing out are probably going to come up a bit short. So, dear poker fishes... Plea$e $end Monie$!!!

Let me know what you think gang... sound off in the comments section of this post.

Regards.

cheer_dad

1-800-GAMBLER

An article appeared in today's Charleston Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.com/News/200807290142 under the title of W.VA gambling help line logs 7,000 calls. It was short and sweet and to the point, so take your time and go read it for yourself. Really, go ahead I'll wait...

I had some questions related to the subject of the article, but this required me to go do a little research for myself. Some facts about the 1-800-GAMBLER gambling help line and the costs associated with it have me scratching my head. Here are some of my observations. Oh but first just a pet peeve and maybe it's not absolutely insisted upon by any style manual but would it be possible to just use the "WV" 2-letter abbreviation for the state of West Virginia? I mean, it's only been that way officially since 1963 when the United States Postal Service adopted this little time-saver. What say we give it a whirl after 45 years? What do you think?!?

On to the facts of the article:

Fact #1 Since the toll-free help line 1-800-GAMBLER was set up 7,000 calls have been received!

In all fairness the "unnamed" author did mention that the hotline was created eight years ago, but fails to point out that this totals out to an average of 875 callers per year.

Fact #2

"Calls come not only from gambling addicts, but also their family members or loved ones."

Of course there is no break-down of the statistics for repeat callers (although that's difficult with an annonymous hotline I suppose, so I'll let that one slide. But it is absolutely conceivable that somewhere among those calls was a repeat caller. And it's possible that a concerned family member called about a loved one only to provide the number to that same person with the problem who later called for themselves.

Fact #3

Kanawha County accounted for 1,141 of the calls.

That leaves 5,859 calls, to be accounted for, but also means that only 143 calls per year were received from residents of Kanawha County on average per year.

Fact #4

Wood County (my home) came in second in calls to the help line.

Of the 55 counties of West Virginia, Kanawha was 1st, Wood was 2nd. Kanawha had "more than twice" the number of calls than those which came from Wood. So, let's call that less than 570. (570.5 X 2 = 1,141) So, in the county of Wood the gambling epidemic is causing under 72 people on average per year to call in to the help line.

And further the remaining 53 WV counties accounted for 5,289 calls to the help line. That totals out to just under 100 callers per county in the total eight years or just under 13 calls per year per county.

Fact #5

Nearly half of those who called (or were the subject of the call) had full-time jobs.

Which means just over half of those who called didn't... I don't know what that means, but I thought I'd point it out.

Fact #6

1,176 of the callers reported income of $50K or more.

I'm assuming they meant income per year, not lifetime... but the statement also means that 4,683 callers had less than $50K incomes.

Fact #7

4,348 callers said that video poker machines were the main problem/cause of their gambling habit.

That leaves only 606 callers suffering from something other than those damned video poker machines. Funny, there are no fingers pointed at the WV Lottery, Keno, dog or horse racing, or Bingo for that matter.

But frankly we all know the real culprit here don't we people. All those problem gamblers out there are also compulsive liars as well, for their real problem isn't the video lottery or any other form of "state sponsored" and "state sanctioned" gambling. No, my friends the real culprit is, come on say it with me... ONLINE POKER!!! C'mon you know it, and I know it. My goodness, why it'll be the ruination of this great land. Our monthly NDPT tournaments (conspicuously in Wood County) are obviously skyrocketing the problem gambling of our area. And damn near everyone of those degenerates makes at least the reported $50K per year. Coincidence? I don't think so. And I just know that my grinding away at the micro limits online is just gonna break me and what will my family do then?

Here are some of my conclusions:

The 7,000 callers over the last 8 years of the roughly 1,818,470 residents of the State of WV, according to the U.S. Census Bureau website http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/54000.html make up roughly .0038%. Sadly, per year the 875 callers on average make up .0004811% of the population.

Okay, in all seriousness addiction is a bad thing and I get it and I don't wish it on anyone. But I'm sorry these numbers just don't add up to much of anything but maybe some sort of whacked out "new math."

The deeper I started digging the more obsessed I got about it all and I came across some other eyebrow raising tidbits. I wandered over to http://www.1800gambler.net/ and started crunching some numbers. Available on this website are 3 years worth of annual reports from the Problem Gamblers Network of West Virginia (a.k.a. the 1-800-GAMBLER folks.)

In Calendar Year 2005, the Problem Gamblers Help of West Virginia spent the following:

Outreach, Advertising, Public Awareness $770,594.00

Diagnostic Assessment and Outpatient Treatment/Therapy $296,826.00

Administration $263,418.00

Training (new clinician; continuing education; clinical supervision $89,192.00

In FY 06, the Problem Gamblers Help of West Virginia spent*:

Outreach, Advertising, Public Awareness $440,274.00

Diagnostic Assessment and Outpatient Treatment $267,613.00

Administration ( rent, utilities, supplies, etc) $252,434.00

Training (new clinician; continuing education; clinical supervision) $80,183.00

Help-line Personnel (salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, travel) $309,339.00

*This does not include administration fee taken by the Department of Health and Human Services.

In FY 2007, the Problem Gamblers Help of West Virginia spent*:

Outreach, Advertising, Public Awareness $472,130

Diagnostic Assessment and Outpatient Treatment $226,780

Administration (rent, utilities, supplies, etc) $216,519

Liability Insurance $21,920

Training (new clinician; continuing education; clinical supervision) $84,989

Help-line Personnel (salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, travel) $303,926

*This does not include administration fee taken by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The three year available breakdown of funding from the website adds up $4,096,137.00. Let's call that roughly $10 Million for the 8 years that the 1-800-GAMBLER help line has been set up, having helped 7,000 callers at a cost of a little over $1,400 per person. Hmmm.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Governor Manchin wants answers from Tri-State Racetrack

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin is not happy with Tri-State Racetrack, according to the following article http://www.dailymail.com/Business/200807170126 which appeared yesterday in the Charleston Daily Mail. In the article by Jake Stump, titled Manchin says racetrack owners need to be accountable for delays; it seems clear that the governor is upset over the time which has elapsed thus far in which Tri-State Racetrack owners have failed to open their table gaming operations which were approved last August. Not only has the track not opened table games they have not even broken ground on a promised "$250-million-plus expansion much less the creation of 1,000 jobs." It is mentioned that Tri-State had initially planned to open its table games by the end of 2007, but according to management plans were stalled because of "financial reasons and because of difficulty in finding instructors."

Oddly, I've never seen a lack of people on my visits to the casino/dog track, so "financial reasons" seems to be a weak excuse. In addition, my (and my friends') trips north to Wheeling Island Casino for poker and table game fun could have just as easily been turned 180 degrees and headed south to Charleston, which is a closer trip from Parkersburg. So, I know it's not due to a lack of interest. But, I know it's not all about me. As for the "difficulty in finding instructors" what kind of horse-hockey is that?!? Uhhhm, maybe you boys at Tri-State haven't been paying attention but two casinos in the northern panhandle of West Virginia were able in very short order to get their operations up and running, and from all reports PROFITABLE!

The latest report is that Tri-State will open its doors for Poker by Labor Day. The Poker Room is still under construction. Frankly though, there has been no official announcement or advertising effort on the part of the casino, so what gives?

The casino also only recently applied for its 1.5 Million Dollar license for its first year of operations. That cost will go up to 2.5 Million thereafter.

I'm not sure what the real reasons for Tri-State's delays are, and neither is Governor Manchin. If he gets his answers I sure hope he shares them with us all. For something that the casino owners and the public fought so hard for and for such a long time the current management is allowing it all to fall flat.

C'mon guys get the cards in the air already!

Regards,

cheer_dad

'bout time

Finally, my hometown newspaper (rag) decides to begin reporting on something important to me, and a lot of the other people in this area! Kudos to Frank from River's Edge Poker Club, on first locating the article. I'm pretty sure they only reported it because it ended up on the newswire, not out of actually following a story, and reporting something actually of interest. Glad they got around to noticing that poker came to the Mountain State! Well whadyagonnado!

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/oniWire/oniWireDetails.asp?articleID=31215&state=WVA&category=News

Regards,

cheer_dad

carpe viam :-)

Dreary day...but despite this fact, I managed to get in my walk up Market Street at lunch. I haven't posted much about this BUT I've actually been giving an honest effort at trying to get "active" again. Decided to work up slowly for a while and walk, instead of jumping right back into the running thing, and frustrating myself. Ticker might have given out on me...and I thought I should spare the world from that much blubber flappin' in the breeze. I read a while back that one of the Bloggers I read frequently was none too pleased with the body staring back at him in the mirror, and was going to get back on a diet and lifestyle change. I started to post a comment to his blog, wishing him well, and tell him we were pulling for him, but then I thought...his decision (like mine) is a very personal one. You're not doing it for anyone but yourself. It's the one time that it might be okay to be selfish. It's yours and no one can force it on you, or want it enough for you. So, I stayed out of it. I didn't even bother to tell him that I've been walking for about the past 3+ weeks. Honest. Around 3-4 times a week, when I started. No it's nearly every work day. AND now in the past week or so, I've also added in a treadmill walk/run for around 30 minutes. I'm working my way back up to where I'll easily be able to run that first mile without being winded, or in pain. I gotta stick to this. Lotsa reasons. I think the mysterious abdominal pain I had a while back was due to carrying around too much tonnage. My cholesterol is still high, despite medication, and the doc already told me that my cholesterol levels were "directly" tied to my weight, and that yes that sucks, but it does empower me to at least do something about it. I just needed to stop living a sedentary life, and get up and fargin' MOVE! I've seen that same type of comment from some of the pro poker players as well. You have to work at your own physical and mental well-being in the same fashion that you would work on your poker game. So, I've been trying to do something about it. I've made some "small" modifications to my diet, trying to limit the overindulgence, but I'll admit, that I still occasionally dive into a little junk food. Sadly, when I used to run ALL the time, so many years ago, I ate just about whatever I wanted. I was burning off the calories quickly and easily. I want that body back again. I want to fell that "good" again. Why did I stop? Life... I don't know, I wish I had an answer. Now I have the "privilege" of going through the long and arduous struggle of getting back to where I was. Feels like a back at zero proposition. I'm also convincing myself that efforts in this physical fitness realm are going to have a very real and profound affect on my poker game. I'll become more happy, more confident, eager and aggressive, or so I'm telling myself at least. I may be fooling myself BUT as with other tricks we play on ourselves, it just might work. Sometimes when you feel lucky, or your confidence level is high, a great many good things happen. I'm tired of moping around about the weight...and for that matter my run of cold cards. It's time to take the bull by the horns. It's time for me to get off my "fat" ass and get moving again. In keeping with the motto of the Dead Runner's Society of which I spent a great deal of time reading and discussing a passion for running it's time to:



-translation from the Latin: 'Seize the Road!' or specifically 'Seize the Way!'





Words to live by, at least for a runner. I wish I'd never lost the passion for the thing. I'm hoping I can get it all back. I think it is absolutely essential at this point to my mental and physical well being. No need to comment, this is about me, for me, and not for any of you. I've gotta do this thing. It's not only going to be healthy for me, but it may lift the "brain-cloud." Now how many of you know what that means? Where it came from? Hell I think I may have even mentioned it one other time, in a past blog post.

Enough about my turning over a new fitness leaf...on to other things.

A few more articles in the press regarding poker in WV:

http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Business/2007102213
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/501292.html

High points (quotes) from these articles:

"Seats in the poker rooms were filled to capacity until at least 5 a.m. Sunday, and even then the rooms remained largely filled, officials said."

"He added that from an operations standpoint, the opening went 'very well.'"

"Neither Marshall nor Mountaineer track officials would say just how much revenue was taken in over the weekend, but West Virginia’s state coffers are awaiting their take."

"The tracks are responsible for paying the state taxes equaling 35 percent of their gross revenue."

“Even during our very busy opening this weekend, guests only experienced a 45-minute wait time," he said. “We are confident players will be able to be accommodated throughout the gaming day at Wheeling Island.”

I wish them all luck, in continued successful operations. May my well wishing, contribute to the "karmic-well" and some of the will flow back to me in spades, or aces, or just some nice friggin' starting hands!

Enough uber posting for the day.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Buckle up...here we go!

I posted the bulk of the following to the HPT forums as well, with a few modifications, and a little something extra for all you here on the home team!

An early bustout on Saturday night, at my own home game, left me feeling in the words of Teddy KGB, "so unsatisfied," to the point, that with minimal coercion by some of my fellow poker lackeys, a ROAD TRIP was in order! Yup...3 of of piled in the car and headed for Wheeling Island, to behold the newly opened West "by God" Virginia poker room addition to the Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center. We arrived at MIDNIGHT. All 20 tables were FULL! We put our name on the waiting list signup boards. How popular is poker?...well the waiting list for 1/2 NLHE had 94 players on it, and 2/4 Limit had 74! There were 40 on the waiting list for 2/5 NLHE, I couldn't tell you how many there were on the Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo, but I do recall that there were 25 on the waiting list of the 7-card stud game. There was even an "interest list" forming for a 10/20 NLHE table! I'd like to report a winning session, but it just didn't come together for me. Hands of note for me for the night. My first two dragged pots, were lackluster, since I had to split 'em!!! 1.) Late position I look down at AJc. The board comes Kc-Qc-9h. Like I'm EVER gonna get away from this one. The river brought the 10...unfortunately not the elusive 10 of clubs! I've got my straight, and table it proudly, only to watch 2 OTHER GUYS turn over their AJos as well, for a 3-way split! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH! 2.) From late position AGAIN, everyone limping in, I join 'em, with a KJos. Flop K-2-2 feel pretty good about it...the turn is a blank...the river is another KING, and makes a flush possible for someone, but my boat feels really good now! But I get to split it as well with the lady from Florida to my right, who also has a KING...and had me dominated up to the river with her KQ! Splittin' sucks, but I did dodge a bullet there! I dragged a small pot, with a straight, and then proceeded to lose with a set of 5's...a set of 6's...and I got pounded on 2 flopped straights, when the river flushed someone other than me, once by the schmuck with the 72s, who just "had to keep me honest." But hey...I had a great time, and I think they've made a great start with the poker room. The table "features" were very nice, with the LED screens which display for the dealer everyone's name. When you sit, the dealer swipes your players card. When you leave, they press a button for your seat, and it is immediately vacated by the system, and updates the floor and they go to the waiting list. Call buttons for chip runners, another for cocktails, and another for "floor decisions." I give them high marks in that regard. I'm sure they'll be adding some additional waitresses, who were doing their best to keep 'em coming, throughout the night. The bar is just outside of the poker room, and next to it is the restroom, which are both a BIG plus in my book. I expect that the the poker room at Wheeling will continue to be a hot spot, although around the first of the year, when the rest of the table games open people will have additional options at their disposal. Of course, by then the poker room will be running more tournaments, SNG's, etc... If you have the chance, I highly recommend checking it out. We wandered out into the world the next morning, when the sun was coming up, and headed for home. There were a few empty tables at that point, but the room was still very much occupied! I don't think I actually saw an empty table in the room until after 3:00AM.

As soon as I make it to Chester, WV to visit Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Center, I'll report on it as well. And then later on when Cross Lanes, Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center opens it's poker room and table games I'll head there as well. Wow, maybe I've got issues...but until I pass that final judgement, in the meantime I've got OPTIONS!!!

Also, all the results from NDPT #10 and the points race are all updated on the homepage. Visit and enjoy! BIG THANKS and LOVE to BIG RED for allowing me to head to Wheeling on the spur of the moment...and letting me back in the door, despite coming home with fewer dollars than I left with. Next on the conquest list...Chester, WV! What's that about a weekend road trip? Did I hear something...from someone...anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller... Oh and eerie similarities were discovered on the drive to Wheeling. John Cusack...that's all I'm sayin'... AND sadly Frank now understands what snoring is all about! JR already knew from Vegas. I'm sure Frank will have things to add as well on his blog, check it out.

Regards,

cheer_dad

There's just so much going on.

West Virginia is truly "Open For Business" with the launch of Poker at two of the state's racetrack and gaming centers. First, at 10am this morning, Wheeling Island opened its poker room to the public, by now I'm sure they've had too many suckouts and bad beats to count. Easy on the hillbillies can't count thing...since we don't wear shoes anyway, we can at least get up to 20. So back off! Second, Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Center will open their poker room at 4:00pm!

Visit both of the following home pages for each of the WV casinos now offering POKER:
http://www.wheelingisland.com
http://www.mtrgaming.com/index2.html

I noted yesterday the passing of Joey Bishop.

And now today, I read that they imploded the SANDS in Atlantic City. It's like overload for the gambler in me. Not to mention the fact that I played last night at Bob's house, tonight at the Yanok's and tomorrow night at my house. Big Red says I better win, tonight if I plan on playing tomorrow. No pressure there, especially after losing $59 last night. Friggin' CARD DEAD!!! I swear, just ask JR!!! I've posted some additional commentary on last night's game on the HPT forums, some of which I suppose bares repeating here:

I attended the Kress game again last night. JR came along too. I asked him to pay attention to my play, and help me to fill some holes in my game, that I might not be aware of. We played for around 6-hours, and for my efforts I finished down $59. UGH... JR bought in for $50, cashed out for $370-ish! Way to go...congratulations! We rode together so on the way home, we had an extended conversation about the game in general and how each of us played specifically. The vast majority of his stack came in the last 10 minutes of play. He was up, most of the evening, and perfectly content, but he made nearly $250 in that last 10 minutes!!! Two hands did it for him. He hit KK on the first one, and was re-re-raised preflop, and got paid off well. Then, the next hand. JR bumps it preflop, and Bob is the next to act, who had also bled off part of his stack in the previous hand. He looks down...and immediately shoves it all-in, for like another $90-ish. The rest of us fold, at what has now dwindled to become a 5-6 player table. It goes back to JR who says whatever it is I have to call you, and shoves all in, and displays his rockets. Bob reluctantly turns over J-9os. ByeBye, see ya...and the rockets hold up in all their glory. Bob had nurtured a stack all night from $50, up to over $250, and donked most of it off in 10 minutes. OOPS. I think JR is still smiling! : )

But enough about him...it's my turn. Like I said we talked on the way home, and again this morning at work. Before I offered up any opinion of my own play, I asked him what he thought. His words, "you were card dead! You had Nothing, all-night-long!" AHHH, I feel vindicated, if nothing else. I was card dead, and the real sad part is, it wasn't even as bad as the last time I'd attended this game. The time before was MUCH worse! This time I actually had a couple of low pocket pairs and even Big Slick once. Granted none of those got me paid, but I didn't lose as much as I could have. I had the good sense to get away from another guy's flopped straight when I had Big Slick, and on each of my low pockets, both times someone else nailed their set. Once unfortunately another someone spanked them (not me) with a straight (hole cards 7-4os!!!) The guy who did that will be referred to as "Call-Station-Carl," he needs a name since I'm VERY focused on his play, for the rest of this post. Call-Station-Carl likes to see the flop...a lot. And when he sees the flop, he really likes to see what's in the river too! I counted the number of times that Call-Station-Carl did not see the flop, in six hours. Despite some hefty preflop raises, I think I counted only 4 or 5 hands that he folded preflop in our 6 hours of play! I'm NOT kidding! I recall seeing him go to "showdown" with a Q-3os, when it was bumped to $15-ish preflop, and he wasn't even one of the blinds! He made a straight on the river with his 3. In fact, I haven't seen as many straights in my entire poker career, as he hit last night. It was absolutely incredible! Absolute junk cards, turning to gold before our eyes. Unreal.
I was proud of myself, in getting away from "Call-Station-Carl" on one hand, when he smooth-called me through the turn, and then decided to go "crazy" and re-raise me on the river. Despite the fact that a healthy pot had materialized, I released my flopped 2-pair. Another guy decided to pay him off, and called, and he showed his hand, a flopped straight! Another 7-4os for "Call-Station-Carl". He was in the zone.

Matt J was there as well...albeit briefly. I talked to him just a little while ago, and he said, "...between how hot it was in the basement and the fuckin' suckouts, I was DONE!" Between Call-Station-Carl and JR...Matt's stack was divied up. Carl was called down a $20 preflop raise from Matt, and basically bent him over. A tilt move or 2 after that and well ...Nuff said...

I opted to play my standard game, like most of you suggested, sticking to reasonable hands only, and only occasionally playing something wacky from late position. I recall only winning 2 pots in 6 hours. A smallish pot when I hit an open-ended straight draw, against "Call-Station-Carl" on the turn. The other hand I was the BB with a J-3os, and turned it into 2-pair, on the river. Not much of a pot there either. When the table began to dwindle in the last hour and a half, to 6 players and then 5, I loosened up and just decided to see most flops, when they weren't raised, with just about anything. There was no point in even trying to steal anything. "Call-Station-Carl" was calling everything, and his sidekick Doug was usually in there too...so like I said you could ONLY win it, when you had it. End of story! You were getting called to the river by somebody, even if they only had bottom pair. I say that since I couldn't get Carl off of his 8-2os, once, against my pocket 3's, despite raising. He paired his 8, which was the lowest card on the board! Nice "2" kicker, sir! And by sir I mean fucker... So, my choice to start seeing most of the flops, was a dim hope of hitting something, and pull off a little hit and run. (The poker gods had their fingers poised over the "SMITE" button.) So, did I play tight yes, early on. Did I loosen up, oh hell yeah, BUT, if I had remained tight, I would have merely reduced the amount of my loss. I could NOT have won money for the night. I never got above my initial buy-in, ever...

So again, like I said earlier, I feel a bit vindicated, when JR told me I was truly card dead. It was a bit of a relief to me. Too much self doubt has been entering in to my game lately, regarding my general ability at playing this accursed game. In closing... (hold the applause, yes, I'm almost done) I'm glad I had a witness.

Regards,

cheer_dad

It's official!!!

The Wheeling Island home page http://www.wheelingisland.com/Sites/WIRT/ now states that its POKER ROOM will officially open this Friday, October 19th!!!

Shuffle up and Deal WV!

Regards,
cheer_dad

Additional information

Taken from the following at CardPlayer.com:

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/article/9933/west-virginia-poker-rooms-may-open-friday

"...The games spread at both rooms will be Texas hold’em, as well as Omaha and stud whenever demand dictates. They will be spreading limit and no-limit games starting as low as $2-$4 for limit and $1-$2 for no-limit. The rake will be 10 percent up to $5 per pot.
Daily tournaments at both rooms will eventually be spread, and World Series of Poker qualifiers will also take place, starting in January.This summer, residents in the two counties where the casinos are located voted to allow the tracks to add casino games and poker. Immediately after the vote, Wheeling Island started building a 20-table poker room and Mountaineer began building a 37-table one..."

These tidbits are very informative. Finally able to read up here at home, free from the bonds of the accursed proxy. In short people...it's GAME ON!

Regards,

cheer_dad

WV, really open for business (poker that is)

Two articles below speak more about the coming of table games (particularly POKER) and 24/7 operations in West Virginia casinos. I copied them here, in there entirety for the proxy challenged:

http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2007101128

The Charleston Gazette

October 12, 2007

24/7 racetrack operation OK’d
By Phil Kabler Staff writer
With Thursday’s unanimous vote of the Lottery Commission, the state’s four racetracks can operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
However, it could be days, perhaps weeks, before track employees and Lottery personnel are ready to do that, Lottery Director John Musgrave said.
“We have to make sure that they’re ready, and we have to make sure we’re ready, and that everyone is licensed who’s going to work the floor,” he said.
- advertisement -State Racing Association President John Cavacini said Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester and Wheeling Island Racetrack and Racing Center hope to test the waters with charity table games early next week.
Those test-runs would use tokens or play money instead of chips, and could help determine whether new table game employees at the tracks — as well as on-site Lottery personnel — are sufficiently trained and prepared.
The charity games would also let the tracks and Lottery make sure that surveillance cameras and other security measures work properly.
“Whether that happens Monday or Tuesday will depend on whether we’re ready and they’re ready,” Musgrave said of a test-run.
Commissioners Thursday also approved 292 pages of rules of play and standards of accounting and internal controls for table games — effectively, the Lottery’s handbook for supervising and regulating table games.
The rules cover everything from the proper manner for dealers to cut and shuffle cards to procedures for track personnel to report suspicious activity within the casino areas.
They also included detailed rules of play for seven-card stud poker, hold-’em poker, Omaha poker, five-card draw, five-card stud, three-card poker, four-card poker, pai gow poker, blackjack, craps and mini-craps, roulette, Big Six wheel, Let It Ride poker, Caribbean Stud poker and baccarat. Musgrave said the voluminous rules and regulations were prepared with the assistance of Spectrum Gaming, the international gaming consulting firm hired by the Lottery in August.
He said that once table gaming begins, the tracks will ease into daily operations. The tracks will begin with player-versus-player games such as hold-’em, before initiating games where the players play against the house, such as blackjack.
Eventually, the tracks will expand into more difficult games to supervise, such as craps and roulette.
- advertisement -While Thursday’s vote technically also applies to video lottery, Musgrave said it is likely to be six weeks or more before the Lottery has the technology in place to operate the video slot machines 24 hours a day.
The central computer system that operates the more than 12,000 machines at the tracks has to shut down the machines for about three hours each day to download and tabulate data, he said.
New software on order that would allow 24/7 video slot operations is being tested by the Lottery’s consulting firm, Gaming Labs International. The software will get additional in-house testing, Musgrave said.
“We would want to test it for several weeks to make sure it operates properly on our system,” he said.
Procedurally, the Lottery Commission would have to vote to approve the new software before it could go into use.
The 24/7 operation approved Thursday also applies to Charles Town Races and Slots, the only West Virginia track where county voters rejected table games.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, use e-mail or call 348-1220.

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http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/501046.html?nav=515&actionAlert=emailcontent

The Intelligencer/ Wheeling News-Register
POSTED: October 16, 2007

Tracks Deal Cards - Charity Poker Games Held at Casinos
By JOSELYN KING
WHEELING — He lives close to The Meadows, but Scott McKinnen of Washington, Pa., made the 35-mile drive Monday to Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center for a few hands of poker.
The racetrack opened the doors to its smoke-free poker room Monday for a charity event that benefited local organizations and served as a dry run training session for dealers and table gambling personnel. A second event is set for 4-8 p.m. today.
If all goes well, poker games for money will start at 10 a.m. Friday, according to Robert Marshall, president and general manager at the track. The track is to open at 7 a.m. that day and to remain open around the clock.
Similar games to benefit charity were held Monday and continue today at Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort in Chester.
McKinnen was one of the first in line at Wheeling Island on Monday and said he came to the track “just to see what was going on.” He added he has been to The Meadows racetrack and video slot machine casino “a couple of times.”
“They don’t have table games,” McKinnen said. “I’m not much of a machine player.
“If The Meadows gets table gambling, I probably will go there,” he added. “It’s closer. But I’d still come down here once in a while.”
Though the dry run opening wasn’t widely publicized, visitors from Blacksburg, Va., and Canton, Ohio, were among the first to sit down at the Island gambling tables.
‘‘We learned about it just by chance,’’ said Julie Hoffman of Canton, who came with a friend. ‘‘We wanted to see the room.’’
Letha Penyak of Powhatan Point said it was curiosity that brought her out for the poker games, while Eric Knierim said the charity aspect was a major reason he came.
“It’s also a lot of fun,’’ Knierim added, saying he ‘‘absolutely’’ would be returning for more poker games at the track.
Proceeds from the poker events are to benefit the Wheeling Island WISH Foundation, Family Services Upper Ohio Valley, Wheeling Health Right, YWCA, The United Way-Upper Ohio Valley and the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling.
Patrons are being asked to contribute $20. In return, they receive $100 in poker chips. Refreshments are provided to them, and their name is entered into a drawing for a door prize.
There are 20 tables in the poker room, and each can seat up to 10 players. This means as many as 200 can be at the poker tables at any given time.
And when the games officially start Friday, they will be non-stop, according to Marshall. Current plans call for the track to open at 7 a.m. Friday and to remain open 24 hours a day.
There will be daily poker tournaments at the track, and it will be a stop on the World Series of Poker Tour beginning Jan. 6.
“We’re not sure if we’ll have television coverage here, but we’d like to have it,” Marshall said. “They start with local tournaments, then it moves on to regionals.”
The poker room is on the lower level at the track, near the non-smoking area for slot machines and the new Jim Beam Sports Grill. Smoking is prohibited in the poker room, which is common in poker rooms in the United States, according to Marshall.
When roulette and blackjack games begin at the track in the coming months, these will be on the upper level of the track in the smoking areas. Smoking will be allowed at those tables, Marshall added.

Photos by Scott McCloskeyPatria Bledsoe of Wheeling, a new card dealer employee at the Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center, deals during the first poker games at the track Monday night. The racetrack opened the doors to its poker room for a charity event that served as practice for its dealers and table gambling personnel, and a similar event is to happen from 4-8 p.m. today. The track is slated to open for actual poker play for money on Friday morning.

******************************

That's right boys and girls...it could be as early as this FRIDAY, October 19th, that the poker room in Wheeling will be in FULL swing. See you all there real soon, as a matter of fact, "some" of us may be headed up on Veteran's Day weekend.

In the meantime, however, there's a game to be played at the Yanok's on Friday...and at my house on Saturday.

Regards,

cheer_dad

Allow me to paraphrase...

Taken shamelessly (and ridiculously paraphrased) below from the Charleston Gazette are two articles regarding poker and table games at West Virginia's casinos/racetracks.

http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2007101022
Employee hopefuls line up at Tri-State Racetrack job fair
Card-dealer class enrollment picks up at community college
By Rusty Marks
Staff writer

The important parts:

• At a job fair on Wednesday, hosted by Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center at the Charleston Civic Center, applications for poker classes were accepted.
• $350 registration fee, for a month-long class to be a poker dealer.
• 80 dealers who will soon be hired at the racetrack.
• In the first few hours, about 1,000 people visited the booths set up by the track.
• By 2 p.m., about 300 people had already signed up.
• Training is no guarantee of employment.
• Classes begin in October/November.
• The track is paying the $350 tuition bill for current track employees. Non-track employees who are hired will have the cost of their tuition refunded by the track after they work one year.
• 80 will be hired toward the end of the year.
• Tri-State track owners plan a $250 million expansion project at the track that includes a hotel, conference center, entertainment complex and casino games like blackjack, poker and roulette. Eventually, the racetrack plans to hire about 1,000 people.

http://sundaygazettemail.com/section/News/2007100927
Two racetracks could be open 24/7 next week
By Phil Kabler
Staff writer

The important parts:

• West Virginia Lottery Commission is expected to vote to approve 24/7 operations at all four racetracks.
• The vote could pave the way for the two Northern Panhandle tracks — Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort and Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center — to offer around-the-clock poker and blackjack as early as next week.
• Currently, Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center in Nitro closes at 3 a.m. and reopens at 11 a.m. The state’s other three racetracks close at 4 a.m. and reopen at 7 a.m.
• The central computer system that controls the machines requires downtime each night to download and compile data.
• The Lottery Commission is upgrading software that will allow 24-hour operations of the slot machines.
• Even with 24/7 operations, the tracks will still be subject to state liquor laws, which do not allow establishments to “sell, give or dispense” beer, wine or liquor after 3:30 a.m., or after 2:30 a.m. on Sundays.

My BIGGEST complaint about the media coverage of the table gaming/poker issue here in West Virginia is that several articles have been written, each just re-iterating what's been said in the previous ones. No real content...most of it all could be summed up in a sentence or two. All everyone wants to know is WHEN will they be OPEN!!! All the rest is just meaningless fluff. Hell, even the writers should know it is "journalistic crap."

In the midst of it all, "MUM'S" the word on the websites of each of the WV casinos about it all too. The Lottery Commission is tight lipped. So we all continue to wait (albeit impatiently) for an exact date. It'll probably come off like one of those instances of... "wait for it, wait for it...NOW!" Expect pandemonium for a while after the games begin, but that'll be part of the show, folks. Eventually they'll get it down to a science, and any of the 3 tracks which will offer gaming in the state will be a great destination for a lost poker weekend! Man, I am so due for one of those.

Hurry up...the shuffle up and deal!

Regards,

cheer_dad

WV Shuffle Up and Deal

Boys and girls the time grows near. According to the following article:
http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/500300.html
(Thanks to Frank Wolfe for sending me the link!)
West Virginia's casino/dogtracks will be running table games. First on the horizon will be the coming of the Poker Tables. It's time to Shuffle Up and DEAL in West Virginia! Of course this is the casino's logical choice, since there is less of a security presence necessary in the poker room, as the casino's cut is absolute...they need only watch for player against player cheating. The other "house" games of course require a more seasoned security force. They are getting there fast, as the article mentions training being conducted by "consultants from Atlantic Cape Community College in Atlantic City, NJ," which of course makes sense. At any rate, the "WHEN" date they are touting is November 1st for both Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Race Track, of course this date is contingent upon the WV Lottery Commission, the authority having jurisdiction. I'm excited for the prospect, although I doubt this will have much of an impact on my playing at home, online or hosting my routine tournaments. It will just be another option for me, when looking for entertainment on a long weekend. Still having a casino option North or South of me, a 1hr to 2hr drive...sounds VERY appealing, and I can envision a terrific Friday work exodus from the building...hoping in a car and breaking a few speed limits to hit the tables, for an extended weekend of debauchery! : ) Okay maybe a little light on the debauchery side, but I'm always open to something new!

In other news, tonight I'm going to play cards tonight, while the WVU game is on the boob tube tonight. Matt J, called a few nights ago, to tell me that his brother-in-law Bob was hosting a card game (which is tonight's game) and that I was invited. Turns out the stakes are .50/1.00 NLHE, at first he thought it was going to be 1/2, but Bob at least wanted to "start" a friendly sort of game. What he's hoping is that we develop a rotating game, that will run during college football season, and beyond. Most likely on Thursday nights. I would be game for it, especially if tonight's session goes well. Of course as Frank put it... I'm probably the fish. As Mike McD would put it..."if you can't spot the sucker in your first 1/2 hour at the table, then you are the sucker." Or as All-In Allman would say, "I'm you're huckleberry!" Whatever the outcome, you'll read all about it here. Hopefully, it'll involve more $$$ signs coming in, than out!

Also, if I recall correctly, the Wolfe's may be hosting a poker-ish get together on Saturday afternoon\evening, but that is a plan best left to our better halves. No pressure here, Red Snappers, it's all about you!!!

Regards,

cheer_dad