We’re gonna presume they mean double-suited, because if not paying homage to the best starting hand in Omaha Hi-Lo, then this is a different kinda player altogether …
Pokerati, of course, has eyes and ears in parking lots all across the planet … and agents spotted this one on a Toyota pickup at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ (a pretty shmancy-new Indian joint, it seems … oh, wait, more clicking … pretty sure this is Casino Arizona … all duded up now with a new name, hotel and golf course).
They really do play a more sophisticated game down there, obv. Whereas in Virginia, some take a differently clever approach to their license-plate action:
A few updates … team captain Tom Schneider is off to a solid start, with a mid-cash and a min cash after four events … playing now in NL 2-7. Still tabulating results from Goldfarb, Ms. Schneider, Noam the Enforcer and a few yet-to-be introduced’s. Harris gives the $1k a second go tomorrow. And even Toothless Bob, bankroll-fortified by his B-squad Vegas alt-tourney wins, played his first ever hands of live PLO in Thursday’s Hard Rock game … and cashed out a small winner.
Fans swarmed all around as the 2-7 triple-draw got to its final two tables, and Pat Poels began to think about his first bracelet in a non-split event.
But so far, getting closest to the WSOP hardware has been Pat Poels, the other 2-bracelet holder on Team Pokerati … who finished 10th in Event #7, $2,500 2-7 Triple-draw for a $13k+ payday. The Casino Arizona host knows he can play, but comes to the 2010 WSOP with cashouts meaning more than they have in previous years and a desire to prove to himself that there’s still room for a player like him to earn a respectable living by outplaying the competition in a wide variety of games.
He says to his Pokerati fans and manager:
My plans are to induce pain, and to collect buy-ins. Bio? Well, I like warm bubble baths and long walks on the beach, and mean people and taxes turn me off. And I’ve had a 3-year gap since my last bracelet. Time to fix that.
Shirt size XL.
As action gets underway on day 2B, we’ve got a few players you may or may not know that we’ll be paying a little extra attention to. Be sure to check in with CSR for some chip reports from and about:
Whit Blanton — He’s a wannabe semi-pro from Dallas, who’s almost made enough money in poker to quit his job. He sat at the same table as Pokerati teammate (P-mates?) Tom Schneider on Day 1, and took a little extra pleasure in reclaiming the chips that Tom had given to Mark Newhouse … particularly doing so by cracking Newhizzle’s aces with a skillfully played 68s. Whit starts the day in strong chip position with 101,450. The question to him on Day 2 is how he will wield it, especially when fueled by the boost of confidence a near-double-up at the end of Day 1 provided.
Pat Poels — He’s a two-time bracelet-winner and host at Casino Arizona who’s had an “OK” WSOP. He’s made more money than most of his buddies this year, but hasn’t yet had the big score to make his 2008 WSOP highly profitable. He had some stretches of really good cards in Day 1, which forced him to make some really big/frustrating/difficult laydowns. He goes into Day 2 with 64,650 chips.
Jerry Randack — Jerry’s a well-rounded player who burst onto the scene with a strong 2nd-place finish in the 2007 Pokerati Invitational, and has since found much success at the small-tourney tables. He cashed in a NLH event at the Scotty Nguyen Poker Challenge III, took 2nd in Triple-Draw Lowball in the Oklahoma State Poker Championship, and final tabled earlier this summer in a Binion’s Poker Classic PLO event. We’ll find out how he handles the Day 2 pressure of a short-ish stack — 29,700 — with blinds beginning to rise.
The Big Randy — TBR played comfortably throughout Day 1, and though he starts with a below-average stack — 27,100 — the self-proclaimed top-ranked all-around Batface (cash-game and tournament results) really likes the structure and recognizes the deep-stack nature of this tourney is still in play. “Feels like ’05,” he says, referring to his first main event where he nursed a much shorter stack for four day before cashing for $40k.
Robert Goldfarb — After “Goldfarbing” his way into the main event, he sits with 21,025 chips and has just been playing his game … though the cards haven’t yet come and he hasn’t yet gained any real traction. How the start of Day 2 goes for him, I think will be critical.
No, that’s not a typo. J8 is Arizona Posse member Hooman Nikzad’s favorite hand and is referred to at Casino Arizona as #1, the best hand in hold ’em, or simply Hooman. Hooman (the player, not the poker hand), won a live satellite into the upcoming NBC heads up tournament later this month at Caesars. Tom and Hooman playing heads up on TV would make for some good stuff. Good luck boys.
Arizona Posse member and all around good guy Hooman Nikzad just took down the 3k event at Bellagio pocketing over $250,000. It’s going to be a good week to get in some overtime if you work here.
I guess it shouldn’t surprise us that a bunch of top players in Arizona made the final table of the Arizona State Championship today. Though Pokerati’s horses keep dropping, it’s good to know we can keep adding horses from the soon-to-be-recognized and reckoned-with Arizona Posse. (OK, that name is starting to grind on me — perhaps we need something else — like the Scottfaces?)
Our embedded reporter Robert Goldfarb went out in 130somethingth place.
Our favorite Chinese Poker champion Jesse McGinty made the final table and finished 9th. Still waiting on the payouts.
Danny Fuhs finished 8th.
CORRECTION: Hooman Nikzad (also an AP player) finished 8th. You can see how we confused the names. It’s kinda a shame that a state championship doesn’t count in the various tournament-ranking databases, no?
Still alive from the Scottsdale-based crew are Ben Tang and Ryan Hughes (pictured), who won his first WSOP bracelet this summer. According to Tom Schneider, Ryan went to the final table with “a monstrous chip lead and will probably win it.”
UPDATE:
More…
As action gets underway today at the Arizona State Poker Championship, the Arizona Posse’s last man standing is Jesse McGinty. So wow, he’s like good or something. With 20 players left, they’re well into the money, and the Chinese/Irish/Italian master has 490k in chips … average stack is 225k. Pat Poels will be doing commentary for a local TV station not on the internet. I know a lot of you readers don’t really care about these guys yet, but really, they are nice dudes, smart and funny, tough like Rumble Fish. And they actually win a lot, so c’mon, get on the bandwagon now! (Or at least once McGinty makes it to the final table.)
By the way, Lisa in Scottsdale sends along a picture of one of the buttons from this event, with its familiar looking crest:
Meanwhile, in Dallas amateur action, Sang will be competing today in the quarterly Lodge Tournament of Champions in pursuit of a $1,500 WSOP seat rebate on his stripper tab/pole taxes.
More “exclusive” semi-live coverage of the Arizona State Poker Championship in Scottsdale from Robert Goldfarb, who seems to be surgically navigating the field with his short stack:
[Pacific times]
2:55 pm
Oh baby. Just moved all in for 4975 w/qt h, no callers. 7750
2:56 pm
158 left
3:03 pm
[avg. stack is] 30k
Damn …
3:06 pm
Moved all in for 4500 from cutoff with a3d, button called with ak….ighn. (i go home now)
That sucks, but probably for the best, as I’ve got to go to Sweet Texas Jimmy’s wedding now. Woulda been a pain/questionable form to update from the nuptial ceremonies.
ALT HED: Thanks for Playin’
The Arizona State Poker Championship has gotten underway — and Pokerati’s embedded reporter Robert Goldfarb texts in an update from the front lines:
11:07 am (Pacific)
396 players remain 450 started. I have 11.7k/10k start. 1st break.
Nice start. Clearly Goldfarb’s game is on. Go Big Robert!
Click below to read the Casino Arizona press release with some more basics about this event.
UPDATE:
1:23 pm
Lost big pot all in preflop had kk v a5 4000 now
Yikes, not a preferred situation. I don’t know enough about Goldfarb’s play … does he go on tilt easily or almost never when the chips are down but he’s still alive and kickin’?
1:38 pm
I don’t tilt.
OK ok. Now don’t you have a tournament (and a short stack) to be focusing on, Robert? Just so the readers know, I did some fact-checking, and hmm, wow, apparently you are indeed capable of not going on tilt en route to victory.
1:40 pm
Got allin with qq v k2, up to 7250.
Oh yeah … back in action, beyotch. By the way, the longer you can stay alive, the longer Pokerati gets to serve as the unofficial “exclusive” semi-live update provider of this event. Your paycheck depends on it No pressure.
2:48 pm
All in for 2k w/88 flopped set. 6k
More…
SCOTTSDALE, AZ–Robert, one reason you should feel pretty good about your chances in the Arizona State Poker Championship next weekend … well, let’s just say the signs are there! Hanging inside the Casino Arizona poker room — pimping the tourney and its $250k first prize — is a big banner that looks all too familiar. Basically just take the crest-like thingy pictured below, swap out the Batface skull with a CA logo, change the word “Pokerati” to “Arizona,” and there you have it. Seriously, everything else is the same.
click to enlarge / use your imagination
Fascinating, I know … especially if you happen to be into poker clip-art non-copyrighted templates.
Four what, you ask? Since coming home from the WSOP I have had four of my worst live-action, cash poker sessions in a long time. All have been 40+ BB losses. Sure, I have had losses this big in the past…in fact I expect to have one every once in a while. You can play perfectly and they will happen. I never like them…and its not much fun having them come all within a 10-day stretch.
I came home from the WSOP with the plan of rebuilding the portion of my bankroll that was expended in tournament buy-ins over the past two months. I was counting on the super-juicy $40/$80 and $60/$120 limit hold ’em and mixed games at CA (Casino Arizona) to do the trick. I’m not off to a good start. There is a $1,000 buy-in tournament at CA on August 18, limited to 450 players with a guaranteed $250,000 1st place prize. I am planning on winning, so that just might get me even for the series.
I have always kept perfect records of every session of casino poker I have ever played and whenever I have an especially brutal run, I have found comfort in being able to reflect on the bottom line. As long as I can boot up the spreadsheet and see black ink, I can remind myself that I am a winning player. Individual losses hurt, but it’s one long game.
