Tuesday & Thursday Nights at The Riverhouse

Back in the day...

2006-05-10T12:58:00.000+08:00

The Philippine Poker community has experienced a Golden Age type boom in the past few months. You can hardly go through the day without overhearing some college punk go through another Bad Beat Story. Internet shops will always have one or two people busy with internet poker. And you can almost always find a poker game.... ANYWHERE.

These events make an old geezer like me want to reminisce. Why I remember back in the day... ( i guess that was 15-16 months ago), there were only a handful of people who played poker. I remember the FAPA boys first tournament: The BEL-AIR classic. We could barely get enough people to play, the now widely used program: The Tournament Director made its Philippine debut ( Thank you to Kix Samson for introducing that to the "...millions <> and millions" {WWE's the ROCK} of Pinoy poker players out there ) and the 500 peso buy in felt EXPENSIVE.

Now it makes me wonder if anyone will even show up if we held another BEL-AIR CLASSIC....

hmmm... I wonder....

I wonder..... [ THIS IS CALLED A TEASER PEOPLE!!!!!! ]

-Ray Arnold

PS To Ricky and other FAPA Members Proof the Samuel Jackson was in Jurassic Park 1.

FAPA SEASON 2

2006-02-09T14:20:00.000+08:00

It is a little known fact that FAPA keeps track of its member's poker statistics. We started doing this February 4, 2005. Now that one year has passed, we will reset our rankings and hail our 1st year victor.

Congratulations to KIX SAMSON for being the FAPA 2005-2006 1st place finisher.

A well deserved shout out to POBS who finished second place due to the unlikely UNLUCKY alignment of his stars in the last 2 months of the season. He remains the FAPA "crowd favorite".
As the FAPA 2nd season begins we hope to see you in more home games and tourneys. Maybe you'll see a rise in attendance from the FAPA boys in the "poker scene".

-Anonymous FAPA member

FOR FAPA INSIDERS:

Who can wield the deadly power of the starting hand known as THE SECRET WEAPON?

Where Everybody Knew Your Name

2005-11-29T00:22:00.000+08:00

By now, most, if not all, of you already know what happened. I can't comment on the events because I don't know too much, but, needless to say, our thoughts go out to those who were involved. Because of this, we will be closing the Riverhouse.

When we started doing this, all we wanted was a place where we could have some fun doing something we loved. It was really just an excuse for a group of friends to hang out. Everything else was gravy. That's why we never hired dealers or upped the stakes. We wanted it to be a special place where people came to have a good time, like that little bar on tv where everybody knows your name. We wanted it to be like the home games we started from. Or at least as close to it as possible. But it got bigger than any of us imagined or even hoped it would be. So even before this happened, we were already throwing around the idea of closing. It's just sad that it had to take something like this to make us decide what to do. But I guess you gotta do what you have to do.

But we have no regrets. I think, despite everything, we were able to do what we wanted to do. Our thanks go to everyone who came and played with us, especially the regulars who came every tuesday and thursday to hang out. You know who you are. And we know we'll still be seeing you around. We hope you had as much fun as we had. It was a good ride. And when we look back on these days as we inevitably will, it'll only be full of good memories.

- kix

Fresh Faces

2005-11-23T09:52:00.000+08:00

Quite a lot of new faces showin' up at The Riverhouse nowadays.

Last night, we were graced by the lovely presence of one half of the Jaboom Twins. Man, she was fine! Break me off a piece o' that! Too bad she was with her beau, that Selecta Cornetto commercial dude...Of course, Franco a.k.a Jasper from the Coke commercial was there again. He's becoming a Riverhouse regular. There was also this player who I swear looks like American Idol's Bo Bice.

The beautiful Miss Erica was there for the second time and for about a couple of hands I was sandwiched between two of the prettiest poker players I have seen on this side of the metro. I thought I was going to get distracted for sure and lose but I ended up winning a little after Jaboom Twin #1 called my all-in JKo with her pocket nines.

I swear, that was the first time ever that I apologized to a poker player whose hands I beat.

And last but not the least, we also had the pleasure of having JGPT's Jazminator and Che in The Riverhouse for the first time. Thanks for finally dropping by guys. Hope to see you there more often.

Thank you all for your patronage. See you all at The Riverhouse this Thursday.

We're still holding satellites for the big one on December.

Poker Chips for Sale

2005-11-16T05:09:00.000+08:00

Just in case any of you are looking for poker chips, you may be surprised to know that you can buy them at the 2nd floor of Shoppersville Supermarket. And just in case you have no idea where that is, it's the supermarket in front of Miriam College along Katipunan Avenue, near Ateneo.

So far, the only design available is the suited one. 500 pieces is Php 3,600.00, 300 pieces is Php 2,000.00, and 200 pieces is Php 1,600 (I think... I'm pretty sure though). Each set comes with the standard silver case, 2 decks of cards, 5 dice, and 1 dealer button.

Also, a lot of you have been asking us where we got our cards, and I'm happy to tell you that we also got them from (where else?!) this wonderful supermarket. It has everything! (Well, not really.) The ones we're currently using right now costs Php 28.50, but if you want to splurge a little, there are decks with better designs worth Php 40.00.

So remember, that's at the 2nd floor of Shoppersville Supermarket. If you can't find them, either the chips or the cards, they're at the counter where the wines are.

Another Public Service Announcement

2005-11-16T04:41:00.000+08:00

First of all, congratulations to Eric, winner of the 2nd Satellite, as well as to Big Wally and Kim, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Good game, guys and girl.

We'd also like to announce that starting this Thursday, November 17, the restaurant will be charging an entry fee of Php 100.00 per person. This will affect all those who enter the poker room, whether that person plays or not. Those who just stay outside the room will not be charged. The Php 100.00 cover charge comes with 1 drink, and for every 5 people (not necessarily from the same group) that enter the room, the restaurant will be giving 1 order of pulutan (don't know what) for everybody in the room.

We hope that this cover charge will not deter you from coming to the Riverhouse and joining us.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog programming.

In the Words of Tucker and Wayne

2005-11-14T13:25:00.000+08:00

I love her, man!

She will be mine. Oh, yes, she will be mine.

Last Thursday Night at The Riverhouse

2005-11-13T14:04:00.000+08:00

We had our first satellite to the Dec. 17 Airport Casino tournament last Thursday. I wasn't there when it started, but I was told that the game started at around 10:00 pm, and when it was over, Jun was the last man standing. He is now officially entered in the big tournament. Congratulations also to Neil and Migs, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The game lasted almost 3 hours, which is I think a little too long, so we decided to make a little tweak in the blind schedule. We are removing the 250/500 blinds to try and make the game faster at the later stages. So after 200/400, it'll be 300/600. We want the game to last around 2 hours, but without making the blinds too quick that the players can't play.

See you on Tuesday.

The 1st JG Poker Tour Dead Money Bounty Tournament

2005-11-09T10:24:00.000+08:00

Date: November 19, 2005

Venue: Penthouse. Legrand Condominium. Valero St., Makati City.

Game: No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em - No Rebuys

Maximum Players: 70

Registration time: 230pm

First Deal: 330pm

Places Paid: no. of tables plus two

Payouts: Guaranteed 45% of the pot for the 1st, 20% for the 2nd, all other places to be announced during the tourney

Buy-in: 1,200 + 300 + 100 (If you're wondering what the 50 is for, we'll explain later).

Finally, a tournament hosted by the members of the sole poker group that is proud to admit that all its members are dead money. In an embarrassing display of pure bravado, JG poker tour is inviting the best players in town to pit their skills against their own somewhat mediocre poker-playing abilities.

In this amazingly lopsided tournament that can possibly seat 80 contenders, manila’s greatest poker players will play against themselves (and JG Poker Tour’s somewhat confident beginners) where people will eliminated one by one until only a sole survivor remains to claim victory.

Bounty Hunter Twist

Two players will be chosen randomly and he/she will have a bounty on his/her head.
The bounty hunters who take the two players out will half the total bounty..
BUT... if the person with a bounty is able to make it to the final 2 tables, he/she gets the winnings to herself.

Pre-register today and avoid the pains of a waitlist.
Contact Jardine at 0918-9072729.

Satellites...

2005-11-09T06:44:00.000+08:00

As many of you know, Nick G. is holding a 150-seat tournament at the Airport Casino on December 17. The buy-in is Php5,000 + Php1,000. If you want to know more about the tournament, check out his blog at pokerfilipinas.blogspot.com.

Since the buy-in is a little steep, especially for small-time poker players like us, we are offering satellite tournaments for players who think they might have what it takes to win this prestigious tournament, but not a big enough bankroll to get in by themselves. So if you meet the above criteria, or you just want to get in the tournament for a cheap price, come join us at the Riverhouse. The details of the satellites are as follows:

Game: (of course) No-Limit Texas-Hold 'em
Number of Players: 10
Buy-In: Php850 + Php150

Payout:
1st - A seat at the Dec. 17 tourney
2nd - Php 1,500
3rd - Php 1,000

Starting Chips: 1,000

Blind Schedule:
Level 1 - 10/20
Level 2 - 20/40
Level 3 - 40/80
Level 4 - 60/120
Level 5 - 80/160
Level 6 - 100/200
Level 7 - 150/300
Level 8 - 200/400
Level 9 - 250/500
Level 10 - 300/600
Level 11 - 400/800
Level 12 - 500/1,000
Level 13 - 750/1,500
Level 14 - 1,000/2,000
Level 15 - 1,500/3,000

20-minute blinds from Levels 1-3, 15-minute blinds from Levels 4-7, and 10-minute blinds onwards.

The satellites will start this Thursday and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday until the day of the big event. Registration will begin at 9:00 (or when a FAPA member is present), and the tourney will begin as soon as all 10 seats are filled.

Good luck!

Team Poker!

2005-11-08T13:17:00.000+08:00

The first ever team heads up tournament concluded last Sunday in bbc. The ryder cup-type event consisted of 9 players of each team battling it out heads up in limit texas holdem.

The monetary stakes were relatively small at 5000 pesos, but as of any team event Pride was the overwhelming motivation. It ended with FAPA winning 5-3, but both sides were so evenly matched that it could have easily gone either way.

Results:

-Game--------FAPA---------A55-------Winner------Standings

---1 ------------Kix---------Skippy-------Kix-----FAPA 1 A55 0
---2 ----------Nik T.--------Barbs-------Barbs----FAPA 1 A55 1
---3 ----------John Paul------Ace-----John Paul-- FAPA 2 A55 1
---4 -----------Ricky--------- Neil------ Neil------ FAPA 2 A55 2
---5 ------------Joel--------NickG.----- Nick G.--- FAPA 2 A55 3
---6----------- Denis------PIT BOSS----Denis---- FAPA 3 A55 3
---7----------- Pobs-----------JJ-------- Pobs---- FAPA4 A55 3
---8------------ Kix----------Ace---------Kix-----FAPA 5 A55 3
---9------------Pobs---------Barbs------- na----------- na

Starting Chip Count: 1600

( sorry about the ugly chart!! how the heck do you put a chart in this freakin blog???)

For those of you who are interested, here’s a recap of what went down last Sunday:

Game 1 was a grueling battle between two-time BBC 500 Champ Skip vs. The two time bel-air classic commissioner Kix Samson. Skipmeister had Kix on the ropes reducing his stack to a mere 210 pesos only to encounter an improbable “comeback kix” rush that would eventually put FAPA up 1 – 0.

The momentum would be short lived as the more experienced Barbie would tie the series at one game apiece, using her deliberate game to overwhelm our very own Nik. “the kissing bandit” Tabios.

Game 3 was a battle of two solid players. John Paul’s fearless style would eventually give FAPA a 2-1 lead when his nut flush took out Ace’s big slick ( top pair top kicker ) in a critical point in the match.

But things remained tight as ever as “massage relaxed” Neil would again tie the series at 2-2. Ricky Re-raise’s quest for a win ended in a blaze of glory after a punishing game. His uber-aggressive style allowed him to comeback by cracking Pocket Aces with Q-6 offsuit only to fall short in the end.

Game 5 was the hardest fought match of the night, with the chip lead changing hands several times. In the end BBC founder Nick G. would give A55 their first lead of the night by outlasting our ex-seminarian compatriot.

Denis would perform well in the clutch to once again tie the series by winning a marathon hour and a half match against PIT BOSS. (Undoubtedly with a little luck from their fist pumping FAPA dealer.) In this match, the blinds reached a staggering 200-400, which is astonishingly high considering the stating chip count was 1600.

With the score tied a 3-3 Pobs would win the pivotal game 7 to pull FAPA within one game away.

With just a game away from victory and an always dangerous Barbie waiting in the wings for what could be a winner-take-all final match. Kix “Boy Samson” would ride the momentum to win not only his second game of the night but the series as well.

Final Result: FAPA 5 A55 3

Personally, although the results are uplifting I am more keen on the fact that these two pioneering poker groups have again combined forces to create something truly remarkable. TEAM POKER!!!! Already there are talks of more group-type tournaments for the future. (4 teams poker tourneys, Group-decision poker etc etc).

When this phenomenon inevitably becomes huge, I can say I was there and I helped start it all.

contributed by:
Pobs" I-love-gus-hansen-even-if-he’s-broke" Poblete

P.S. ACE DAAN KA NAMAN SA AMIN!!! DOON NAMAN TAYO MAG INUMAN!!! (Ricky nostradamus....nyahahahahaha)

We're Incendiary Too!

2005-11-07T23:40:00.000+08:00

“FAPA represent!”

From the first evening that we met Teddy KNG (Kuya Nick G.) seven months ago, this has been our call to arms, our battle cry, our One Big Fight.

As a group we were united and we were proud. In our heart of hearts, we knew we got game. Countless hours of playing against each other have honed our skills and stiffened our sinews.

The time came that we had to test our blades, to see if indeed, we were made of sterner stuff.

On one of the first No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournaments held in the Philippines, one from our ranks emerged victorious.

We felt we were the finest in the land and we felt invincible.

We held a second tournament, the now legendary “Bel-Air Classic”, and dared thirty free lances to crush our steel.

Brash and drunk with glory, we became sloppy and eked out a paltry third place finish, losing to an unknown and to a woman.

No worries, we said, we’ll get them next time.

1st Parque Espana, FAPA sent two emissaries to take these poker upstarts to school. One of them lost on the 3rd level of play and the other one squandered away his stack and barely made it to the money with a 5th place finish.

Skyland Classic, unsure and frightened, but with a score to settle, a ronin dared to defend the FAPA name and to regain its honor. He didn’t inform his brothers of this journey. “I will tell them when we are rejoicing my victory.”, he thought to himself. Unprepared and burdened by past defeats, he was the second out.

The second out.

“FAPA represent!” had become a cloak of shame. The brass, bang, and bravado were replaced by a bluster.

We were gonna go down in the history of Philippine poker as the group who started it all and wasted their talents away, the young Icarus, full of promise and potential, hastily taking flight so he may touch the sun only to plummet down to the sea.

Our participation in the last three BBC 500’s was one last stab at glory. In those three attempts, a solitary voice would yell, “FAPA represent!”, and for a brief moment, the hairs on the back of our necks would bristle once more and memories of glories past would shine down on our tainted armor and we would be hungry for blood again.

But it’s a different war now. The soldiers are younger, faster, and stronger. Blow by devastating blow, we suffered what we felt was the last of a string of defeats.

We were warriors once…a long time ago.

We embraced our new place in the poker world as smiths, sheep herders and stable boys with humble enthusiasm. We served the up and coming knights of the land and aided them as they strengthened their poker steel.

We were happy and content. The memory of past victories, nothing but a glimmer in our eyes now as we partake of barley and kebab in Behrouz.

Then the challenge was issued.

It was from an old nemesis, one of the first ones.

Their group was solid and steady, ours, unsure and unbalanced.

Do we take the challenge and risk defeat or come out fighting and embrace victory one last time?

There was only one way to find out.

It was a grueling battle, with each knight brandishing their blade with equal might and prowess. It felt as if it was not going to end as warriors battled it out wielding their skills as they would a mace, a broadsword, or a triple flail.

But in the end, there can be only one true champion.

The grizzled veterans of FAPA ripped the A55 banner and standard into shreds winning 5 games out of 8.

As we rejoiced our victory, our renewed vitality, and our replenished vigor for the game, we realized that it was not at all about mastery of the game, skill or even experience.

In the end, it’s all about heart.

We wanted it more.

We wanted to hold our heads up high once again, to enter the hall, tall and proud, to bask in the honor, the pride, the glory, to face the crowd, our chests full as they shout once more…

“FAPA REPRESENT!!!”

The Origin of FAPA

2005-10-30T23:08:00.000+08:00

Some people have asked us what FAPA means, and the short answer to that would be "4A Poker Association." Almost all of us were high school classmates more than 10 years ago, and it was just a name we gave ourselves. We had no idea that the name would survive and persist to this day, otherwise, we probably would have come up with a better sounding name. Something that might hide our inner geek, but I guess it's too late to change it now.

It all started one day in class (TD, I think). Chan, the mastermind of it all, the devil himself, and, come to think of it, the 1st ever FAPA dealer, pulled out a deck of cards and began to secretly deal to his seatmates. Back then, our game of choice--actually, the only game we knew--was 5-card draw. We had no idea what Texas Hold 'em was, and flops, turns, and rivers were alien to us. There were no felt tables, just hard wooden desks attached to chairs that all faced the blackboard. There were no chips to shuffle or splash the pot with, just a piece of paper with a list of bets made during each round. That 1st FAPA session didn't last too long. The 6 or so seatmates got caught and were made to stand at parade rest for 2 hours after class. Chan, being the devil himself, got away unscathed.

But the devil gets caught every now and then. And unfortunately, I was with him when it happened. Same punishment. 2 hours after class, standing by the hallway. My first-ever post. And the bad thing about it is I don't even remember if I won that one hand we played. But knowing Chan, he must've placed a bad beat on me, drawing out on one of his impossible long draws. A gutshot most probably. The 1st Chan-special in a long line of Chan-specials.

That was more than 10 years ago. There was a time in-between where we shifted to pusoy. We played any chance we could get, even after we had just won the UAAP Basketball Championship ("Bawal magalit tonight!"). I remember the Baguio trip where we played almost the whole time, where an ex-seminarian even thought of skipping Mass just to play, and where past debts long-forgotten were suddenly remembered.

But don't get me wrong. We haven't been playing cards the whole time since then. There were many times when the cards were laid aside to give way to more important things. Sometimes, even non-important things like network gaming. Even now, DOTA sometimes takes priority over poker for some of us.

This last and current FAPA renaissance began a little over a year ago. I had just arrived from the States where the poker boom was in full swing. Moneymaker had just won the WSOP the year before, and you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing a poker tournament. I was hooked. So when I came back, we started playing again. We started out with 7-card stud but moved to Texas Hold 'em four months later. And when we saw our first flop, we were all hooked. And as they say, the rest is history.

The first few months playing were absolutely crazy. We'd play 4 times a week (all SNGs), at least 2 games a night, using my mom's rinky-dink set of plastic chips she uses for mahjong, until we finally bought our first set of chips on eBay and had an aunt lug it all the way here. We even kept track of our stats just so we knew who was the best and worst among us. We still do. And we dusted the cobwebs off the old monicker, half in jest, half in tribute to the good old days.

But a funny thing happened after we hosted our first tournament. The name stuck, and we became known as the FAPA boys, reminiscent of Phil Gordon's own Tilt Boys. But I guess it's ok. It's all good. Because to us, poker, and cards in general, is more than a game. It's more than the money you win or lose every night (though winning is always nice). It's about friends--friends I've known for more than half of my life. It's about remembering the good old days and making new memories. It's about Claude going all-in, shouting, "Fortune favors the bold!" while taking off his shirt. It's about teasing Denis and his obvious tells (pa-rum-pum). It's about the look of utter disbelief in Jogs's face as Chan gets his one-outer ("Shut up."). It's been more than 10 years since FAPA was born, and a lot has happened to all of us since then. But here we are, still playing.

For me, the magic of poker isn't the rush or the amazing plays. It's how the cards always seem to somehow bring us together. They call us home.

Claude's Knuggets of Knowledg (yes Kix, wala talagang "E") 10-28-2005

2005-10-28T16:10:00.000+08:00

Wooohooo!!! Looooong weekend coming up, and that means for four days, no work, no school, and unfortunately, no Riverhouse too. For me, this also means no net access, as I still have an unpaid balance with my cable internet isp for my pc at home, and im too cheap to pay it off (for now...) So, since im still in the office at this very moment, i might as well leave you guys with some, ahem, cool stuff to watch and ponder over this long weekend.

Boy are you guys in for a treat. I present to you, one my personal FAVORITE OF ALL TIME WORLD CHAMPION OF THE WORLD BRING DOWN THE HOUSE DOWN videos...the first time i saw this clip, I knew it would go down in teh interweb history as a classic. Now YOU, lucky blog reader, can be a part of internet history, by viewing the magnificence that is...SUPER SHAMU!!!!!! What is it about? Oh, lets just say it is about the world's most f*ckingest coolest (i know that's redundant, but HE'S THAT COOL)SUPAH HERO...he's pimpin', he's chillin'...he's.....SUPER SHAMU!!!!

http://www.m90.org/download.php?image_id=3578

Now now, did you think that I, a bonafide internet junkie, will leave you with just one (although massively awesome) video? HELL NO!!! I now present a video that is a MUST SEE for anyone who's ever seen the coolest movie in recent history, Napoleon Dynamite (Pobs, Ricky, this means you guys. Enjoy:

http://www.m90.org/download.php?image_id=8457

Alright, 5 pm is closing in, and my net conenction is about to close, so i leave you guys with another bonafide internet classic....AFRO NINJA!!!! if you've already seen it, well, see it again!!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/afroninja.html

And what Knuggets of Knowledg is complete without a joke? Here's the best one i've heard all week:

A drunken man walks into a biker bar, sits down at the bar and orders a
drink.

Looking around, he sees three men sitting at a corner table. He gets up,
staggers to the table, leans over, looks the biggest, meanest, biker in the
face and says: "I went by your grandma's house today and I saw her in the
hallway buck naked. Man, she is one fine looking woman!"

The biker looks at him and doesn't say a word. His buddies are confused,
because he is one bad biker and would fight at the drop of a hat.

The drunk leans on the table again and says: "I got it on with your grandma
and she is good, the best I ever had!"

The biker's buddies are starting to get really mad but the biker still says
nothing.

The drunk lean on the table one more time and says, "I'll tell you something
else, boy, your grandma liked it!"

At this point the biker stands up, takes the drunk by the shoulders looks
him square in the eyes and says...................

"Grandpa,....... Go home, you're drunk."

Ok, that oughta keep ya guys busy till next week....See you guys at the Riverhouse! (also known as "Paracks" to you Philistines out there....)

Public Service Announcement

2005-10-28T14:02:00.000+08:00

We'd like to inform everyone that we will be closed next Tuesday, November 1. We don't want to do anything that will wake up the dead. Normal operations will resume on Thursday, November 3. See you then.

JG Poker Tour Girls in FHM!!!

2005-10-27T18:59:00.000+08:00

Yeah, this here's what ahm talkin' about! I lost many a poker game because I was seated with at least one of these beautiful ladies.

Check 'em out in the latest issue of FHM with the Maui Taylor cover.

Hey, how come these girls never visit The Riverhouse?

Premium Hands

2005-10-27T13:09:00.000+08:00

Finally got to watch "Rounders" again last night. Ever since poker fever hit our city, I've been looking for a copy of this movie. Thanks to Nik T. for obtaining a copy for me all the way from the States.

Can't imagine how I was able to appreciate and enjoy it when I first watched it back when I was in college. Now, I know exactly what they're talking about and I now recognize all the names that they mention when they're quoting somebody. Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Johnny Chan...

One line from Worm in the movie got me laughing though...

"In the game of poker, women are the rake!"

Man, that was hilarious! More so because it holds true for me. Just ask Nick G. He knows that you can't put me in a table with chicks and expect me to still bring my game. A poker table with a hot dealer?

Fuhgeddaboutit...

See y'all in The Riverhouse tonight.

Laugh Trip

2005-10-26T18:21:00.000+08:00

Hayop, natawa ako dito grabe....naka-cast pa talaga yung kamay nung isa...waaah!

Two Chinese Boys

Practical Applications of Poker

2005-10-25T10:02:00.000+08:00

"Keep your eyes and ears open at all times."

"If you know what the enemy is thinking, you become unstoppable."

--- Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather

One of the reasons why I keep playing poker is because I can apply a lot of the things I learn in the table to everyday life.

To demonstrate:

When I am buying DVD's and I ask Jamaal the vendor if it's already a DVD copy, I can tell right away if he is lying or not...

At the boardroom or at meetings, if a person stands up to talk or puffs up his chest or talks louder than necessary, I know he's bluffing and that he doesn't really know what he's talking about or that he doesn't have what he claims to have.

Did you know that Bill Gates bluffed his way into making IBM think that he already had an operating system ready for their PC's? He had squat and he had to rummage through another software company's garbage bin to find out if that company had a working operating system that they could purchase. Turns out they did and Bill Gates and Paul Allen bought Q-DOS for $75,000. The guy was more than happy to turn it over to them and Gates and Allen just tweaked it a little and renamed it MS-DOS. This is all featured in "Pirates of Silicon Valley".

In an early scene in the movie, Bill Gates is shown playing poker. They say he's pretty good and that he has the emotions of a shark when he's in the table. I read that he also plays regularly with Warren Buffett.

So there you have it. It's not just a game, it's a way of life. Everytime you play, don't think that you're just trying to win, think of it as an education and that you're trying to hone your skills and sharpening your senses with every hand. Who knows? Those skills just might come in handy someday and they could earn you your first billion as well.

See you all at The Riverhouse tonight...

Reraise Ricky

What Goes Around Comes Around

2005-10-22T14:49:00.000+08:00

I have a friend. For anonymity's sake, let's just call him "Joe-LO." Joe-LO is an honest and straightforward player, with a tendency to run wild every now and then. He was an ex-seminarian after all. He has pocket 7s playing against a wild and loose player with a lot of money to burn. The flop is 10-7-2. After raising and getting reraised, he goes all-in. Opponent calls. There's about 2k in the pot. Opponent shows A-K. The odds calculator from CardPlayer.com shows that he is a 98.5% favorite to win. But who cares about math anyway? Turn is a J. River is a Q. Crazy.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. Joe-LO now has 3-6 offsuit. He raises pre-flop. I told you he can get wild, especially if it's late and he wants to go home. One caller. A tight and solid player. Flop is 4-7-?. It's checked around. Turn is another 4. After raising and getting reraised (again), he goes all-in (again). Opponent calls. Another monster pot. Opponent shows A-4. Joe-LO only has a 9.1% chance, but didn't I say that no one cares about the math? River is a 5.

Justice?

Karma?

Poker.

- posted by whose ass was dubbed Supa-Sprung Monkey Hunta

Unrepresent

2005-10-22T13:21:00.000+08:00

I've been shattered, I've been scattered
I've been knocked out of the race but I'll get better

--- "Lithium Sunset" by Sting

Poor showing by the FAPA Boys last night at their very first BBC 500 Tournament.

There were four of us, Joel, Pobs, John Paul, and myself.

Joel was booted out early in the game and John Paul followed after.

Pobs and I are were in the same table for about an hour and he died a blind death...

I made it to the final table only to be booted out first as Ariel called my all-in, his Pocket Rockets against my Big Slick. Che joined the fray with AQ.

Damn.

Congratulations Skippy for winning that one.

FAPA Boys will be back.

Knuggets of Knowledg 10-21-2005

2005-10-21T13:14:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Claude's "Knuggets of Knowledge"

In this little corner of the FAPARACKS REPRESENT Blag-Blog, I shall share some of the net finds I encounter in my daily scourings of the Info Highway. Hopefully, SOME shall be poker related, but I can't promise you nuthin.....

For my first "knugget", did you guys know that the upcoming Bond Flick Casino Royale remake (the original released in 1967 as a James Bond spoof starring George Lazenby) shall feature Texas Hold Em as the centerpiece card game? In the original, it was baccarat (as in "ang lamig ng aircon dito sa paracks, baccarat tuloy yung tong-uts niya!"). Ok, ill admit I posted this useless piece of shit trivia just to use my baccarat joke. But hey, someone's gotta fill the blog, right?

For my second "knugget"...i present a video of something that has to seen to be believed. Dont worry kids, its not NSFW (thats Not Suitable For Work for ya n00bs out there). In other words, it aint pr0n. Sorry Chan. Whats it about? Lets just say it involves steroids and 80's dance moves......

http://x600.putfile.com/videos/a6-28416454131.wmv (note, right click, copy and paste link to download)

For my third "knugget",here's an old classic pirate joke:

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel in his pants

Bartender: 'Why do you have a steering wheel in your pants?'

Pirate: 'YARR! ITS DRIVING ME NUTS!'

Thank yew, thank yew, ill be here all week....

Try To Remember...

2005-10-21T11:24:00.000+08:00

My tears welled up when I saw these, guys.

Frenchy's gonna love this...

Aces Vs. Kings...WHO YA GOT?!

2005-10-21T09:29:00.000+08:00

All I can say is...Aces? We don't need no stinking Aces!

Yep, that's what went down last night. We must have seen at least 6 Pocket Rockets cracked by Kings.

Well, they don't call it The Riverhouse for nothing. And like we always say, "Fortune favors the bold."

A wonderful evening for cards all in all. Had a good combination of players once again. Coupla new faces, ballers, Shanghai Triad representatives Caloy and his friend, and our regular young entrepreneurs.

Congratulations to Migs for being the big winner last night. What can I say, Migs is a true gentleman of the game. Never curses, never gets excited, and never raises his voice. (Napainom nga lang ng Johnnie Walker Black nung nananalo na. Napa-Scotch eh, napa-scotch. Double pa!) You deserve it bro!

We all deserve a drink as well, Riverhouse Boys and Girls. What can I say, man. Dealing is back breaking work! Damn! Be sure to tip those dealers good now, you hear? Because that there is hard work, bro! Yep, it's a living. That's why I've always made it a point to tip generously everytime I win big. (Right, Katrina?)

"That a man must break his back to earn his day of leisure." --- "Girl", John Lennon

"He who does not work, does not eat." --- Liberio K. Cortez, Araling Panlipunan teacher

Truer words were never spoken.

Here's to the weekend, y'all. Drink up!

BBC 500 and The Rooftop Invitational.

Let's do this.

And So It Goes...

2005-10-20T09:53:00.000+08:00

And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon, I suppose

--- "And So It Goes" by Billy Joel

Well, who would have thought it would reach this far right? From the dining room table of Kix to the garage of Pobs, from Camp Hold 'Em's clubhouse to JGPT, from QC to Alabang, from the BBC to The Riverhouse.

And now the WPT.

We've come a long way in less than a year ladies and gents.

Question is, when and where does it end? We were all thinking that this surely can't last. Games all around, meeting new people everytime, being part of a community, being part of something huge, actually belonging to something historical.

Doesn't get better than that.

Well, when the end comes along, we can all say, to borrow a line from the movie, "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead":

We did the things.

Coming into a room where people know your name and where you're from, people come up to you to shake your hand, rubbing elbows with real life underworld characters, seeing your friends on a regular basis, making new friends, and actually making some money doing what you love.

When we're old and gray, we can look back at all these things and look back at this time and smile.

We did the things.

See you all tonight at The Riverhouse.

Long Weekend Coming Up!

2005-10-19T10:00:00.000+08:00

Hey Boys and Girls,

It's official, no work on October 31, November 1, and November 4. The working stiffs among us can take a leave on the 2nd and the 3rd if we plan to go out of town or something. Let's do something guys. Let's not end up playing poker the whole time like we did last Holy Week. Let's go to Subic, Baguio, Puerto Galera or even Boracay and play poker there!

Also, some have expressed interest in joining this Friday's BBC 500 (Let's get our names up on that wall guys, FAPA Represent!!!) but we also have to sit down and meet about a lot of stuff.

Do we do it after the tournament or do we just do it Saturday night?

Just say when and where...

Of Newbies and Blind All-Ins...

2005-10-19T09:10:00.000+08:00

Great night last night guys...Just when I thought we wouldn't be able to fill up a table, we end up packing the place and having a lot of new players coming in.

New faces - that Kenneth dude with his painter friend who does abstracts daw, that PBA import Sean (tama ba? Hayop, ang daming basketball player na nagpopoker. Imagine, kung kapanahunan nila David Thirdkill 0 Michael Hackett 'to, they'd be coming over to The Riverhouse! Astig 'yun! Di ko na rin kasi kilala ang mga basketball player ngayon. Tumigil na akong manood ng PBA nang magretire si Ramon 'El Presidente' Fernandez. Ngayon, basta matangkad, basketball player 'yan sigurado.)

And of course, the usual suspects - you know who these guys are...Thanks for the patronage fellas!

Well, all the action was coming from our very own Attorney (na may hearing pa kinabukasan), who was undeniably the dealer of the night with his usual witty banter and hilarious comments that had everybody standing up in almost every hand as people were going all-in without looking at their cards. (I leave it up to the guys who were actually in that table to elaborate on this.) Hayop ka dude, naging loose caboose tuloy yung table na yun dahil sa 'yo. Keep it up, dude! You should deal every time, man.

Si Jogalogs nga pala nandun with his tshirt na may crest.

A great and memorable evening once again, gentlemen. See you Thursday!

Happy Birthday Lhen!

2005-10-18T13:09:00.000+08:00

From the FAPA Family,

Happy Birthday Lhen!!!

Thank you for everything. Iyung iyo si Chan for one night pagbalik niya galing States. O kaya si Nik pwede na rin...

See you all tonight at The Riverhouse!