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| Quad Seven Poker |
| Chronicling the day-to-day life of a professional poker player, while offering up fresh points of view from strategy to theory and the daily grind to the big pay days, this Blog is dedicated to the best game on earth: Poker. |
| Language: English |
| RSS Feeds for this Blog |
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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 0 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 1898 |
| Visitors Out: 116 |
| Total Visitors Out: 116 |
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| Bubble Trouble |
| 2008-03-29 03:20:00 |
Ah, the dreaded bubble; my arch nemesis. I had a good relationship with bubbles for the majority of my life - blowing and popping them off pets and younger siblings was always a joy. Then there's bubble-wrap, a great way to fill useless minutes of the day, who could resist? Presently, however - I hate bubbles. This is primarily due to the anxiety and regret they fill me with after a sub-par showing at a tourney. What could be more painful than working hard, making great reads, solid lay downs and pulling a little luck out of your ass just when you need it - only to bust out as the first place loser. Ouch. Sometimes it's necessary to focus my late tournament play primarily on missing the bubble - and rightfully so! Poker is all about decision-making, and when the bubble is lerking, those de...
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| Dealer Distress |
| 2008-03-22 02:05:00 |
Why is it, I wonder, that players come to the felt with a fight to pick?Try convincing yourself that it's your 'image' or that you're somehow psyching someone out or putting someone on tilt...truth is - you're a giant asshole. Pick a fight with me around at felt and you'll get nothing but frustrated. Scream, yell, call names or splash the pot and the only reaction I'll give you is a light chuckle and maybe a bad beat story. Being a bully, especially an obnoxious one, takes a great deal of effort and energy; energy I'd rather spend focusing on the hand - which is exactly what I'll do. Much like anything though, there is an exception - don't mess with my dealer! I have a few friends that deal for a living, one such friend I've known since high school and keep still keep contact with regularl...
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| Still Kicking |
| 2008-03-21 22:04:00 |
Yep, still kicking; thanks for your e-mails.So, I've been a little under the weather the last few days. Let's chalk it up to too much spicy asian food, long hours and no sleep...a deadly mix. But, I am happy to report my recovery period has ended and I'm back at full force. Just in time too - I hate playing while I'm sick, I don't even drink at the table, so mind-altering medications are completely out of the question and have cost me a handful of days and more than a handful of chips. Needless to say, I can foresee alot of 'making up for lost time' in my immediate future.So how did I spend the last week? Well, I watched about every poker re-run on televison, followed a never ending stream of news from CNN regarding 'Election 2008' and spent so much time with my pillow, I think we are lega...
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| A Rare Sighting |
| 2008-03-14 13:37:00 |
When I woke up yesterday, I could count how many times I have held a straight flush on just two fingers - today I'll need three.Much like car accidents and phone calls from long distance relatives, straight flushes occur when they are least expected. Although I have no children, I imagine discovering a straight flush in your hand is much like the miracle of birth. Sheer joy. Not just the knowing that you unequivocally have THE NUTS in the hand, but that you've got the 'odds' right by the balls! No matter who you are or how many hands you've seen, there is truly nothing like it - like a Bigfoot sighting of sorts.(No worries - I've run out of analogies!)But the joy is fleeting - I still have a hand to play after all! My goal hasn't changed much: extract as much money from my opponents as pos...
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| Look out Ukraine, here I come! |
| 2008-03-10 12:53:00 |
What comes to mind when you hear or read the word 'Ukraine'?For me, I am reminded of a very significant country in the game of Risk. "The gateway to Asia" we'd call it growing up. Truth be told, I've never given the country too much more thought and don't know much more about it than its capital (Kiev). Then something happened that made me give Ukraine another look...I've made quite a few friends through my recent (and very late) introduction to MySpace. One such friend is a woman named Olga from Ukraine. We met primarily due to our mutual love of poker and struck up a few conversations right from the start. My interest was peeked when I found out she was the editor-in-chief of Hroniky Azarta, a gambling magazine in Ukraine - 'the first and best' she says...
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| Healthy Competition |
| 2008-03-07 06:33:00 |
A couple of days ago I made my weekly visit to the bookstore.I've always been a sucker for bookstores and libraries. Maybe it’s the smell, the sounds (often the lack there of), or even the memories of my childhood self, checking out nudie pictures in the art or photography sections without fear of being caught. "What, it's educational!" I would say if it ever came up...Well, as I was reminiscing to myself about this and making my way to the magazine rack, I saw an image that startled me. A kid, not much older than I was during my ‘nudie art picture phase,’ was looking at the March issue of Bluff Magazine.I've always hear ‘seasoned’ poker players, not 'old' - let's just say seasoned... talk about young players, wishing that they had the amount of poker material at their fingertips...
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| The 411 |
| 2008-03-04 22:59:00 |
So you may have noticed a few new things around here lately - not so much redecorating, but additions of features and tools. This blog has been a great outlet for me to share my poker experiences and admiration for the game, so I've made a commitment to my visitors to make things as easy-to-use and as entertaining as possible.I'm not exactly a pro when it comes to HTML, but I really liked the idea that if someone popped in, to check out a particular section of the blog - they could do so without too much scrolling or searching - so I hope you enjoy this feature! I'm also pleased to share news/entertainment related poker headlines in The Leak, with an easy to use scroll box - incase you missed a day or two. I tend to carry a lot of fun little stories like these around with me to spew on fel...
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| Poker vs. Bowling |
| 2008-03-01 07:22:00 |
Superstitions can be good in some types of games.I remember when I was thirteen and on a bowling league - you run into some hardcore superstitions when you’re in a bowling alley. We've all heard of a pitcher wearing the same socks throughout a winning streak, but the pure lunacy that encompasses bowlers every second of the game is just startling. Bowlers get new superstitions after every frame because they are attempting to do the EXACT same thing twelve times in a row! Having the same exact plan and execution twelve times back to back to back is what makes champions in bowling. Now, it goes without saying that this is a complete improbability in poker, and yet, you'll run into superstitions all around the felt in every ...
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| Side Bet |
| 2008-02-28 04:15:00 |
So I'm chatting online with a friend I know from Phildelphia last week...hey Jerry! We've never actually met in person, but have played many online games together since stricking up a conversation months ago after outlasting a pool of 90 players in a free sit & go to make it heads up in what ended up being a very long session.Jerry doesn't play for real money at all outside of once a month with his uncles, but he is a true fan of the game and likes to dabble in Full Tilt Poker. Now, although the bulk of my poker income comes from flesh and blood cash and tounement play, I love places like PokerStars and the afore-mentioned FTP to try out new strategies and work out some of my short comings...luckily on one of these nights I gained a friend on top of insight.Since Jerry's pride and ofte...
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| New Stuff |
| 2008-02-27 15:44:00 |
Hi All,Lot's of new stuff coming tomorrow including an easy navigation tool through my Blog and a revamping of The Leak, which will serve as a Poker News section rather than my weekly poll. I will now offer a Poker Quiz instead of the poll - in my Grease the Rail section.The Q7P Dealer Button Spotlight continues to be successful and I appriciate all the e-mails I've been recieving.Also - Another new blog post tomorrow and don't forget to check my daily poker slangs in Language/Slanguage.Wishing You Big Flops and Bigger Flops,Del...
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| Ace-Queen Disdain |
| 2008-02-23 12:32:00 |
I recently had a lively discussion with a player, post-bust, who blew his stack literally and figuratively after his AQ faltered big time. Why is it that anyone would think AQ would qualify as an automatic call to an all-in hand pre-flop?Now I know that there is a time and place where it might be, (short stack on the button for example), but generally, I find this hand can get you into a lot of trouble.The basics: Against any pocket pair JJ or less you are only getting 50:50 OR if your opponent is tilting and holds two random cards (say 5-6) they are still 'live' and can be caught to suck out on you (same odds of hitting anything as you have.) Worse still, are the kinds of hands that would reasonably raise to all-in pre-flop that could end nearly all hope for your AQ...Your unsuited AQ aga...
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| Pitter Patter |
| 2008-02-20 21:16:00 |
I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend...no wait - fiancé (still trying to get used to that title), that has been forever supportive of my poker career. Truth be told, I could ask for no greater support system in this department than her. This week however - it all became more clear...I get a call mid-day with the usual, "miss you much" kind of stuff followed by a "guess what!?"Well, without a moment to take that guess, she tells me about a local tournament coming up that she thinks would be perfect for me to take full advantage of. Apparently, this annual function boasting the 'biggest grand prize yet' pulls in hundreds of local players each year to battle it out for cash prizes as well as some heavy merchandise ranging from big screens to shopping sprees. Then, I hear the first prize and...
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| Drink Up |
| 2008-02-16 22:59:00 |
To this day I am continually amazed when I am at a poker tournament and see people chug back beer after beer during the course a game. Let us not forget why alcohol is free at casinos in the first place - a drunk player is a losing player...especially at a skill and thinking game like poker!I remember a time back in CT when I had a regular weekly game at a club of guys twice to three times my age that had many drinkers around the felt. You'd figure they would use their additional years of wisdom for their benefit, but alas, they usually would not. Don't get me wrong...I do love these types of players - it means less work for me! You can pick them out pretty quickly and then avoid conflict with them for a few levels, all the while they get plowed and you wat...
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| The Magic Combination |
| 2008-02-11 02:15:00 |
I recently ran into a pretty brutal table in the way of vicious exchanges just recently...I find there is no better exercise of patience quite like a low stake internet game. You tend to see some pretty unpredictable plays from weak players that will toss curveball after curveball, most of which make no sense whatever and can provide the sort of stings that you won't get at a table full of moderate to good players. The reason: I'm playing with a sense for pot odds, position and betting patterns - none of which can be counted on in the slightest from anyone else sitting across the virtual felt in these games.As previously stated- this table, on top of all these poor players and even worse plays, there was some serious trash talking. The first five hands was an all out war of words in the cl...
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| Exciting News...Potentially |
| 2008-02-09 17:34:00 |
Ready... set... let those salivary glands go!Word from the grapevine is that Party Poker might soon be bought out by one of many traditional casino gaming institutions! This could be the answer to many of our freedom-loving, poker playing prayers - whereas it would make it a private company and open to US players looking to gamble in cyberspace. I personally have the fingers on one hand crossed and one on the other hand ready to stand up high to the previous Republican 109th US Congress who put into effect some earth shattering online gambling laws!Delik...
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| UPDATES!!! |
| 2008-02-08 05:30:00 |
The QuadSevenPoker Blog will return too 100% beginning 2/9/2008!!A lot has been updated to make it even more fun, entertaining and influential -Have a look around, and see what's new.(Blog entry section - check back tomorrow for that!!)Including tons more postings each month!!!SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: DELIK JAMES NOW ON MYSPACE.(see Quad 7 Links below)Delik...
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| Delik James MIA? |
| 2008-01-08 15:04:00 |
Hello all.I've been on the road for a few weeks now and have had no time or availability to post during my wayward journey. Rest assured, I've been taking notes and look forward to updating you completely just as soon as possible.Thanks again for visiting, Delik...
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| Lou: Poker God Extraordinaire |
| 2007-12-20 08:57:00 |
The poker gods; who are they and how do I get on their good side?I think these poker gods we hear so much about around the felt rule with a more swift and mighty fist than any god the Christians or Muslims could conger up. I’ve prayed many times to these ‘poker gods’ in moments of weakness. Lately, just one in particular though. I call him Lou. Lou and I have an understanding.As in any god-worshiper relationship, the higher power knows more, but I feel sufficiently knowledgeable as well...I understand that poker is all about the long run, and realize that, in that long run - I will witness some amazing circumstances. For example, if I am dead to a one-outer on the river - I know unequivocally that I am staring 1% right in the eye. Now would be a situa...
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| Jekyll/Hyde Factor |
| 2007-11-04 14:19:00 |
Funny thing about these labels we attach to ourselves with such impermeable closeness that they become a permanent part of our identity. I’ve found in my travels that it is very important to know the distinct differences between them, (as well as their hybrids i.e. tight/aggressive, loose/passive), but moreso, it is important to not tattoo just one individual player-type or even some choice combination of player-type on your poker physique.When I sit in at a table, be it cash game or tourney - I have no idea what kind of player I going to be.I liken sitting at a poker table, especially in a tournament, to being on death row. A bunch of people - all shifty-eyed and twitchy. Some will smile to your face, while thinking of felting you before you can blink an eye. Some will just flat out gro...
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| Dirty Little Secret About Tells |
| 2007-10-07 12:43:00 |
New players are often wooed by the promise of riches when following the ill-contrived notion that 'tells' are the key to successful poker. Sounds kinda cool right? Just look over at your opponent and... Oh! He scratched his ear! All-In!!!Sorry to break it to you; it just doesn't work like that.If you do however, find yourself in the magnificent position of honestly being able to say to yourself, that you have a solid tell on a particular person - a real tell - it would be hours or perhaps sessions and sessions you will dedicate to studying, memorizing and comparing the slightest tick of each opponent until you feel you can rely on it... then-Enjoy every short and ever-fleeting second of that rare enjoyment. After all, despite all your work, an opponent could always be of the strategy for f...
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