Party Has Brand New Software

[Content Disclosure: 98% Poker, 8% Life, 3% Waiting for Barney]

As many of my loyal and all of my disloyal readers know, I write for several websites. My two biggest jobs are PokerBlog.com and the Beginner's Blog at OnlinePoker.com. These sites are operated by Party Gaming and in a strange twist of governmental bureaucracy, I cannot play poker on the Party Poker site. Since the 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, U.S. based players cannot access Party Poker. Besides driving many of us a bit nutso over this strange act of governmental restriction on personal freedom, there is also the plain truth that for many poker players Party Poker was our favorite site.

Well here is the current good news/bad news for U.S. players and the good news/great news for every other poker player on the planet. First, there's new Party Poker software, which now makes the Party Poker site one of the most amazing player interfaces anywhere on the web. The tables are faster, more intuitive and just easier to use. The Party Poker lobby also has a new, completely updated design. Play is more fun for all the poker players with Party access. Great job tekkies!

On the other side of the coin, the U.S. Congress after nearly two long years has made its first move to quash the draconian restrictions of the UIGEA. Representative Barney Frank's House Finance Services Committee has reported out a piece of legislation, which begins the slow march back to full access for all U.S. poker players. Once this legislation works its painfully slow way through the legislative process, we will all have access again to the party at Party Poker.

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Run Good, Run Bad and Walk Away

[Content Disclosure: 99% Poker, 1% whining]

The first RunGood challenge from the gang at PokerListings will have its grand finale next Saturday. I will be there cheering on some of my poker buddies but alas, it will be from the rail. I finished up a perfect 3 for 3 in goose eggs when I busted early in yesterday's third round of qualifying. To save me from the ignominy of reporting the disaster, anyone interested can read the report from Matt of PokerListings. Some big bucks will be on the line Saturday and I intend to be there for serious sideline harassment as would be appropriate for this great finale.

There is rumor of a second RunGood event coming later this year and I have been told there may be "Mercy Invitations" for those of us who played like guppies in this tournament. Thanks again to the Good Run staff at PokerListings for a fun series of events.

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Another Saturday, Another Saturday

[Content Disclosure: 67% Poker, 54% Exceptionally Poor Poker, 3% Random Commentary on Life]

I want to thank the boyz at Poker Listings both for the RunGood tournaments and for the cool picture on the right. I like good pictures and I like well funded freerolls like the RunGood blogger tournament. Unfortunately, I seem to currently...

Hmmm, how to phrase this exactly...

Well, I guess it would be....

I SUCK AT POKER!

Yes, I believe that covers it. Fortunately, that means I get more free moments to continuing on the deadline for the Matusow book. I have a couple of ancillary interviews for the book this week, which should get me out of the writing cave.

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Those Who Can't

[Content Disclosure: 111% Poker]

Those who can't do; teach.
Those who can't teach; manage.
Those who can't manage; well they can't manage.

I am not a big fan of slightly insulting aphorisms but today they apply to me. Besides listening to Mike's comments on chapters one to four; I also played two poker tournaments earlier today. The Run Good PokerListings Blogger Series began today. All you had to do was finish in the top six of twelve to earn some points towards the big finale. I didn't.

While I was there on PokerStars, I played the Saturdays with Pauly and managed to be near the top of the leaderboard for most of the tournament until my brain disengaged around the end of listening to Mike in chapter four. I know, I know, I know; when you play poker online you should pay attention. I know.

Those that can't play poker, write about poker.


Next Saturday, same donkey time, same donkey station.

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Run good challenge

[Content Disclosure: 114% Poker, 66% Poker Tournament, 49% Poker Blogs & Poker Bloggers]

One of the perks of writing about poker is that esteemed poker bloggers get invited to play in esteemed poker events. OK, so they don't ask us to play in the World Series of Poker but we get a media event there and this year there were nice cash prizes to donate to you favorite charity. Now, however, PokerListings is running an elite poker bloggers tournament, rightfully named: the Run good challenge.

This month long series of tournaments will be played out over four Saturdays with three preliminary events and a final table playoff. The game and structure will change week to week. The aforementioned elite list of esteemed bloggers will be:

Dr. Pauly
Change100
Michelle Lewis
Pokerati Dan
Kid Dynamite
Shortstacked Shamus
The Entities (A WickedChops conglomerate)
Spaceman
Poker Shrink (that would be me)
Lacey Jones (tentative)
Dan Skolovy (PokerListings ringer #1)
Matthew Showell (PokerListings ringer #2)

The PokerListings players are there for promotional purposes only, as they pose no actual threat to this elite lineup of esteemed poker bloggers. There are actually substantive cash prizes involved, so we may expect some semi-serious play from the one or two invitees capable of anything but donkey moves.

The whole spectacular kicks off on Poker Stars next Saturday, September 6th at 2 PM EDT. The multitude of rabid fans, avid readers and greedy family members are invited to stop by and harass the other players.

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A Book Review: Noelle's Ark

[Content Disclosure: 0% Poker, 27% Life, 39% Olde Friends, 45% An actual book review, 19% L.A.]

Noelle's Ark is a book written by a good friend of mine. The main premise of the work is focused on her relationship and redemption with and from another very good friend of mine, now gone from us. These are actual people, I knew Jimmy and Noelle during the years I lived in Los Angeles (1975-1990). This is a true story, though fictional. One of the many projects I am working on falls into this same genre, I would offer to Noelle's readers the first line of my book:

"If this upsets you, remember it is pure fiction. If it doesn't, then its not."

I am surely recommending this work to you, if you are a reader of this blog; you would either enjoy or be trapped by it. Both are acceptable outcomes. I will encourage you with the opening paragraph of the publisher's blurb:

Jimmy Splendor was an atheist. When he woke up in heaven, he didn't believe he was dead, and he certainly didn't believe he was in heaven. Greeted by his father, whom he hated on Earth, Jimmy took off running for seven years Earth time (only a few minutes in heaven). He finally met an angel named Oleo, who encouraged him to help his former wife, Noelle, who was still having severe nightmares years after Jimmy's passing.

You can find and purchase Noelle's Ark here.

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Motivation

[Content Disclosure: 50% Poker, 50% Life, 25% Yikes!]

My brother called it "having a goal".

Someone else referred to it as a "deadline".

Amy, my writing partner simply said:
"Oh Crap! They really expect us to finish this book?"

In any case, now on Amazon.com:

Mike Matusow: Check-Raising the Devil (Hardcover)

by Mike Matusow (Author), Amy Calistri (Author), Dr Tim Lavalli (Author)

List Price: $24.95 Price: $16.47 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save: $8.48 (34%) Special Offers Available Pre-order Price Guarantee. Learn more.

This title has not yet been released. You may pre-order it now and we will deliver it to you when it arrives.

LINK to active Amazon page: There is actually very nice "Product Description" and an "About the Authors" taken directly from the book proposal we wrote last year.

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