AimlesslyChasingAmy

There’s nothing like implied tilt odds to improve the EV of hands that don’t total eight.  But if Wil Wheaton is in the game, every hand is positive EV (Entertainment Value).  It’s almost like he comes pre-tilted.  In one of my poker fantasies, I get to pick my dream six-person table in a Wicked Chops Poker Blogfile (although I could never be as witty as Jen).  Wil Wheaton would be at the top of my list. During the last day of my WSOP stay, I spent the last few hours before my flight playing $3/6 mixed games with some of my favorite bloggers over at the MGM.  If Wil was in a hand, all I needed was any two (or three or four - mixed games after all).  I won a couple of really ugly hands that day; rewarded with chips and Wheaton tilt.  I had almost forgotten about that until I read Wil’s post over at Card Squad last week:

“Of course, if you’re screwing around in a casino with your buddies, like some of us did during the WSOP, and you’re pounding drinks and trying to tilt your buddies, then you just factor the rake (and whatever money you spend trying to catch your two outer to put me on mega-tilt, Amy Calistri) into the cost of your entertainment.”

Hehehe.  I just love that he’s still re-living the tilt four months later.
 

Speaking of tilt, I don’t know if Michael Craig is looking to get tilted or looking to tilt, but he basically said that all bloggers suck at poker in this post.  I think he’s still mad that Wil Wheaton called him down last year with 6th pair in a cash game - and won.  Perhaps Michael forgets busting Jason this summer by calling his pre-flop all-in raise with 3-6 during the blogger’s tournament. And he totally dis’es the hammer.  I posted his picture above.  So bloggers, if you see this man, please fulfill his obvious death wish and hammer him.

One last Vegas blogger warning:  Be careful what you say in front of Dan.  Half of my friends are now using a ring tone that he is “selling” on his blog with me mumbling about drinking and smoking.  With the WPBT upon us, I can only imagine what gems he’ll pick up this weekend.   

I’m less than 24 hours away from my Vegas departure.  I have not done laundry, washed my hair, or packed. And yet I have been in Vegas prep mode for over a week now.  Perhaps I underestimated the mental preparation time.  My biggest problem is that I’ve been getting up at the crack of dawn in central time.  I suspect I’ll be waking up in Vegas just as most bloggers are looking for their beds.  I hope I survive the time zone whiplash.

It’s been pretty interesting to watch the poker biz in its post UIGEA adjustment.  I’ve heard from a number of sources that Card Player just executed some pre-xmas staff cuts; pre-holiday lay-offs are the lowest.  IBM was famous for them.  The fact that CP just moved into new fancy digs coupled with lost affiliate revenue was the likely motivation.   But I’ve been curious about what CP is going to do with its affiliate programs since the passage of the UIGEA.  Most of their web competitors have offshore servers.  Being a US based affiliate has to be putting CP far deeper into the legal grey zone.

On the positive biz front, the Sands has just announced it will be entering the online poker market in the UK.  This looks like a toe wetting exercise for them and I suspect they’ll be pushing on the Asian market before long.  While some people question and worry about their foray into an already crowded UK market, I think their entry bodes very well for rethinking legalization and regulation here in the US.  Here’s why.

There were also rumors earlier this week that along with MGM stock, Kirk Kerkorian was picking up some PartyGaming stock as well.  Coupled with the earlier rumor that MGM was thinking about buying out Party, this makes for some interesting possibilities.  But if Kerkorian isn’t picking up Party stock, it looks like UK private equity firm 3i might be.  Check out who they just put on their board.

Image credits:
Wheaton and Craig are mine from the 2006 WSOP
The Ventian:
http://www.venetian.com/casino/index.cfm