Poker Ramblings....

Wow...its been that long...damn

I haven't blogged in a while as my day job has me consumed, and with all the negativity around the poker world, I just didn't' have it in me. I am just going to go ahead and just put some thoughts out there on this one...and I will try to get back into the groove soon

Black Friday:
Well that SUCKED!!!! I feel bad for alot of my friends who have 1000's and 1000's of dollars on FTP, and I would not count on seeing any of it anytime soon. I had something like $32.50 on Tilt so I wasn't as affected as others...and I got all my money back from Stars with no problems ...so...it sucked that we can't play, but I was one of the lucky ones that focused primarily on Stars and not Tilt...and got my money...which brings me to...

Phil Iveys Lawsuit:
At 1st...I thought it was a political ploy to take the focus off the fact that FTP was not paying out the money they owed...and the speculation that they may never...as they don't have the funds. Ivey has clearly separated himself from the rest of the pack by getting a top attorney to sue the company that he represents/represented.

With that being said...how many people do you think actually owned a small piece of FTP?...I mean come on...They gave Clone Gowan a piece...that would tell me that everyone that is above her also has a stake in the company. I would say probably...My guess...from Gavin Smith on up. Gavin may not own a portion...but everyone higher on the Totem Pole I would say ..."Yes"...most certainly...Ivey...Lederer...Juanda ...Fergusan...Seidel...all of them. Their all sitting there now at the WSOP 2011...probably sporting their FTP gear because they are "Contracted" too...knowing that the entire organization...top to bottom...is "circling the drain"...not good guys.

So it could be argued that the 2 biggest sites pre BF were Stars and Tilt...lets put them side by side and compare

Stars: Still rocking and running games...paying out anyone who ask...IN A TIMELY MANNER (My wire transfer got to me in 3 days)...if they ever legalize online poker...they will still continue to be a player

FTP: Caught off guard by BF...froze up and panicked...refuses to give anyone their money back...is being accused of being one big Ponzi Scheme where money was embezzled/Payed out to the owners....and when they weren't paying all the USA players/owners huge sums of money every month to promote the site/get players...they were not putting aside the money to pay out all the accounts if in fact the worst possible scenario hit the online poker...Hey guys...(Gene D's tapping on the fish tank)...IT HAPPENED!!!!...how are they going to pull out of this?...I have no idea

Looks like we have a winner folks...

So this brings me to the Old Harry Reid Bill back in December. You can't say that FTP wasn't "warned" ...or had some inclination that this could happen as lets just look at it "Hypothetically"...say the Reid Bill passed...What was FTP going to do for 2 years when every person in the United States would want their money out until they could play again. Were they really going to just freeze everyone's accounts and "ask" them to wait for 2 years to play again/cash out their money?...REALLY??? ...I mean, with the intelligence of all these owners rolled into one...could the Red Flag have gotten up the flagpole any faster?

FTP Patches at the WSOP...Do they really want to "Require" all their players to where the patches as a "Contractual Obligation"...REALLY???

Keep in mind folks that this is just a personal blog and this is my personal opinion...I hope everything works out for FTP and poker online poker in general.

Congrats goes out to David Diaz...wow Kid...way to go.
I 1st met David in 2006 during the World Poker Open in Tunica when he and I chopped a nightly heads up. Wild Bill was at that FT table also...as we were all "up and comers"...we would see him around the circuit events and would chat briefly...and then he shoot out to where he is now passing us like we were standing still.

I met TK at Gordon Bierch during the last circuit event in New Orleans and hung out and bullshited...I asked him about everyone ...and he said, "By far...the most improved player in the bunch is Diaz".

And finally...Kai "Cobra Kai" Landry...My wife was laughing when we were texting back n forth when you were at the FT. For me tt send you a text...and us watch you reach for your phone...and text us back something cool...she got a kick out of it. I know you wanted the wrist wear...but if that was a start to your WSOP this year...I am sure its a matter of days/weeks before you get in the winners circle.

"Sun-Tzu: If your enemy is superior, evade him. If angry, irritate him. If equally matched, fight, and if not split and reevaluate" Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox in "Wall Street"

"Winning!!!!" Charlie Sheen as a psycho former actor and drinker of Tiger Blood