Catching Up (Various & Sundries)

Spent some time yesterday updating my list of subscribed-to blogs over in Bloglines. There had been a few blogs in the blogroll (see lower right-hand column) that I had yet to add. Although there are a couple of folks listed down there who’ve gone a few months without posting, most all of those listed are active. And worth yr while!

I generally check in on Bloglines a few times a day, and that’s where I get most of my poker-related news. I’ll stop by a few additional sites, and will peruse a couple of the forums to see what else is going on, but the blogs are generally my primary source of pokery info.

There have been a few items in the news since the World Series of Poker Main Event finally wrapped up a week ago, dominated, of course, by that little bit of unpleasantness regarding the finalization of the regulations for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. I continue to see the actual significance of that being debated in various places on the web. Another bit of news stemming from that was that the Poker Players Alliance is presently contemplating a lawsuit against the federal government over the UIGEA. PPA Chairman Alfonse D’Amato emailed members regarding the suit, and yesterday the organization began contacting those who had expressed interest in perhaps participating in such a suit.

You probably noticed that the much-anticipated 60 Minutes segment reporting the Absolute Poker-UltimateBet insider cheating scandals (and whatever else might come up in the context of that report) did not air on November 9th as it had been reported that it would. Nor did it air last Sunday.

The segment was originally set to air on October 26th, but got bumped in favor of a segment on the economic crisis. It was then rescheduled to Nov. 9th, but this time producers decided instead to show a post-election segment reporting on and analyzing the successful Obama campaign strategy. I don’t think it was on the schedule this past Sunday (Nov. 16), but the show ended up taking two segments to interview the president-elect. So no poker.

Within the online poker community, this story shifts in emphasis constantly as new details emerge and/or further reaction gets shared. For instance, UB apparently did manage to begin paying back cheated customers by the due date prescribed to them by Tokwiro Enterprises last month. And I guess Annie Duke and Paul Leggett have starred in a series of infomercials designed to bolster UB’s image once again, though I have to admit I haven’t bothered to look at those. Nor do I think I will.

I haven’t run across any inside dope saying when (or if) the segment will finally air. Seems like the segment should come sooner than later, but obviously the 60 Minutes producers (understandably) believe there are more important issues to cover these days. Here’s the page where the show lists what is “Up Next,” in case you’re curious.

Another item that popped up at the end of last week concerned that domain-seizure case in a Kentucky Circuit Court. You remember how that Franklin Circuit Court preposterously ruled back in October that those 141 domains hosting gambling websites had to block Kentucky residents from accessing those sites within 30 days (or by November 15th or thereabouts) or the domains would be permanently forfeited to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. That “forfeiture hearing” was delayed until December 3rd, and then the case ended up in appeals court, where a further stay was granted until December 12th. So we get to wait a few more weeks to find out if Kentucky in fact rules the intertubes.

There’s been some hubbub over Clonie Gowen’s lawsuit against Full Tilt Poker. Have only been mildly following that one. Seems like the most interesting part of that story concerns the possible negative side effects of the lawsuit making public all of the company’s machinations (and ownership structure). I’ll let you head over to Pokerati for the latest on that one.

You’ll also find over there on Pokerati they are running a poll to discover who is the “best true poker pro blogger,” a contest in which our buddy (and underdog) the PokerGrump is presently crushing the competition. We’re all wondering what exactly he’s gonna do once elected.

Finally, let me pass along the news of the return of PokerListings’ Run Good Challege, a.k.a. RCG 2 Electric Boogaloo. The same crew of bloggers from the first RGC are back again for this one -- including me, yr humble gumshoe -- with a few others having been added, including pros Liz Lieu, Christina Lindley, and WSOP bracelet holder Jason Young.

Here’s the full line-up: David G. Schwartz, Change100, Liz Lieu, Dr. Pauly, Christina Lindley, Amy Calistri, the Spaceman, the Poker Shrink, Craig Cunningham, Michele Lewis, LuckBox (from Up for Poker), California Jen, Kid Dynamite, Benjo, Pokerati Dan, the Wicked Chops entities, Jason Young, and Matt Showell and Dan Skolovy from PokerListings. And me.

Hope I got all them links right. At least I know I have them correct over in my Bloglines.

Funny Business

All grins here at Hard-Boiled Poker just now. Had some SNG successes today -- something I haven’t really even tried in months -- which is always fun. (Will write about that in the next post.) Also in the past few weeks I’ve come across some poker-related raillery I thought it might be time to share. The yuks begin paragraph after next, so get ready to start laughin’ . . . .

A little while back I finally found Pocket Fives, a website devoted to online poker that’s been around since early 2005. They host a very active forum, post articles containing strategy advice and other items of interest, and produce a highly-listenable weekly podcast. Even though the site has been up and running for less than two years, Pocket Fives has already built up a significant presence not just online but in the poker world at large. Several regular contributers to the Pocket Fives’ forums achieved major success at this year’s WSOP, including three who won bracelets: Jon Friedberg (Pokertrip) in the $1,000 NLH event (Event No. 17), Ian Johns (Ian J) in the $3,000 LH event (Event No. 23), and Scott Clements (JRAvila) in the $3,000 Omaha 8/b event (Event No. 24). Also, back in April there was a bit of a dust-up when Full Tilt Poker sent out one of its regular “Tips from the Pros” containing material plagiarized from a Pocket Fives post. The pro in question was Clonie Gowen, and her tip about playing re-buy tourneys contained an entire paragraph taken almost verbatim from a post by jsup on Pocket Fives. (Here’s a well-written summary of the sordid affair posted on the poker blog O-Town.)

The July 20th episode of the Pocket Fives podcast features a couple of interviews. One is with WSOP bracelet-winner Friedberg (who sounds like an intelligent, likable guy). The other is with someone introduced as “one of the funniest posters ever to grace the site,” a fellow who goes by the name of “BigHems.” His post “OMG?!?! YOU LIKED THE LAST ONE THIS ONE IS 83957894x WORSE!” won the site’s award for funniest post of 2005. Here’s the post followed by all the responses. Check it out.

Here are a few other funnies I’ve come across lately (via forums and blogs): Click here for undisputable proof that online poker is rigged. Click here to read a list of ways to know when you’re running bad. Click here to see one of those hilarious online poker videos by TuffFish (the guy who rants himself into a stupor while playing NL online at Party). Click here to read an old thread on the 2+2 Forums begun by a enterprising young man soliciting advice about starting his own home casino. And finally, click here to see Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's The Daily Show explain H.R. 4111, that version of the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act passed by the House last month.

Hope them links all worked for ya. Remember, when in doubt, do like BigHems and go all in to see where you’re at.