07 Aug 09

English Community Round-up

Welcome to the news round-up for the English Community. Each week, we will keep you in touch with some of the most important threads within the forum together with some of the fun posts, so that you never need to miss them.

Our Community round-up is your weekly source for all that happens inside the PokerStrategy forums. If you missed something last week and you still want to be in touch with our community, here are some of the most important posts. This is just one of many community-related projects being set up.

Another great blog for you to read, this week from community member Gabinr1:

Into the millions

Gabinr1 has laid out his goals in a clearly defined "short term", "middle term" and "long term" manner and is making excellent use of not only the strategy guides and other material provided by PokerStrategy, but also feedback and opinons from fellow members.

With such a great attitude and willingness to learn, I'm sure they will go far. Best wishes from all the community.
I personally know nothing about the 7 card Stud variant of poker, it's on a very long list of things to learn in future with the help of fellow community members. This is one such sample hand however where community member TTT241 is asking for second opinions on how to play her Trip Tens. Feel free to help TTT241 out in the following thread:

7Stud8 $0.5/1: TTT against 2 hands

7 Card Stud High-Low ($0.50/$1.00), Ante $0.05, Bring-In $0.25 (converter)

3rd Street - (0.70 SB)
Seat 1: xx xx 6 ___folds
Seat 2: xx xx 7 ___folds
Seat 3: xx xx A ___calls
Seat 5: xx xx 9 ___folds
Hero: T Q J ___calls
Seat 7: xx xx J ___folds
Seat 8: xx xx 2 ___brings-in

4th Street - (2.20 SB)
Seat 3: xx xx A 3 ___bets
Hero: T Q J T ___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2 5 ___calls

5th Street - (2.60 BB)
Seat 3: xx xx A 3 2 ___raises
Hero: T Q J T T ___bets___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2 5 8 ___calls___calls

6th Street - (8.60 BB)
Seat 3: xx xx A 3 2 7 ___bets___raises
Hero: T Q J T T 3 ___checks___raises___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2 5 8 2 ___checks___calls___calls

River - (17.60 BB)
Seat 3: xx xx A 3 2 7 xx___calls
Hero: T Q J T T 3 K ___checks___calls
Seat 8: xx xx 2 5 8 2 xx___bets

Total pot: (20.60 BB)
A big warm welcome to all new community members this week. Included amongst them is randomly chosen new community member of the week Cease who joined us on the 1st August. Welcome, it's good to see you.

We wish all our new community members every success and enjoyment with your poker and look forward to seeing you active in the forums soon.
Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have and/or share your poker experiences, our members are really keen to help fellow poker players whenever and wherever they can.
Our community amassed winnings of $4,605.33 this week, well played everyone.

Congratulations to all our winners/other performances, which included:

• ottokatz finished high in the Partypoker Monthly Million;
• rsroy, cubbybri & Groski all picked up nice cash from freeroll tournaments;
• Aqiz19 final tabled in a $25k guaranteed tournament;
• Regular contributor alejandrosh once again cashed in multiple tournaments and also provided a nice picture too ;)

This week is the anniversary of TribunCaesar's original community challenge of achieving $1,000,000 winnings within a year. With just 2 days to go, our total currently stands at $622,102.99 which in itself is a tremendous achievement. Our congratulations go out to you all.
A final total will be announced in next weeks Community Round-up along with a recap of the highlights from the year.

Due to the phenominal success and interest this challenge generated, we will be running it again this year and now have a benchmark set to try to beat.
Don't forget this is a community event and we want everyone involved, it doesn't matter if your playing the Sunday Million or a Beginners $50 Freeroll, they're all welcome, post your results in the following new thread:

One Million in a year! (2009/10) Tournament Winnings Inside

Spotlight this week on community member Flopper8, interviewed by EagleStar88.


PokerStrategy: Hi Flopper8 welcome and thanks for agreeing to an interview for the community. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Flopper8: Hi there and thanks for the warm welcome, I'm honoured to do so.
Ok,  well,  hello everybody, my name's Matt, I'm 34 and I live in Fife, in Scotland. I work as an assistant professional at a golf club in Perth so I generally manage the shop and playing aspects of the course on behalf of the head professional whenever he isn't there. It also means I have to sell your run of the mill golf gear such as clothing, footwear and equipment and also carry out repairs to golf clubs etc.  To be honestl though, most of my time's spent selling chocolate bars and cans of juice to the punters who play the course - zzzzzz...  But it's a summer job and im hoping to start playing full time professional golf next season (or the year after). Oh, i almost forgot - I also eat haggis, drink lots of whisky but unfortunately dont have any ginger hair :)

PokerStrategy: Is there a story behind the nickname, does it have any special meaning?

Flopper8: Not really, I was trying to be cute with it when i started out but as soon as I'd joined pokerstrategy I soon realised how little i actually knew about the game, and so for a while i actually felt a wee bit embarrased - especially during the early shortstacking days where we really get to show off our flopplay abilities.

PokerStrategy: How long have you been playing poker?

Flopper8: Off and on for about ten years now. Mainly home games or in the casino at first up until the point where I finally purchased my first computer, this was almost two years ago now.  I really couldn't afford one before, u know what its like when u have too many other priorities - clubs/concerts, buying clothes, going out etc.. Since the computer though its been mainly on-line for me, besides, i don't have enough time or money for the live events to be +EV for me just now. Maybe someday soon though.

PokerStrategy: How did you first start in poker, were you introduced by someone?

Flopper8: Not really, i kind of stumbled into it in much the same way i accidently found pokerstrategy. I'd always been interested in card games and had a lot of like minded friends down my local golf club whist growing up, and as scotlands weather isn't exactly the driest you tend to spend a lot of your time indoors so eventually one thing had to lead to another. I'm also an avid film fan so after watching movies like "The Cincinnatti Kid" or the more recent "Rounders" film coupled with the glamour of live televised poker then that was it for me, i was hooked.

PokerStrategy: How would you describe your poker style?

Flopper8: Probably similar to my "perceived" character as a sterotypical scot - so definately TAG - but player dependant of course.

PokerStrategy: Which variants are you currently playing and at what levels?

Flopper8: When i have time i play NL25sh and NL50sh texas holdem mainly, sometimes PLO, sometimes SnG's up to $25 just now. 

PokerStrategy: If you had to have a theme tune to enter a poker tournament to (like boxers when they enter the ring), what would it be?

Flopper8: Lol, good question...  probably either johnny cash's version of "ring of fire" or the kinks with "you really got me" - and played every time i won a hand :)

PokerStrategy: Who are your favourite poker pro's and why?

Flopper8: I don't really have any favourites but i suppose it would probably have to be Tom Dwan, Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu.  Tom because he's so aggro and unpredictable, Gus because i've read his book and think i could beat him lol, and Daniel because he's not only very good but he's also funny and entertaining to watch - i think he'd come in handy (verbally) whenever there's a dispute at the table.. Or maybe he'd run away :)

PokerStrategy: What has been your biggest success/achievement in poker so far?

Flopper8: I haven't really won or cashed large enough amounts for me to class them as successes but i like to think that because im still playing and occasionally putting some money aside, then thats a good enough success for me. I suppose the closest i got to one would have been when i was chip leader and down to the final 3 players in a GBPT (Great Britain Poker Tour) final event qualifier where the top 2 were rewarded with £1500 tickets to the main event.

PokerStrategy: If you had the opportunity of playing a final table with a selection of people of your choice (doesn't have to necessarily be poker players, anyone past or present), who would be seated there with you?

Flopper8: Angelina Jolie, Rachel Mcadams, Vanessa Rousso, Jim Carrey, Barak Obama, Albert Einstein and last but not least - Jesus...

PokerStrategy: What do you like most about PokerStrategy?

Flopper8: The good quality free information, especially the video's, its very helpful.

PokerStrategy: What advice would you give to our newer members just starting out in poker for the first time?

Flopper8: Always stick to a strict bankroll management and make a point of continually reading the articles and posting hands.

PokerStrategy: Is there anyone in particular from the community you'd like to give a shout out to?

Flopper8: How about u Bart, or have you already done one of these?

PokerStrategy: Ahhh, no not yet, have successfully side stepped them so far, but rumours are that I will be "done" soon. :p Quickly changing the subject, do you have any hobbies outside of poker?

Flopper8: Well, between poker, my work and the golf I don't really have much time for anything else.  But I like to run, watch football and rugby, listen to music, read books, go to the movies, a good wine and good food, some beer, more beer, maybe a little whisky now and again, just having a good time really.....  well c'mon, its later then we think aint it  ;)

PokerStrategy: If money was no object, what would you buy?

Flopper8: Global Debt lol -  Nah, a massive house, an apartment or 2 somewhere, a yacht, some cars, new clothes (lots of them), a trip to the moon, an unbreakable umbrella for the constantly crap weather here, and maybe an exotic island somewhere - yeah, that would be nice. 

PokerStrategy: Well thank you for doing this interview Matt, you've given us all a great insight into the person behind the nickname and we're very grateful for you taking the time out to talk to us today. We wish you continued success with your poker and look forward to seeing you in the forum and on the green felt soon.

Flopper8: Thanks very much, the feelings mutual and it was my pleasure.

  and finally

With thanks to community member steIIstuI for posting this, for a brief moment yesterday the time and date were....

12:34:56 on 07.08.09

A very rare event, second only to Aces holding up maybe?


As always, this is your Community page and whilst I try to browse most forum threads looking for points of interest, it's of course not possible to cover everything. So go on, drop me some suggestions and/or your thoughts on what you would like to appear in this Round-up news item in the following feedback thread.

Feedback thread to this news