My response to the following blog

http://www.billrini.com/2007/07/21/if-you-cant-say-anything-nice/

Here in this Blog, Bill thinks I am out of line for calling the play of these guys "Moron" Ok Bill, I will rephrase, The play I mention is "Moronic" Furthermore, Bill point out I have never won a tournament. He is right and wrong, I have won a ton of online tournaments but I do not play "circuit live tournaments".

However, I will be happy to play any torment player for any cash stakes they would like, including Phil Gordon.. When are people going to get it that a tournament player who WINS a tournament is pure luck? I do not mean the fact that a good player can get far in a tournament, I mean to win one is mainly having good luck and avoiding bad luck, AND being lucky enough to have "MORONIC POKER PLAY" giving aways chips:) Good players give themselves the best chance to be in the right POSITION TO WIN a tournament, like a Phil Helmuth, Johnny Chan. Mike, if you look at his tournament record over the years, could easily of had by now 10 wsop wins as well. Mike is basically the unluckiest player in poker, PERIOD!! Mike goes deep in over half the tournaments he plays on a regular basis. Tournament is much different than a live cash game, and by a long ways different!!

This is how I roll from time to time. I get pissed off when I see guys make moronic plays, including when Mike does it. Mike calls himself a moron on many occasions, and I play like a moron at times as well. If I offend people, I am sorry, that is not my intention, but I say to people "GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON"!!!

My thoghts on The WSOP Final table and Jerry Yang

Ok, well the WSOP is finally over, thank goodness!! I have heard allot of talk about aggressive play, how that is almost always winning poker in NL Holdem. That is mainly a generalized myth, and I will tell you all why;

Let's examine how Mr. Yang got all his chips. I ordered the ppv and watched the whole thing for the 14 hours plus.

There was one hand that a player named Child's donated allot oif chips to Yang by laying down QQ like a total moron..
why? Because Yang had a clear tale bluff sign of weakness that Child's did not pick up on.
That was Yang looking over his shoulder at Child's and Yang being really fidgety. Now I do not know what Yang had, but when you see the broadcast, you will see Child's QQ did in fact have Yang beat.

That pot gave Jerry allot of chips. Now we come to the moron Hilm; Yang once again opened up the pot with a strange 6 times the bb raise. Hilm called from the BB... the flop was 2 low cards, and with a diamond draw.

Hilm fired a bet, Yang called. The turn was a blank, Hilm fired out, Yang re raised big and Hilm pushed all in.. Hilm was being aggressive there against a player who already showed HE DOES NOT FOLD,, following? Yang got a count and had Hilm barely covered. Yang called and flipped over AK.. top pair, top kicker.. Moron Hilm turned over something like 85 d.. a low ball flush draw.. HE RAISED ALL IN WITH ONE PULL TO COME with nothing but 8 outs!! follow?

Did aggressive play help Hilm? No, he went from 25 million in chips to bust in a little over an hour, and gave Yang all his chips. Winning poker is about picking up on opponent table image. You be aggressive when you need to be aggressive and passive when you need to be passive, it all depends on the table image of your opponents folks!!

You certainly don't play back at an aggressive player who seldom folds unless you have the nuts, or you know you have the best hand. In other words, YOU DON'T BLUFF a guy who does not fold.

Lee Watkinson did the same damned thing, Gave Yang his chips. Yang opened up for 1 million, Lee pushed in 9 million more.. Yang again called with A9, Lee had A7..

another moron giving away his chips..,
and of course Phil Gordon, who has only won one tourney his whole life says " man what a sick call by Yang" No Phil, ITS TO BE EXPECTED FROM A CALLING STATION!!

Add another 9 million to Yang's stack.. then of course we had the old guy who finished 3rd make one of the worst poker plays I have ever seen. Yang opened up again the pot with a raise, this time more in line with the blind structure. The old Guy, err Rahme I think was his name, re raised small and got called.

First mistake and we will get to that later. the flop was 2 hearts with an A up.. Rahme checks and Yang fires out 10 million, a huge over bet which is a sure sign being the inexperienced player he is, he is afraid of the flush draw, so I knew at the time as I remarked to Mike on the phone.. " oh man, Yang has a weak ace" Mike said "Of course".. so what does the old guy do?

He check raises ALL IN.. Now at that point, Yang was really miffed. He got a count and it was a huge amount since Rahme had over 30 million stack.. Yang looked as if he was about to fold when the old guy made yet another mistake and ran his mouth; " its your decision mate" yang said " what did you say" Rahme says WEAKLY "err it is your decision mate" stuttering. there myself id insta call that's a tell from hell people!! But then the old guy says " I'd fold if I was you" then Yang called..

Rahme turned over KK..

Mistake 1;

Don't re raise small against a guy who does not fold allot and is aggressive,

you push all in with KK and take the pot down at that point. Mistake 2, you don't check raise all in on a board with an ace up, you either call and hope for a suit to roll up on 4th street, or your fold. The read was an easy one, Yang was afraid of the flush draw, which is common among players without experience to be.

So my whole point here is that yes, Yang played aggressive, but other players played themselves right out of the tournament by failing to play correctly against a player that does that, by being OVER AGGRESSIVE THEMSELVES without the best hand, and against a guy who rarely would fold any hand. Jerry seems like a nice guy, but he is a poor poker player in comparison to a top player.

Call Me today on my show!! Every Thursday!!!

Let's see how many of you will call today, Thursday!!
Call me at 1-877 675 1306 (it's toll free) between 3 and 3:30 pm pac time, 6 and 6:30 pm EST time. the show will air later in the day at;
www.cardplayer.com/tv gl all >> Mike

Mike finishes 2nd at Bellagio WPT Cup 3

Wins 675k for the effort. Mike played really well but could not get any real breaks as he went bust, being out stacked 4 to 1 with an open ended St. Flush draw, having 15 outs instead of 16 with 2 to come, because other guy held one spade. So flop was 56 s 10 d Mike held 87 s. other guy had QQ with the Q of Spades. So at that point it was pretty much 50/50 and of course, it is rare for Mike to ever hit a monster draw so that was that :)

Mike 2nd in chips 6 players left WPT Bellagio

http://www.cardplayer.com/tournaments/live_updates/7810

tune in there tomorrow at 8 est, 5 pac for updates as I will be down there watching. Mike has 1.8 mill in chips. Chip leader has about 4 million.

call mouthpiece today

1-877 675 1306 call between 3 and 3:30 pactime

Correction: Kathy Griffin's "My Life on The D List"

Time is 10 pm both EST and PAC. so that means 3 hours later, it will be on west coast, and it is on right now in the east coast.

Mike on Kathy Griffin's "My Life on The D List tomorrow on Bravo!!

Mike is the guest on Comedian Kathy Griffin's show "My life on The D List" tomorrow night on Bravo, 10 PM est, 7 PAC time!!Do not miss it as I have heard it was a great taping!!For more information about this show, please visit;

http://www.bravotv.com/Kathy_Griffin

Mike has taped several shows recently for major cable networks, and as soon as the air dates become known, we will inform all of you about them!!

Quick main event exit for Mike this year

Mike was not feeling well, had the runs all day long, so he basically sort of "tanked" (was the pun intended?) the main event on day one. Playing Poker especially the main event of the WSOP while having to use the potty every 10 minutes just don't cut it!!

Mouthpiece and main event information

Friday July 6th call in between 12 pm and 12:30 pm Pac time to talk to Me on his show the mouthpiece. 1-877 675 1306.. it is toll free.

I will be playing in the last day one of the main event which is on this Sunday, Day 1C.