Celebrity Poker

Yes, poker players have become a type of celebrity and poker programing is on the rise. Every Internet poker site has some type of television programing association. (I'm not sure why NBC isn't showing "Face the Ace" in our area) Yes, you can enter, typically for free, online tournaments in which you can win a spot on television.

One of the reasons I enjoy playing on Ultimate bet is that Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke and their crew use their celebrity to support charity. Maybe most other sites and players do also, but I haven't seen anything as prominent. I've seen much more than the two links I provide here. I started following Ultimate Bet on twitter based on their promotion for African relief.

I tried Poker Stars' tournaments to qualify for the FOX show they are aligned with. With my wife's heavy stare upon me, as she wants the Internet in the evenings, I pushed in many advantageous but risky situations trying to get a worthy stack to justify the time I was taking from Misao. Not to sit for hours with a minor stack that most likely wont bear fruit as the leader's stacks stand mountainous over your own and the blinds continue to rise. So I often didn't get very deep into the tournament.

But I decided when I play my best game I can get into the top 5% of any tournament. So with that determination I sat down to one of the FOX/Poker Stars tournaments. They always start full at 10,000 players; ten seated tables. So in the top 500 would be the top 5%. I finished 567th. I had a mid pair and gut shot straight draw. A 3 to 7 straight (3,4, 567). Really! So when pushed I went all-in before the river and missed the straight losing to top pair.

I could have just sat back and let my stack ride to get to the top 500. Using the full extent of my clock every time it was my bet, so others would go out on other tables as I waited. But that's not how I roll.

I now created an account with Absolute Poker, part of cerus and associated with Ultimate Bet, getting in on one of their twitter cash free rolls. These free rolls, that you need a twitter account to get the passwords too, come once a month and generally have a small field of good players. In this free roll of about 280 players the top 50 positions paid.

I was doing well but we had to leave for work; our small business. Running a bit late I hung in for a bit longer to look for some chances to go all-in. Folding a lot of hands, cause I ain't stupid, I patiently waited and got some cards I felt good about. An Ace Jack suited that paid, along with a K, 5 suited, both hitting the flush. Pocket nines all-in facing pocket Q's. I tripped on the flop. So when we left I was sitting in 14th place, top 50 being paid with over 100 left in the tournament. Leaving my position to just ride out the blinds, and ante's that come as the blinds rise. My computer went to sleep at the second 5 minute break at which point I was in 40th place with 67 players left. Not sure how the rest played out, only that I had $4 in my account when we got home several hours later. That means I finished at least 40th. 1st position paid $200.

At that stage of the tournament, fighting to make the money cut, many small stacks go all-in. The larger stacks can be pulled down, as it is easy to call when you have good cards since you are not risking much, but then keep losing these mini challenges. And getting very tight as you reach the money cut off I could have collected on the big blind if everyone folded. It's happened as people get really really tight trying to break the top 50.

Now if I can build these free roll winnings into a small fortune in tournament play could you claim it wasn't skill? Never having wired any money the only problem would be how to collect. I think my odds at celebrity are much greater by creating a fortune from literally nothing than making one of those TV shows.... unless I get really lucky.