OT: Knight Rider Geeks Unite!

I didn't know you existed, but apparently you do.

The new KITT 2.0 "wonder car" is out, and it seems old school KR fans are a little cheesed off. Just read the those comments at the bottom of the Popular mechanics page. Unintentional comedy gold, I tell ya.

I'm in Buffalo for the next week, checking out some hockey games and drunk bi-curious women. I'm hoping to take some video along the way. That's my new year's resolution for this blog, home spun videos for all 12 of my readers.

So see you on the other side of next week. Have a safe and prosperous celebration, wherever you may be. Peace!

Last Exit For Football

Too much going on these holidays. Will be in Buffalo next weekend. Hilarity ensues.

Football picks: NCAA, Liberty Bowl: Central Fla. (-3) vs. Miss. St. UCF should be ranked. NFL, Bengals (-1) @ Dolphins. There are quite a few players on both teams fighting for their jobs. [2007 YTD 23-24-1.]

Sliding Into The New Year

I'm on an 8 day losing streak in fantasy hockey. A few of those days were down 50 cents, but it still counts as a loser. Traffic has been pretty light, so there hasn't been too many contests to rally with.

I have been consistently winning at LO8 on Stars, I'm hoping to play there much more this week.

I know this is not new, but I just thought it was great. Many f-bombs, so probably NSFW:



I love the look Bert gives when Ernie calls him a Jew.

Football Picks: NCAA, New Orleans Bowl: Fla. Atlantic vs. Memphis (+3.5). Points-o-plenty in this one. NFL, Giants (-1) @ Bills. It will be tough for Buffalo to bounce back. [2007 YTD 22-23-1.]

Rare Regret

Kristian Huselius has singlehandedly cost me about $100 in fantasy winnings this past week. What stings the most is the fact that I had him on my roster, only to make a last minute change. Of course he rings up 1G-4A last night. Dumbass.

I guess the SAT prep course advice is true - go with your first response.

I decided to try the PokerStars echecks bonus. I've been clearing it playing LO8, I'm halfway done after 2 days. Although Stars raised prices in their FPP store, I've noticed a few things since I last played there:

- The O8 tables are 10-handed instead of 9-handed on Full Tilt. This means you pay less average rake per orbit.

- The play (at more modest levels) is much looser than FTP. I attribute this to Stars' international marketing. It seems they have much more non-USA players.

I think Stars VIP is financially more attractive than FTP with rake back. This may take a little number crunching to confirm, but I'm developing a plan for the new year.

Also, nice try Buffalo Bills. Brian Moorman made two all-pro plays (reverse punting for the safety, fake punt & rush for 1st down) followed by two horrible shank punts. This sums up their season - inconsistency. Still, they performed FAR beyond my expectations.

Football Forecast

Picks: NCAA, Delaware @ Appalachian St. (-5.5). Interesting that Delaware and Michigan wear the same helmets. NFL, Bills (+6) @ Cleveland. I'm counting on the weather to keep this game close. [2007 YTD 21-22-1.]

O8/PLO8/NLO8: Beating The Rake

I've been tutoring a friend in O8 play, we're planning on taking a few casino trips. We were discussing the amount of bankroll to take along, and he was surprised it was comparably less than a hold 'em roll.

As I explained the basic differences in O8 (more players per flop, two pots per hand), I realized that one of the major factors in determining the required roll is the reduced rake.

The casino charges the same rake per hand of "flop" poker, regardless of the type of game. But in O8, you have more players seeing the flop and going to the river. While this doesn't actually reduce the amount of rake the casino scoops off the table, it reduces the average rake each player pays in the game.

Stakes make a difference too. At Turning Stone, a $1-3 LHE game rakes $3 on a $10 pot. HEL-LO! McFLY! 30% rake plus toke? No thank you. At a tight table, no one is winning there.

By comparison, a 3/6 O8 game runs with a maximum $5 rake, the same size toke and many players in the hand. You actually have a chance to make some money because you're not fighting the rake on each hand.

I've noticed while playing online that the rake has changed at some sites, especially at the micro stakes. FTP, AP and UB charge double their normal rake on the smallest stakes (usually below .25/.50). It appears only Stars keeps the rake lower on those tables.

The two lessons to be learned here are:

1) If you are playing online to learn a new game, it might be cheaper to learn at .25/.50 or higher than play at the lower stakes (because of the rake).

2) If you are playing O8 at micro stakes, you have a much better chance of beating the rake playing PLO8 or NLO8. While these games have higher variance than LO8, it may only take you one good scoop to turn a profit.

Actual Poker Content!

I finally ended my vacation from poker and fired up some PLO8 on two occasions this week. The poker sites wanted me back enough to give me some free money, which I quickly parlayed into a Waffles-sized bankroll.

The games were not as bad as I remembered, but not juicy by any means. Also, the traffic was not that healthy for the split-pot games.

I have no desire to play any tournaments or any hold 'em. I definitely won't play any blogger events until they play non-hold 'em games on a regular basis. I'm no longer impressed with the "I ran good/bad in the tourney" post. It's been done to death.

Speaking of death, Chip Reese passed away this week. Other bloggers will do his memory more justice than me. He was the best mixed games player of our lifetime. I will say that Ted Forrest now clearly stands out as the best stud player alive.

My New Year's resolution is to play more live poker. I'm planning on playing the 3/6 O8 at Turning Stone and/or the Sunday night HORSE at Seneca Niagara. I'll be in Buffalo for the first week on January and will be itching to play.

Fantasy sports has been very swingy this month but also very profitable. I'm amazed I still get action on hockey. One player in particular, he plays me several contests a day, but picks wildly different rosters. This means (in a best case scenario) he wins a couple and loses a couple - and is probably down a few bucks to the rake.

Conversely, I pick the same roster across the board (salary cap permitting) and I usually win big or lose big. With more wins than losses, I'm definitely beating the rake AND my opponent.

Football Pick: NFL, Rams (+7.5) @ Bengals. A meaningless game in bad weather, and St. Louis has been playing much better. [2007 YTD 21-21-1.]