Being home for the holidays is certainly nice. My dad's lame jokes, mom's overreactions, and my sister's delusional rambles all keep me entertained for a few days. There is something about family that is truly irreplaceable. With that being said, after a few days it gets really boring. Not that I'm bored of their company per say, but more that I'm bored of sitting at home with nothing interesting to fill my day. I know some of you are thinking "yeah mazin, but you never do anything no matter where you are" and you're probably right, but being around friends (the 1 or 2 that I have) and grinding online is usually enough entertainment for me.
At home, there's nothing. Not much grinding to be done on my tiny laptop, no friends close by, and not enough alcohol to make the day pass. I have had a couple crutches in dealing with this boredom though. My new iPad for one (yes, I know, I'm a sellout) and movies on demand for the second. Who knew you could spend twenty bucks on movies in just a few days without leaving the couch? Especially someone who already has a netflix account. But as time wears on I can't help but see the glimmering light at the end of the tunnel, Vegas! It's the only thing getting me through the boredom right now. The idea that in less than four days, I'll be grinding 2/5 and (hopefully) 5/10 at the venetian and preparing for a wild new years eve. There really is something about that city; the people in charge of marketing are geniuses.
In poker news, I'd be lying if I didn't say that the StandardBull crew has had some really close moments over the last few months. I've had some really deep warmup/million runs that led to pennies on the dollar, Nick took down an 11 rebuy, Zack finished 10th (disgusting) in the two-day mini FTOPS, and Rash has MADE IT OUT OF THE MICROS. We've had some of those "dare to be great" or "life changing" moments that have come up short. But hey, that's why tournament suck right?
Aside from this, not much has changed. The canes still continue their suck-streak, my dad is still running around the house telling me about how "good" the food my mom is cooking is, my mom continues to challenge me to debates, and my sister has run back to her home far far away. Now if only I could get the 10 minutes back from my life to write this and you could take the 2 minutes back to read.
Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year to all 3 you,
Mazin
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Reid Bill Drama and the "Status-Quo" of Online Poker
Unless you've been under a rock the last few days, or you're just not an online poker player, you are well aware of the Harry Reid bill being tossed around the senate.
Nick "2plus2" Hatley did a good job summarizing the bill and the pros/cons in his earlier post so check that out two down for cliffs (or the ones on 2p2 here).
The short version is the bill will give a big edge to the land-based Vegas casinos and "blackout" online poker in the US for 15 months + additional time for stars/ftp + additional time till we are able to play with the international player pool again. Basically, in the short term, scary, scary stuff.
But what's more scary really? The fact that the game we all have held on to as our only source of income for a few years seems to be dying? Or the fear of losing online poker as we know it permanently with a chance for softer games on different sites later on? That question has to be answered for each person individually.
Personally, I've been torn over the last few days figuring out which side I really support. In a selfish way, I care a lot more about poker in the next few years than I care about the state of the game ten years down the road. However for the game I'm really passionate about, I fear what the DOJ is capable of doing in the next few years as far as prosecuting and closing down payment processors to a point where we can't withdraw from sites. It's all pretty horrifying in general that our government is trying to control this industry purely for monetary purposes. Anyone who thinks the government is trying to chase after gambling morality with the UIGEA is clueless. It's a billion dollar industry and one that Vegas casinos want a big piece of.
So where do we go from here? That's the real purpose of my post and I guess the answer is unknown at this time. We have no real timeline on when a final decision will be made about this bill (though people speculate it will be in the next 48 hours) and until then, we don't really know our future. It's pretty scary that thousands of hard working (well, sort of) Americans could lose their job at the flick of a switch by Harrah & MGM lobbyists and the senator they support. The best we can do right now is wait and hope, although I'm not even sure what we're hoping for at this point. Both outcomes have big downsides and the only real solution is to leave the country. This has become a really confusing ramble but the stress of all of this has me flustered.
In other life news I am heading to Vegas for New Years to meet up with the Finnster himself for a night of ecstasy at the Playboy Club. I suppose we will always have Vegas and hell, thats not so bad.
Nick "2plus2" Hatley did a good job summarizing the bill and the pros/cons in his earlier post so check that out two down for cliffs (or the ones on 2p2 here).
The short version is the bill will give a big edge to the land-based Vegas casinos and "blackout" online poker in the US for 15 months + additional time for stars/ftp + additional time till we are able to play with the international player pool again. Basically, in the short term, scary, scary stuff.
But what's more scary really? The fact that the game we all have held on to as our only source of income for a few years seems to be dying? Or the fear of losing online poker as we know it permanently with a chance for softer games on different sites later on? That question has to be answered for each person individually.
Personally, I've been torn over the last few days figuring out which side I really support. In a selfish way, I care a lot more about poker in the next few years than I care about the state of the game ten years down the road. However for the game I'm really passionate about, I fear what the DOJ is capable of doing in the next few years as far as prosecuting and closing down payment processors to a point where we can't withdraw from sites. It's all pretty horrifying in general that our government is trying to control this industry purely for monetary purposes. Anyone who thinks the government is trying to chase after gambling morality with the UIGEA is clueless. It's a billion dollar industry and one that Vegas casinos want a big piece of.
So where do we go from here? That's the real purpose of my post and I guess the answer is unknown at this time. We have no real timeline on when a final decision will be made about this bill (though people speculate it will be in the next 48 hours) and until then, we don't really know our future. It's pretty scary that thousands of hard working (well, sort of) Americans could lose their job at the flick of a switch by Harrah & MGM lobbyists and the senator they support. The best we can do right now is wait and hope, although I'm not even sure what we're hoping for at this point. Both outcomes have big downsides and the only real solution is to leave the country. This has become a really confusing ramble but the stress of all of this has me flustered.
In other life news I am heading to Vegas for New Years to meet up with the Finnster himself for a night of ecstasy at the Playboy Club. I suppose we will always have Vegas and hell, thats not so bad.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Enough is Enough
The world is a funny place sometimes and I often times question why things are the way they are. The topic I'm about to discuss is something that I've given alot of thought and I think with a little insight into my world and my thoughts alot of you will understand why I'm so upset about this. As most of you have probably read Nick's post below, I want to take a dive into the infamous world of online gambling.
To begin, I want to first say that 99% of you don't know enough about the subject to have an educated and well informed opinion, and the 1% of you who do are most likely going to agree with everything I'm about to say. However, I want to make it clear I'm in no way trying to make anyone agree with me, I would just enjoy seeing uninformed people to take a step outside the box and take a look at what online gaming is from another perspective.
As a poker player I have had numerous people tell me I must get a real job and that I must conform to society as they and the rest of their family and peers have. In response to that I would just like to say that I don't tell anyone else how to live their live, what career choices they should make, or give them any other insight into how they should live their lives....so I think it's only fair they not try and pidgeonhold me. Furthermore, everyone deserves to pursue something that makes them happy and do something they love. I know most of you can't possibly understand how people can have a "talent" for poker or for other forms of gambling, but it does exist and it exists on a high level. I, along with alot of my other friends, use our God-given talents and pursue these types of endeavors because we are successful and they suit our personalities. Most of you would be shocked at how intelligent and well spoken alot of people who play poker are, and that's because it's an intellectual game, much like chess. You have to out think, out guess, out smart, and out study your opponents to be successful.
Another thing I'm extremely upset about is the fact that poker is viewed with such a negative connotation and how it has always carried quite an unflattering stereotype. Poker is everywhere now. It's not just in casinos, but rather it is on your television, in your homes, and on your computers. It's so mainstream and there are people of all ages, races, genders, and social backgrounds who partake. Poker is no longer only in the back rooms of our local bars, where it's 9 armed texans who are literally playing for their lives. Poker has so many recreational purposes and can serve as entertainment much like a movie, golf, or a night out on the town would. Everyone is under some weird dillusion that if you play poker you are a bad person or you are an addict, and that could not be further from the truth. To be honest, alot of people who play poker, especially for alot of money or at a high level, are some of the most trustworth people I've ever met, and I believe that alot of that stems from the fact that people who play poker for a living must have a certain disregard for money and so they are not emotionally swayed by financial decisions and problems. I would rather lend a large some of money to a poker player who plays at a high level whom I have never met, than a good friend who I have known for years who works a 9-5 job. It's just such a different dynamic that if you aren't apart of it you can't really understand it. Furthermore, the notion that everyone, or almost everyone, who plays poker is an addict is one of the most idiotic notions I've ever heard. That's like saying everyone that eats is fat, or everyone that has a drink is an alcoholic, or everyone who doesn't go to college is ignorant, or for that matter, people who do go to college aren't ignorant. Just people people act in a certain manner or chose a path off the beaten trail doesn't mean they are obsessed, addicted, wrong, dumb, sinful, or any of the other million issues people unfairly associate them with.
Think about poker players in this light...
Poker players make educated and informed decisions based on analysis of various situations and data they retreive from other players, their opponents tendencies, as well as mathematical probabilities. What poker players do and what people do on Wallstreet is absolutely no different. In fact, I believe poker is 100 times more skillful than investing in the market because the market is closed to insider information, while there is far more information to be gathered in poker to make decisions. It's evident that people don't have much of an edge in the market, the reason they win is simply because the market over the course of history has beared a 10 percent ROI. Any idiot can pick 50 random stocks, invest $50,000 and make money in the long run. Not everyone can put 50k down and win playing poker because it's a skill game. The biggest different between the stock market and poker is people's perception of it. The stock market is gambling last I checked, but people just think that it's a "good investment" and that what they are "suppose to do." The truth is, it is a very good investment, but for people who are skilled at poker, poker is also a very good investment. Alot of times it's an even better investment than the market is because the average return for the market, as I've stated already is 10%, while the top online poker pros can have an ROI over the long term of nearly 100%. If you could invest your money is a risk and earn an average of 10% or 100%, which would you choose? Yeah, me too. And there may be some of you out there saying well what about the rake they take and the fees that are charged to play poker? To that I say what about the broker fees and the trading fees associated with the stock market?
Furthermore, poker is not like craps, roulette, or blackjack where you play against the house and everyone is expected to lose over the long term. In poker you play against other players and if you are more skilled you will win in the long run. The problem with most of society is they cannot or do not distinguish the difference between poker and games like blackjack and craps.
I find it ludicrous and ignorant for people to try and ban online poker. The plain and simple fact is that the government wants to tax it just like they want to tax every little thing they can get their greedy hands on. It's just not right for them to disallow online gambling and then when it goes oversees and thrives, that they then decide they want their piece of the pie. The originally banned it because they believed it to be immoral and troublesome, but as soon as it earns billions of dollars oversees they all of a sudden want to regulate it. Sounds flawed to me. People should not support these greedy and callous government officials. Also, I hate those who say that online gambling is ruining marraiges and families. Credit cards, lies, and lust also ruin marraiges and families. So I guess logically we should say nobody is permitted borrow money, communicate, or associate with the opposite sex. This would be perfect because then nothing would get ruined. I mean come on, wake up and realize that people will be people; their flaws will show and everyone has their vices and that is evident by the fact that we are all sinners. Just because a few people make poor decisions doesn't mean that the majority should be punished, otherwise nobody would be allowed to partake in any endeavours.
I'm offically done with my rant and would like to thank those of you who stuck with me and read this entire blog. It's something I'm very passionate about and I hope that I have opened some eyes to another perspective.
God Bless,
Zack
To begin, I want to first say that 99% of you don't know enough about the subject to have an educated and well informed opinion, and the 1% of you who do are most likely going to agree with everything I'm about to say. However, I want to make it clear I'm in no way trying to make anyone agree with me, I would just enjoy seeing uninformed people to take a step outside the box and take a look at what online gaming is from another perspective.
As a poker player I have had numerous people tell me I must get a real job and that I must conform to society as they and the rest of their family and peers have. In response to that I would just like to say that I don't tell anyone else how to live their live, what career choices they should make, or give them any other insight into how they should live their lives....so I think it's only fair they not try and pidgeonhold me. Furthermore, everyone deserves to pursue something that makes them happy and do something they love. I know most of you can't possibly understand how people can have a "talent" for poker or for other forms of gambling, but it does exist and it exists on a high level. I, along with alot of my other friends, use our God-given talents and pursue these types of endeavors because we are successful and they suit our personalities. Most of you would be shocked at how intelligent and well spoken alot of people who play poker are, and that's because it's an intellectual game, much like chess. You have to out think, out guess, out smart, and out study your opponents to be successful.
Another thing I'm extremely upset about is the fact that poker is viewed with such a negative connotation and how it has always carried quite an unflattering stereotype. Poker is everywhere now. It's not just in casinos, but rather it is on your television, in your homes, and on your computers. It's so mainstream and there are people of all ages, races, genders, and social backgrounds who partake. Poker is no longer only in the back rooms of our local bars, where it's 9 armed texans who are literally playing for their lives. Poker has so many recreational purposes and can serve as entertainment much like a movie, golf, or a night out on the town would. Everyone is under some weird dillusion that if you play poker you are a bad person or you are an addict, and that could not be further from the truth. To be honest, alot of people who play poker, especially for alot of money or at a high level, are some of the most trustworth people I've ever met, and I believe that alot of that stems from the fact that people who play poker for a living must have a certain disregard for money and so they are not emotionally swayed by financial decisions and problems. I would rather lend a large some of money to a poker player who plays at a high level whom I have never met, than a good friend who I have known for years who works a 9-5 job. It's just such a different dynamic that if you aren't apart of it you can't really understand it. Furthermore, the notion that everyone, or almost everyone, who plays poker is an addict is one of the most idiotic notions I've ever heard. That's like saying everyone that eats is fat, or everyone that has a drink is an alcoholic, or everyone who doesn't go to college is ignorant, or for that matter, people who do go to college aren't ignorant. Just people people act in a certain manner or chose a path off the beaten trail doesn't mean they are obsessed, addicted, wrong, dumb, sinful, or any of the other million issues people unfairly associate them with.
Think about poker players in this light...
Poker players make educated and informed decisions based on analysis of various situations and data they retreive from other players, their opponents tendencies, as well as mathematical probabilities. What poker players do and what people do on Wallstreet is absolutely no different. In fact, I believe poker is 100 times more skillful than investing in the market because the market is closed to insider information, while there is far more information to be gathered in poker to make decisions. It's evident that people don't have much of an edge in the market, the reason they win is simply because the market over the course of history has beared a 10 percent ROI. Any idiot can pick 50 random stocks, invest $50,000 and make money in the long run. Not everyone can put 50k down and win playing poker because it's a skill game. The biggest different between the stock market and poker is people's perception of it. The stock market is gambling last I checked, but people just think that it's a "good investment" and that what they are "suppose to do." The truth is, it is a very good investment, but for people who are skilled at poker, poker is also a very good investment. Alot of times it's an even better investment than the market is because the average return for the market, as I've stated already is 10%, while the top online poker pros can have an ROI over the long term of nearly 100%. If you could invest your money is a risk and earn an average of 10% or 100%, which would you choose? Yeah, me too. And there may be some of you out there saying well what about the rake they take and the fees that are charged to play poker? To that I say what about the broker fees and the trading fees associated with the stock market?
Furthermore, poker is not like craps, roulette, or blackjack where you play against the house and everyone is expected to lose over the long term. In poker you play against other players and if you are more skilled you will win in the long run. The problem with most of society is they cannot or do not distinguish the difference between poker and games like blackjack and craps.
I find it ludicrous and ignorant for people to try and ban online poker. The plain and simple fact is that the government wants to tax it just like they want to tax every little thing they can get their greedy hands on. It's just not right for them to disallow online gambling and then when it goes oversees and thrives, that they then decide they want their piece of the pie. The originally banned it because they believed it to be immoral and troublesome, but as soon as it earns billions of dollars oversees they all of a sudden want to regulate it. Sounds flawed to me. People should not support these greedy and callous government officials. Also, I hate those who say that online gambling is ruining marraiges and families. Credit cards, lies, and lust also ruin marraiges and families. So I guess logically we should say nobody is permitted borrow money, communicate, or associate with the opposite sex. This would be perfect because then nothing would get ruined. I mean come on, wake up and realize that people will be people; their flaws will show and everyone has their vices and that is evident by the fact that we are all sinners. Just because a few people make poor decisions doesn't mean that the majority should be punished, otherwise nobody would be allowed to partake in any endeavours.
I'm offically done with my rant and would like to thank those of you who stuck with me and read this entire blog. It's something I'm very passionate about and I hope that I have opened some eyes to another perspective.
God Bless,
Zack
Monday, December 6, 2010
Harry Reid's Poker Regulation Bill
Most of you probably do not follow the details of online poker quite as well as I do so you may not really know what is going on with this Harry Reid poker regulation bill. If you didn't know Harry Reid is senate majority leader from Nevada and is trying to pass a bill that will legalize and regulate online poker. After first hearing about this I obviously was pumped and was ready to get back to the 2004 era of 20/BB win-rates and games more fishy than the Estate circa 2007. But, after reading more into this bill I desperately hope it does not pass. This bill is basically a piece of legislation providing a monopoly of the US online poker market to Harrahs and other land based casinos in the US. This should come as no surprise seeing as Harry Reid is a senator from Nevada. Nevada land based casinos primarily those named Harrahs have contributed greatly to Reid's campaign over the years. The bill states that any site operating in the US has 30 days to stop and return all players money. It also states that there will be a 15 month blackout period of NO online poker being played in the US legally immediateley after the bill passes. The sites that were previously open to US customers can then apply for a license after this 15 month period, but sites not taking bets could apply before then and be ready for business as soon as the blackout ends. Obviously this is a HUGE advantage for companies that do not currently accept US players and will generate enormous revenue for any company that just might be ready to enter the US online poker market (Harrahs). Also the bill states that it is unlawful for any US site to allow a non American to play on that site. So say goodbye to that fish from Estonia or that reg who is terrible from Russia (Flagelattor). On the brighter side the tax implications of the bill are VERY good and lead to a lower rake policy rather than a higher one that has been experienced in other countries that have freshly regulated poker markets such as France and Italy. To be fair the only copy of the bill that has been released publicly is not current at all so hopefully it will be a very different bill that passes.
Also to be fair this bill is probably good for poker in the next 20 years or so. It will lead to a regulated industry as opposed to one now that has cheating problems and a long history of cashout debacles. Also Pokerstars and Full Tilt will most likely be allowed back in the market after the blackout period. It is very scary to think of only playing with US players though, but most speculate that probably will not last either. If this bill passes the consensus seems to be that poker will be in a much better state in 5 years but still will suffer extremely in until then. Selfishly I plead for this bill not to pass. This bill basically eliminates poker next year and will kill almost any chance of a poker career for me (sick run hot Mom and Dad). Those of you who do not know much about the bill really need to look into it as it can effect poker VERY soon.
After reading more into this process I have been left with a really bad taste of how the US government works. I mean this is an obvious example of a congressman passing a bill to hugely benefit a company that finances his campaigns and other financial ventures. Harry Reid is someone is very against online gambling. It is easy to see what his motives are though after the bill is further investigated. The strategy of passing the bill is basically to slide it on the back of the Bush tax cuts or another bill that is scheduled to be voted on soon. This was obviously how the UIGEA bill was passed and is just a very shady process. Instead of putting time into a bill and really analyzing the effects it will almost certainly go unread by most congressman just as UIGEA did. I am just disappointed with the way the government works I guess, nothing new to see here. If you want to know more you can just 2+2 legislation forum or shoot me an email or something.
Good talk
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