Rise Above or Fall Away

Eight matches.  8 more Thursday night encounters will determine which groups each player will become part of – Champions Game qualified, Champions Wild Card worthy or flat out eliminated.  The ranking system – the Lion Poker Table – for season 3 is by far the best in the three year history of the club.  Taking a page from European football (soccer), the TNPC table consists of three groups.  The top 6 players, upon completion of the regular season, are automatically qualified for the FINAL TABLE….the Champions Game.  Players slotted 7 through 12 fall into the Wild Card match, with the top 2 finishers of that game moving on to the Champions Game.  Everyone else will get their golf clubs sparkling.

The first two seasons were judged on 5 week increments known as rounds (30 matches, 6 rounds total).  A player could win a round, earn a seat at the CG and never be heard from again until that final match.  Well, that’s what Susan ‘Kraz’ Krasulak did in season 1.  The loosest player in the club, Dominic ‘Dominator’ Cardine, won four matches in a row at one point in season 2 and earned a seat.  They weren’t the best players by any means, but both earned their seat based on the rules at the time – and both won the Champions Game.

My hope is the Champions Game will become a big freakin’ deal.  With the new table system, I think it will in fact put the best possible players in a seat for a chance to win.  If not the best players, it will at least reward the players who came out the most during the regular season.  Ultimately, I want the game to matter.  When the players arrive for the game, I want there to be a championship feel surrounding them.  Pomps and circumstances beyond reason.  We’re talking ESPN broadcast, media frenzy hoopla baby.

I’m realistic, unfortunately.  I know it won’t matter much; it may not even matter to the players in the game let alone anyone else.  I think the season 2 winner – Dom – didn’t even care whether he won or not.  Not me.  I haven’t had the pleasure to play in the game yet.  My own conceived game, and I haven’t even played in one.  My passion for the creation and maintenance of the CG - the club in general - doesn’t hinder on my performance.  I just feel the game should hold a lot of weight given all the Thursday nights that go into it.

What does this all mean.  As I stated, eight more Thursday nights to go.  I currently sit in 5th position, which by rule is under the automatic qualifier zone.  This table is a rollercoaster ride however, and I’m well aware of the ups and downs.  I went through a 2 month patch that took me from 1st to 8th to 5th and who knows were from here out.  I feel confident in my play of late – results not withstanding.  If I can put together three solid outcomes in the next eight, that should be enough.  Only Swanky (Mike L) has really stood up of late and took off.  Everyone else has been just as topsy-turvy as I have; they have all kept me alive during my slump.  Now is the time to either rise above the players all around me, or fall away into a third consecutive non-Champions Game appearance.  Time will tell – its all in how I play the hand dealt to me.

P-Funk All*Star

Its been awhile, and that while has been a deep hole of frustration.  The poker gods – holy and benevolent bastards that they are – have tortured my once dogmatic soul and have forced me to reach down for true belief in their actions.   I used to have faith in season 3 of Lion Poker; faith that I could finally reach the pinnacle of the entire season and play in the Champions Game.  I once had a string of three weeks where I won and took 2nd twice.  Since November I’ve taken a total of 4 points and 1 hit. 

Faith failing.  UGH!

I have 9 matches to break this funk and reverse this curse.  Match 20 was a very good case-in-point.  I started safe and solid.  I played good hands, folded good hands, and moved in and out accordingly.  I knocked out a player early and was set-up very well with over $400 chips.  I continued to play good hands and make calls when they were the correct plays.  BUT…..the gods (bastards) reduced me to nothing.  When I made good calls I got unlucky.  I made strong bets with the goods, and was called by a player with nothing — yet they won the hand in the end.  I’m just not catching the cards when I need them; I’m a Poker-Funk All*Star!

I played well in Match 20.  I really liked my game; my form.  It was the first time in a very long time that I played solid poker.  Did anyone notice?  Do I care?  I had to feel better, and in a way I felt relieved.  I felt good for getting a ‘hit’, and felt good for making strong plays.  Maybe I will use this match to reach deep down and move forward on my own accord, without the help of those demonic beasts that sit over the table.

A Clean Slate

Happy New Year!  As 2009 begins, I would enjoy a look back at the beginning of Lion Poker Season 3. 

The entire slate of events was tentatively mapped out until June 2009.   It all starts and ends with TNPC.  September was a mediocre start for me personally at the table.  I was getting points, but only averaging sixth place finishes.  I stated the need for consistency, and although I was setting the league on fire I was getting results.  Just when I felt a slump coming and frustrating kicking in, I went from $35 chips to my first win of the campaign.  That vaulted me to three straight heads up appearances and ultimately first place.  October and November were very solid.  My game has not blown anyone away, and at times it has been relatively pedestrian.  But I took an approach for consistency and it was paying off.  End of November and into December I tappered off.  I only placed once out of four weeks, but lucky for me no other player stood up and took advantage.  I maintained my lead at the top of the ranks until Match 13, when Scott “Splash” Green finally bumped me down one spot. 

December was the month of league events.  It began with the third annual Holiday Poker Evening.  Twenty-eight players participated and with one re-buy we had 29 paid spots.  The victory went to little known, but very drunk novice player Corrine Buda; much to the dismay of event legend Mike ‘Swanky’ Luciano who finished runner-up. {Swanky gets revenge later}  The night was a complete success.  Drinks were served up by two very cute servers courtesy of PJ Whelihans and everyone came dressed to impress.  Lion Cup II, a random draw tournament, also began play.  Three groups of six players each battled, with the first player out eliminated.  We lost the Uki Boar, Andy and V-Dub in the 1st round.  Bruce ‘Brucifer’ Hale, Bob ‘Fluff’ Gearhart and Mr. Swanky were all group winners.  Then it was Swanky’s Revenge.  Heads Up Challenge #4 took place two days before Christmas, and for the second straight challenge, Mike won.  The top seeds played to form, as 1-4 finished in the top 4.

Who can forget the oddity of Match 13.  Poor Joe ‘Joey Caps’ Capparell lost his vehicle in a drunken hit & run accident, which occured mid-match.  As it was, Earl the Drunken Elf was arrested after a mini-chase around the neighborhood, and peace was restored to the Lion’s Den.

The action will heat up with 17 matches yet to play in TNPC.  With the top six gaining automatic entry to the Champions Game, the real chase will be for the #7-12 wild card game.  The safe players (at the moment) are Scott, myself, Steve, Mike, Alec and Season 2 champ Dominic.  Gabby, Markian, Josh, Susan, Joe C and Kim are in-line for the wild card game.  You can expect those 12 names to shuffle quite a bit in the coming months, with players like Bob, Cody and Rich possibly having something to say.

And of course we can look forward to another Pot O’ Gold Poker Craic in March!

Stay tuned…2009 should prove to be very interesting for the remainder of Lion Poker’s Season 3!