Gamble online using other people's money; market research

I came across this on Craigslist the other day

"You are invited to participate in a market research project that offers the opportunity to gamble with other people's money in online casinos and poker rooms. If you win, you keep the winnings and return the stake. If you lose, it is their money you lost. No out-of-pocket moeny is required.

You submit a very simple short report after each casino is completed.

This is a legitimate project that I have been participating in myself for several months. You can also make $ on referrals. "

You know I had to check it out ;)

Stay tuned.

--PB--

BTW if you don't know what craigslist is check it out. It rocks. I posted a used cell phone on there at 10:00 a.m. and met this guy at the subway at 5:30 p.m. to exchange cash for phone.

PokerTips.org - Poker Strategy - Ego

"...don't be naive and think you can be a guaranteed winner overnight. Poker is a tough game. Some people have played poker for years and still cannot become winning players. You are not going to just read a few articles and become a dominating poker player right off the bat. It takes skill, practice, and patience to become a good poker player."

Anything I tried to add to that would just diminish it.

I just found pokerrtips.org. It's a well put together site with valuable info for novice and intermediate poker players.

--PB--

Poker.com - Bad Beat City#8- The Sequel

It's early Monday morning. I've been up and working since 5:30. Time for some practice. I'm sitting in the $100 freeroll - doing OK. at 6th of about 112. I've been playing pretty tight so far which I can really do when I'm well rested and relaxed.

mafiotu48 Posted Small Blind 300
xScrewballx Posted Big Blind 600
Dealing Cards
You Were Dealt (Ac, 7d)
GMac76 Folds
chance82 Raised to 1200

pinokyo Folds
GOBLUE35 Folds
mojosmith Folds
monajesper Folds
IbeatZDizzle Folds
mafiotu48 Folds
xScrewballx Calls 600

With a bullet and some dough I feel I can afford to back it as long as I don't go too far.

-------------------------------------------------
Dealing Flop (Jh,Ad,7c) !!!!!
xScrewballx Checks

I'm slowplaying because I can't think fast enough. I don't want to delay and seem weak. Wait - maybe I do?

chance82 All In for 8319
xScrewballx Calls 8319

All-in opportunities are fairly frequent but this one can make me tournament chip leader. I figure him for pockets which I already have covered unless he's flopped the set which I judge to be unlikely.

The real disadvantage here is that he's controlling the play and forcing me to decide with the clock ticking.

-------------------------------------------------
xScrewballx has (Ac, 7d)
chance82 has (Qs, Qd)
-------------------------------------------------

I'm feeling pretty smart for about half a second.


Dealing Turn (Qh)
-------------------------------------------------
Dealing River (5d)
-------------------------------------------------
chance82 Wins 19338 from pot 1 with : Three of a Kind, Queens

Brutal timing on this one. With around $1K left I circled the bowl for a while and then crapped out on the BB a few hands later.

Poker.com pockets kill me again.

--PB--

Poker.com - Bad Beat City#1

The first in a series of bad beats I suffered recently at Poker.com

---- Dealing Hand #2653693-107 ----
>> CrazyAzNicka is the Dealer
>> khena88 Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> xScrewballx Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> Lucarelli Calls $0.10
>> natasha2004 Calls $0.10
>> mariacaf Calls $0.10
>> FRANCESCO81 Raised to $0.35
>> sexysteph2 Folds
>> CrazyAzNicka Calls $0.35
>> khena88 Folds
>> xScrewballx All In for $1.90
>> Lucarelli Folds
>> natasha2004 Folds
>> mariacaf All In for $3.47
>> FRANCESCO81 Folds
>> CrazyAzNicka Folds
>> Dealing Flop (Qs,9s,7h)
>> Dealing Turn (3h)
>> Dealing River (Kc)
>> mariacaf Shows - Jc,Jh
>> xScrewballx Shows - 8h,8s
$1.57 Returned to mariacaf from pot 2
mariacaf Wins $4.71 from pot 1 with : Pair of Jacks

Little did I know the multiple pockets scenario is a steady feature of poker.com. It happens every time I play and often there's 3 sets of pockets at the same time.

--PB--

Poker.com - Bad Beat City#2 - This One I Blew

A bad choice caused by a bad read. Definitely a weak spot for me. I think people are bluffing way too often. Maybe I'm just looking for a reason not to fold. I thought this guy was using his big stack to push me around. I'd seen him do it to others.

---- Dealing Hand #2650874-543 ----
>> lollita is the Dealer
>> Chevalier Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> xScrewballx Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> AceRick Posted Initial Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> AceRick Checks
>> bigal12 Folds
>> madsnh Calls $0.10
>> tammylou Folds
>> billgas Calls $0.10
>> lollita Folds
>> Chevalier Calls $0.05
>> xScrewballx Raised to $0.50
>> AceRick Folds
>> madsnh Folds
>> billgas Calls $0.40
>> Chevalier Folds
>> Dealing Flop (Qh,Jh,Qs)
>> xScrewballx Bets $0.85
>> billgas Calls $0.85
>> Dealing Turn (As)
>> xScrewballx Bets $1.05
>> billgas Calls $1.05
>> Dealing River (6s)
>> xScrewballx Checks
>> billgas Bets $0.80
>> xScrewballx Calls $0.80
>> billgas Shows - Qc,4c
>> xScrewballx Shows - Ah,5h
billgas Wins $6.37 from pot 1 with : Three of a Kind, Queens

Poker.com - Bad Beat City#3 - Going Against the Grain

I've read that it's good to change your game up every once in a while. Keep the other players on their toes. So every once in a while I play a hand I wouldn't normally play. In this case some low suited connectors. What the heck. I'm not getting much by following conventional wisdom today.

---- Dealing Hand #2653693-143 ----
>> Lucarelli is the Dealer
>> cowboy111 Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> michellmar Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> DrDream Folds
>> TBC1972 Calls $0.10
>> AmAirlines Calls $0.10
>> xScrewballx Calls $0.10
>> Lucarelli Calls $0.10
>> cowboy111 Calls $0.05
>> michellmar Checks
>> Dealing Flop (9d,Ad,8d)
>> cowboy111 Checks
>> michellmar Checks
>> TBC1972 Bets $0.40
>> AmAirlines Folds
>> xScrewballx Raised to $1.70
>> Lucarelli Folds
>> cowboy111 Folds
>> michellmar Folds
>> TBC1972 All In for $3.16
>> xScrewballx All In for $1.47
>> Dealing Turn (Ah)
>> Dealing River (6h)
>> TBC1972 Shows - 7d,Jd
>> xScrewballx Shows - 3d,4d
$0.39 Returned to TBC1972 from pot 2
TBC1972 Wins $6.60 from pot 1 with : Flush, Ace High

Poker.com - Bad Beat City#4 - Adding Insult to Injury

Every once you get this. I don't know how to predict it.

---- Dealing Hand #2653693-534 ----
>> bigal12 is the Dealer
>> djkennep Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> nips69 Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> slowpez Posted Initial Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> PIPOS77 Calls $0.10
>> xScrewballx Raised to $0.60
>> slowpez Folds
>> bigbuck210 Calls $0.60
>> TINYBUBBLES Calls $0.60
>> bigal12 Folds
>> djkennep Folds
>> nips69 Calls $0.50
>> PIPOS77 Folds
>> Dealing Flop (Tc,Kc,2d)
>> nips69 Checks
>> xScrewballx All In for $3.01
>> bigbuck210 Folds
>> TINYBUBBLES All In for $4.21
>> nips69 Folds
>> Dealing Turn (Th)
>> Dealing River (4c)
>> TINYBUBBLES Shows - 2h,2s
>> xScrewballx Shows - As,Ah
$1.20 Returned to TINYBUBBLES from pot 2
TINYBUBBLES Wins $8.24 from pot 1 with : Full House, Twos over Tens

Poker.com - Bad Beat City #5- Glutton for Punishment

---- Dealing Hand #2653919-514 ----
>> michellmar is the Dealer
>> Marjan77 Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> shadoWalker Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> cozmiclight Posted Initial Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> holdum Calls $0.10
>> xScrewballx Raised to $0.55
>> DBLMEUP Raised to $2.00
>> cozmiclight Folds
>> deskqueen Folds
>> michellmar Folds
>> Marjan77 Folds
>> shadoWalker Folds
>> holdum Folds
>> xScrewballx All In for $0.85
>> Dealing Flop (2s,3h,5d)
>> Dealing Turn (5s)
>> Dealing River (Ts)
>> DBLMEUP Shows - Ks,Kd
>> xScrewballx Shows - 8c,8d
$0.60 Returned to DBLMEUP from pot 2
DBLMEUP Wins $3.00 from pot 1 with : Two Pair, Kings and Fives

A stray 5 in his hand I can understand but pockets? Again?

Poker.com - Bad Beat City #6- The Other Players

It has to be said that some of the very few people who wanted to talk bad enough (or felt courtesy was important enough) to battle through Poker.com's chat-unfriendly interface and actually say something were nice. A few were sympathetic to my venting about the cards.

Mostly they were silent which makes for some pretty dull poker. I'm not a constant blabber but when I do need/want to talk to someone it shouldn't be a major hassle.

Then there's the ones who _should_ remain silent.

New depositors get a coupon for a week's worth of $500 freerolls.

In tonight's version I get pocket jax on the second hand. I bet 60 of my 100 chips and get a 5-6 callers including a guy two seats to my right.

The flop is 10-4-2 rainbow. Everyone checks, I'm sitting late and go all-in and wait for the folding to begin. Which it does - except for they guy 2 seats back who calls and flips - wait for it - 42 off.

Several callers at 60 chips each and somehow this guy figues it's a good idea to call his 42 off from the middle of the table.

The chances of me hitting the set or some other even larger miracle are slim and none - with none leading by a country mile. I'm gone in less than 60 seconds. A perfect capper for the day.

The kicker is when it's all over one of the folders across the way chimes in with "NH dude."

Sometimes I think that the best reason for playing online is so I'm not in the same room when somebody says something like that right after a big loss.

I have a enough character not to take a swing at them (not saying I wouldn't feel like it - I would - but I wouldn't do it) but you can be sure they'd know how I felt about it.

--PB--

Poker.com - Bad Beat City #7 - It Ain't Over Until It's Over

---- Dealing Hand #2653693-580 ----
>> xScrewballx is the Dealer
>> floozy Posted Small Blind $0.05
>> bigal12 Posted Big Blind $0.10
>> ivbnfkdb4 Posted Initial Blind $0.10
>> Dealing Cards
>> ivbnfkdb4 Checks
>> Tygered Folds
>> xazxaz Folds
>> MrPatel7 Raised to $0.30
>> bigbeta1 Folds

I've got pocket J's

>> xScrewballx All In for $1.65
>> floozy Folds
>> bigal12 Folds
>> ivbnfkdb4 Folds
>> MrPatel7 Calls $1.35
>> Dealing Flop (7c,Qh,Ks)
>> Dealing Turn (3s)
>> Dealing River (Td)
>> MrPatel7 Shows - Ad,Ah
>> xScrewballx Shows - Jh,Jc
MrPatel7 Wins $3.38 from pot 1 with : Pair of Aces

For the 8th time today at Poker.com some else had pockets the same time as me.