FF News

Hello Everyone,

My name is BigJoeJones. I am a newly appointed monitor for FeltFanatics and I am also the representative for all clans here on FeltFanatics. I'm very excited to be here and I wanted to take a moment and introduce myself to everyone and talk to you a little about what lies ahead for myself at the site and what lies ahead for the site itself. So away we go!

I intend to be a very active moderator and I value your feedback as members of this community. A lot of the things that lie ahead depend on member participation to succeed. I'm asking for your participation, feedback and your ideas because without you, FeltFanatics is just a forum. We want to grow into a large community! Without you, growth is not possible.

I will be coming up with a schedule of real money buyin tournaments for FeltFanatics for the month of June. We will play three times a week and will play assorted formats and they will be on Full Tilt Poker for the time being. Once we can achieve a sustainable following for them, I will start implementing a rankings system and we will look into prize options (That is not a guarantee of any kind, just a promise by me that we will look into it :D). I will have that schedule out and completed by June 7th and will post it on this blog and elsewhere on the forum. Everyone should have no problem obtaining information about our tournaments. As for the freerolls, I will include them in the schedule when we decide to hold them.

I will be holding two tournaments weekly for my clan. The first one is TPR Weekly Joust and it is every Wednesday at 19:00 at Full Tilt Poker. Buyin is $1.50 and format is NLHE. Password is bashem. The second one is The Kings Table and is every Thursday at 22:00 at Full Tilt Poker. Buyin is $1.50 and the format is HA (Pot Limit Omaha AND Pot Limit Holdem). Password is bigfeast. All members of FeltFanatics are cordially invited and I encourage you to attend. I wish to get to know some of you and what better place to do that than the place we all love, the poker table.

We plan to have a blog category on the forum in the near future. You will be able to write just about anything on a daily basis. I hope this area of the forum grows exponentially as it encourages dialogue, the exchange of information and the ability to express yourself intelligently in an informal setting. It will also give us all a better chance to communicate and know each other better through the blogs themselves and our comments on them. Keep your eyes peeled for blogs in the future!

I would encourage of all you to spread the word about FeltFanatics. Invite people to join. Tell those you know online or in person about our forum. Our community is your community. We want to be filled with your friends, family, acquaintances and loved ones. Start a clan and then start recruiting members and invite them to the forum. Invite them to our tournaments and let them know what's going on here at FeltFanatics. A fire starts with one single spark. Everyone is important and everyone needs to be involved. This is your forum and I want it to be the greatest spot to play and exchange information on the net. I hope to see and hear from many of you soon.

Be safe and well this week.

BigJoeJones

Watching a Community Grow: An Introduction to Clans.

One could say that a community is a group of persons committed to a common goal or purpose. In my eyes, that is a pretty decent definition of what a community is to me. When I think of a community, I see people who want to be together, working together and growing together with a greater purpose in mind. Ideas and information are exchanged, each member has distinct responsibilities and functions to perform, accountability starts with the leadership and ends with each individual member. In short, a community is an idea that is personified through it's members and carried out through their actions.

We are starting a new community here at FeltFanatics. Our goal is to share information, grow as players and people, in membership, and make money individually and as a collective. We also come together as a community to play together and show our support of the site and the forum. It is that pride and sense of community and our need as human beings to come together in family sized groups that is the foundation for what is called a clan and what I believe will help grow our membership base for the future.

What is a clan? Simply put, a clan is a group of people who congregate within a community, as a community themselves. For instance, if you attend college and you are part a fraternity, a fraternity is similar to a clan. It functions within the collegiate community, yet has its own goals and structures. The backbone of most colleges are fraternities and they are a valuable asset to the communities they serve. They provide fellowship, entertainment, support and mentoring to their members. Many members enjoy fellowship and affiliation to their fraternities for their whole lives. The ranks of many successful communities are filled with these sub communities (clans). Look at the armed services, churches and civic groups and you will see respective clans in each organization. Clans are an essential part of how we socially function as human beings.

The reason why I am talking to you about this is that I am very happy to announce that clans are coming to FeltFanatics. The ownership has been very gracious and is going to embrace this concept and make it an integral part of this community. Clans will be another great benefit of membership here at FeltFanatics. Each clan will hold private tournaments, have their own sub forum, and offer their own sense of community and fellowship to their members. The clans as a whole will have their own collective sub forum as well. As the clans of FeltFanatics grow, we will compete against one another in seasonal competitions. Being in a clan will provide the community as a whole with rich options for tournament play, a valuable way to congregate with friends and enjoy their friendships.

Any member can join or form a clan. To join a clan all you have to do is notify the clan leader you wish to join and at that point you can discuss membership. You aren't guaranteed membership by asking, most clans have guidelines and policies they wish you to follow and if you can't abide by those guidelines, you probably won't be accepted for membership. That being said, most clans guidelines are common sense and most have some basic moral behaviors they wish you to follow, such as: treat others with respect, cheating is prohibited, don't beg for money etc etc. Most people have no problems abiding by those rules, so it isn't an issue. In addition, all clans strictly adhere to and abide by all the policies and terms of service of this forum.

If you are interested in forming your own clan you will need to contact me, BigJoeJones at FeltFanatics. I am the representative for all clans. You will need to tell me why you want to form a clan, what basic functions you will serve within the forum, your clan name and who will be your clan leaders. I will discuss with the ownership your desire to form a clan and within a few days you will know our decision. Again, we will use a common sense approach to forming clans and will always put priority on what is in the best interest of the forum.

I am proud to announce that The Poker Royals will be the inaugural clan here on FeltFanatics. I am the leader of the clan and would be happy to talk to any members of the forum about joining the clan. In the weeks to come more clans will form and your options will increase, so I encourage you to think it over before you make any decisions. The Poker Royals hold two weekly tourneys on FTP and talk exclusively on Yahoo messenger, my screen name is BigJoeJones there as well. I look forward to talking to many of you soon, those who wish to join the clan and those who wish to form their own, and am very excited for what the future holds.

Be Well,
BigJoeJones

Pathological Poker Player?

Pathological Poker

Is it fair to ask someone who plays primarily, or exclusively, poker whether he is a compulsive gambler?

Is poker even gambling? Does a person who plays day and night and wins, making a good living, have a gambling problem?

Of course, he might have a different problem. He might be a workaholic.

The tests that have been developed to uncover gambling problems are pretty good. The most famous is the Gamblers Anonymous 20 Questions. These ask about things like gambling interfering with work and home life, feeling guilty, being unable to quit, breaking the law to get money to gamble, and thinking of suicide. Most compulsive gamblers answer yes to at least seven.

But these tests are not specifically designed for poker players. For example, number 14, "Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?" won’t work with home games. I have never heard of a social game where players did not go beyond the agreed upon end time, for "one last round."

Poker has gotten the attention of mental health professionals. But many of these do not play, or if they do, they may not appreciate how different poker can be. Someone who plays once a month in a social game is different from someone who plays every day as a professional. Games played in private homes are different from those played in hotel rooms, which are not the same as licensed card rooms.

And then there is the Internet. You can play for free, for micro-stakes of 1 and 2 cents, as well as for big money. A player who plays occasionally at one table online is not the same as one who plays four, or even eight, tables at a time, all the time.

To help poker players determine whether they might have a gambling problem, I have created my own test. I don't claim it is entirely scientific. But it is not made from scratch. I've looked at the literature and discussed this with professionals who treat compulsive gamblers.

I am interested to know what you think. Some of these questions may be way off. Let me know if any seem simply wrong, or don't tell us anything. Or if I left anything out.

I don't know how many you need to answer to be a compulsive gambler. My guess is that if you are answering yes a lot, you should call a gambling hot line, like 1-800-GAMBLER, to see if you have a problem.

Questions for Poker Players:

1. Do you play for stakes that you know are too high?

2. Do you sometimes feel you can't quit because you are behind?

3. Do you sometimes feel you can't quit because you are ahead?

4. When you lose, is it often because of bad beats rather than your own bad play?

5. Do you often get angry at other players at the table, for such things as slowing down the game?

6. Have you gone on tilt more than once?

7. When you are losing, do you increase your bets to try to get even?

8. Do you often stay in too many hands?

9. Do you drink a lot, sometimes going on binges?

10. Do you sometimes forget important social obligations, because you are playing?

11. Have you misled or lied to your family, friends or at work about how much poker you play?

12. Are you increasingly using the ATM?

13. Have you lied to get money to play poker?

14. Do you feel bad about things you have done because of poker?

15. Are you more interested in poker than sex?

Fighting the Good Fight

There has been a huge activity in the legal world of online gaming in the U.S.A. as of late.Barney Frank has introduced a new bill that is designed to freeze current UIGEA restrictions and give U.S. residents the right to play poker online.Barney Frank the current Massachussets representative is introducing a bill that will halt current UIGEA restrictions and give the Department of Treasury the licensing and regulating authority, and provides for the consumer, protections the gambling ban does not offer, including age and identification verification, responsible gaming systems, and measures against money laundering and cheating.Of course we knew all along as soon as the government could make a buck on it,we stood to see a change in the laws,and this bill also allows tax on winnings, players used to pocketing winnings on a regular basis without reporting them to Uncle Sam will now find their take a little lighter. Frank includes clauses that require the online gambling operator to set aside taxes against winnings before paying patrons.The bill will adress age verification issues and,and fair gaming practices along with measures against money laundering and cheating.Now as to the how n why outside countries should feel the need to be licensed and governed by an outside authority,remains to be seen...i imagine the the profits of allowing U.S. residents to gamble far outweighs the any hinderence to the casino,but will this further open a door where all countries will expect the same courtesy...this remains to be seen...to me it seems unfair that a land based casino in Monte Carlo{for instance}doesnt have to get any kind of licensing from the U.S. but if the same casino opens an online casino suddenly the U.S. expects to get revenue and have a say in licensing...whats next state and local licensing also?Though i agree we need strict regulations and fair practices in online gaming,i also feel the approach is narrow in its view of looking at it thru the eyes of only the U.S.,instead a consortium of countries needing to ban togather and form an alliance and create a world wide commission,that has a focus on gaming licensing and regulations on a global context.As for taxing...this i knew would soon poke its ugly head,but i,m wondering if they will do the right thing and allow us the right to also claim losses...if the governments wants part of the players winnings they should also take in to account the losses the player incrues in getting his wins,and since the amount could easily be tracked..i feel this should be a major concern,as its not like the untraceable amounts a player gets in placing his cash in a land based casino...on the contrary,this also shows through deposits exactly what the player wins and losses are. So the player should not be taxed on the winnings of say $1000.00 win,without being able to claim the losses he has incrued also....taxing winnings without being able to offset the overall investment made by the player is short sighted and out of date.....if your going to tax winnings then its only fair that a player be allowed to write off his losses,in my humble opinion.What do you think?

Blocking Bets

A blocking bet is used when you think you might have the best hand after the river card, but you are not entirely sure. A blocking is usually made against a single opponent, when you are out of position so that after the river card is turned over, you are first to act. Even though being out of position is normally a disadvantage, by putting in a blocking bet here, you are actually negating your opponent’s positional advantage.

One of the advantages of adding a blocking bet to your game is that you set the price of finding out if in fact, you do have the best hand. Let's say the pot is 1200, and you put out a blocking bet of 800, making the pot 2000 in total. A few things can happen.

Your opponent can call with a better hand, but had you not put out the blocking that your opponent likely would have a possibly a higher price than you wanted to pay, setting up for a difficult decision. In this way you avoided it.

Your opponent can call with a weaker hand or the same hand as you. Either way, once again you avoided making a tough decision based on what your opponent does first. This gets down to the basic fundamentals of poker in that power and advantage is an extension of aggression.

Your opponent can fold. This is a clear indicator that your suspicions were right all along and you did have the best hand, and your opponent was likely on a draw, or planning to take the pot away from you by bluffing on the river. You're blocking bet took that play away from him.

THE KENTUCKY DERBY

With the one hundred and thirty fifth Kentucky Derby this coming this Saturdays,race fans and sports betting fans everywhere will be tuned in on the action!So if were going to bet on this race lets look at key factors in making that decision.First and foremost should be how well these competitors have fared against each other in .

Since late December, the leading California-based 3-year-olds ran against each other on several occasions at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. Pioneerof the Nile won each of these encounters, and the horses he defeated have since shipped out of town and run well or won major Derby preps in Arkansas, Louisiana and New York, further boosting the credence and quality of those California races.

Papa Clem finished second to Friesan Fire in the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, then went on to beat the early Kentucky Derby favorite, Old Fashioned, in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

I Want Revenge twice fought out close finishes with Pioneerof the Nile in California, then shipped to New York to demolish the 3-year-olds in Aqueduct's Gotham and Wood Memorial.

With so many collateral form lines to take into account, it seems a logical assumption that Friesan Fire and Pioneerof the Nile are the two best horses in this year's Kentucky Derby.

For wagering value, Friesan Fire (5-1) and Pioneerof the Nile (4-1) will go off at decent odds. It might be wise to bet both to win and place, although the latter is preferred to get the win.

The exacta has been forecast already, so for trifecta and superfecta players, key the above two with Papa Clem, I Want Revenge and Dunkirk.

Finley has been handicapping the Triple Crown races for more than 25 years

Computer analysis

Liam Durbin, owner and handicapper at E-ponies.com, has correctly picked the Derby winner the last three years in a row. Speed score is based on early speed and total speed. Class score evaluates the quality of competition the horse has faced and how he performed in those races. Form measures consistency. Last is a composite of the first three, but only considers the last 50 days. The computer picked Pioneerof the Nile to win by a slight margin over I Want Revenge. Last three categories show changes in jockeys, equipment and weight.

16	Pioneerof the Nile	Gomez	Baffert	4-1	34.6	40.7	20.0	3.0	0.0	4.6	103.0	N	N
13	I Want Revenge	Talamo	Mullins	3-1	39.1	26.1	18.9	4.3	0.0	6.2	94.4	N	N
7	Papa Clem	Bejarano	Stute	20-1	42.1	30.8	15.7	4.2	0.0	0.9	93.7	N	N
10	Regal Ransom	Garcia	Suroor	30-1	8.4	55.6	16.9	8.6	0.9	0.6	91.0	Y	N
2	Musket Man	Coa	Ryan	20-1	38.8	20.4	26.2	3.3	0.0	0.9	89.7	N	N
6	Friesan Fire	Saez	Jones	5-1	40.5	19.0	20.7	3.9	1.4	3.7	89.2	N	N
15	Dunkirk	Prado	Pletcher	4-1	36.3	16.2	24.5	2.9	2.4	4.6	87.0	Y	N
5	Hold Me Back	Desormeaux	Mott	15-1	33.5	24.9	20.3	3.7	2.5	1.2	86.2	N	N
9	Join In The Dance	DeCarlo	Pletcher	50-1	56.3	10.4	11.4	2.3	2.4	0.4	83.2	Y	N
1	West Side Bernie	Elliott	Breen	30-1	34.9	28.7	13.4	2.6	0.0	0.6	80.2	N	N
12	General Quarters	Leparoux	McCarthy	20-1	34.4	19.9	12.9	3.4	1.1	0.9	72.6	Y	N
8	Mine that Bird	Borel	Woolley	50-1	33.5	21.0	13.9	2.6	1.0	0.4	72.3	Y	N
11	Chocolate Candy	Smith	Hollendorfer	20-1	33.4	17.0	17.6	2.8	0.0	0.9	71.7	Y	N
19	Desert Party	Dominguez	Suroor	15-1	7.9	34.9	21.2	4.3	0.0	1.2	69.6	Y	N
4	Advice	Douglas	Pletcher	30-1	31.8	17.4	13.1	2.7	2.4	0.6	68.1	Y	N
17	Summer Bird	Rosier	Ice	50-1	31.8	17.5	14.0	2.5	0.0	0.4	66.2	N	N
14	Atomic Rain	Bravo	Breen	50-1	41.6	8.5	11.1	2.5	0.0	0.4	64.0	N	N
20	Flying Private	Albarado	Lukas	50-1	37.0	11.7	9.0	2.7	2.3	0.4	63.1	Y	N
3	Mr. Hot Stuff	Velazquez	Harty	30-1	30.8	8.9	11.8	2.4	1.8	0.6	56.3	Y	N
So in looking at these findings i,ll make my predictions. To win:PIONEER OF THE NILE Win,Place and Show:PIONEER OF THE NILE,FRIESAN FIRE,I WANT REVENGE. My longshot pick is:CHOCHOLATE CANDY at 20-1 What will i be doing to celebrate this weekend?On Sunday i,ll be joing the rest of the FELTFANATICS in a $5,000.00 private freeroll at SPORTSBOOK POKER,this is a great way for any player to increase their bankroll!Hope to see you there FANATICS,and good luck on the felts.To enter the $5000.00 freeroll just follow this link and create an account.