Tilt results in Wilt
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1/28/2010 9:27:16 AM
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It really cuts deep when you don’t take your own advice. Very.
In last night’s Poker Virgin Freeroll Invitational on Pigg’s Peak Poker, ‘Night Shark’ took out my very loose attempt at a straight with two pair (nines and sixes) after just one hour of play. For the first time since I started playing Poker I had to make two re-buys in this tournament and still I did not make it past the bubble. Being the egotistical variety of Virgin, I did not take this well.
In addition to my easily-bruised ego, I also have a bit of a “dissection after failure” thing going on. I need to understand why things don’t pan out the way I had hoped in order to avoid falling into the same trap again. So I took some time after the tourney to look at my play. In this blog I have recommended a few things repeatedly. Firstly, I have suggested that you have fun and ‘play’ while you are playing. I was disorganised and rushed, and if I am honest not in a particularly playful mood. That was my first mistake last night. Then I realised I was not sticking to my strategy. That was my mistake number two. My third and unquestionably my most fatal mistake was playing on tilt.
I started off with what was literally the ‘Luck of the Irish’ and got dealt stupendously good cards. Let’s face it there is a degree of luck involved here. I hit easy street and didn’t take advantage of it by playing a little more aggressively to build my stack early on whilst the blinds were small. On the first table at which I was seated, I managed to get a good read on the other players and started getting a little bit too complacent. Then I got moved a few times during the tourney (table balancing). This threw me out of my comfy little spot and I stupidly hit tilt mode. I was low-stacked and could not play as aggressively as I needed to in order to survive the bubble. ‘Night Shark’ saw my weakness and took me out. Well-played Sir. Clearly he was following all the advice I had been dishing out so confidently in my blog, yet not putting into play myself. A hard lesson. Humbling even. And a little embarrassing too if I am honest.
But never fear, the Poker Virgin doesn’t give up that easily…there will be another Freeroll Invitational soon…I’ll be back I just need to get some practice in first and take a little time to lick those wounds inflicted by ‘Night Shark’.
Congratulations to the final two ‘Psychedelics’ and ‘Einstein1974'. ‘Psychedelics’ was chip leader for a large portion of the tournament (by a substantial amount too); but ‘Einstein1974' came along and took him out in just two hands. Just goes to show, it ain’t over till Einstein bets!
See you next week! I am going to get as much practice as my schedule will allow in the interim. I don’t wear the Loser cap well!
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The definition of play - in Poker Virginese
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1/28/2010 9:26:26 AM
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Over the years I have often been misunderstood. I have come to accept this but recently I have questioned it too. Whilst I am fully aware that there are some things in life which must be taken seriously, there are those which really should not. What I have figured out is that for the most part I tend to “speak” in a language a lot of people simply do not understand. Until now this mysterious language did not have a name. I have now decided to call it Poker Virginese. In the interests of being understood by the vast majority as opposed to the minority, I think a basic explanation may be useful.
This week I shall concentrate on the word “play” in Poker Virginese. According to www.askoxford.com play is defined as: * verb 1 engage in games or other activities for enjoyment rather than for a serious or practical purpose. 2 take part in (a sport or contest). 3 compete against. 4 take a specified position in a sports team. 5 represent (a character) in a play or film. 6 perform on or have the skill to perform on (a musical instrument). 7 produce (notes) from a musical instrument; perform (a piece of music). 8 move (a piece) or display (a playing card) in one’s turn in a game. 9 make (a record player, radio, etc.) produce sounds. be co-operative: he needs financial backing, but the banks won’t play. move lightly and quickly; flicker.
Now I totally agree with all these definitions, just as I believe all of them should be applied when Playing the Game of Poker. You see, Poker is a Game and should as such be enjoyed and bring a sense of well-being to the Players who Play it. Of course I understand that when you play for big money there is a sense of urgency and seriousness; but when you are playing a freeroll/low stakes game surely a little more playfulness is permitted? Surely a little banter and interaction in the chat box is what makes the difference between passing time for the sake of it and passing time in a pleasurable way?
I had the pleasure of playing at such a table on Pigg’s Peak Poker this week. Amazingly enough my fellow Players were among the rare people who are fully conversant in Poker Virginese! No-one was more surprised that me!
“mr_rich” must be credited with opening the banter and ensuring that rather than spending half an hour online I stayed for 3 hours. “Mother of Five” attempted to leave a number of times but after commenting: “I have never been at such a social table!” ended up staying much longer than she intended. “Mulan” and “Dent” were a little shy initially but soon began quipping along with the rest of us.
So my point for this week is: there is a time to be serious and a time to have fun purely because you can. PLAY people, in every sense of the word. I can guarantee your experience will be that much more pleasurable if you do!
That said I’d like to invite you all to Play with me again in a Freeroll Tournament on Thursday, November 26th at 8.30pm (register on Pigg’s Peak Poker – click on the link on my blog page to do that). Oh and please join me on my Facebook page for more Playing too (Poker Virgin). I look forward to playing with you online!
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Poker Virgin finishes in the Top 10 ... is her virtue truly gone?
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Created:
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1/28/2010 9:25:15 AM
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Last night I lost my Tournament Virginity; and whilst I know I will never get it back, I have to admit I was not sorry to see it go. Why didn’t someone tell me how much fun Online Poker Tournaments are before last night? (Yes, I am intentionally ignoring the retorts of: “Because you think you know everything and wouldn’t have listened anyway!”) I would definitely not have hung on to my Tourney Virginity for so long if I knew then what I know now. Aside from the practical factors – like not having to drive anywhere and being in the comfort of my own living room – I had more fun than should be legal on a couch with your clothes on! It is not an entirely bad thing that no-one could see me jumping about and tearing on my hair.
The only thing I really didn’t enjoy was the less-than-efficient internet connection I had from a service provider who I will be kind enough not to name. I had a number of disconnects and as a result the system checked or folded for me when, I could have bet on what were pretty good hands. But it is a lesson learned, I will ensure that I play on a more secure connection next time (Read: My friend Glenn will have to come round and sort out my connectivity issues - hint hint)! In fact I am toying with the idea of challenging my friends to a Mini Online Poker Tournament in our respective lounges, rather than going for Friday night drinks! Just not sure if that may be perceived as a little too Geeky? Can’t have the Poker Virgin being Geeky now can we?
Of course the fact that I did not bust on the Bubble, was nothing less than miraculous in my book and was justifiable cause to refill my wine vase…again. (To bubble is to finish one place off the prize money in a tournament. For example, to finish sixth where the last prize money place is fifth.) I managed to finish ninth out of 75 players and hung in there for an hour and 26 minutes. Although I did not make the final table, I think after playing Poker for only seven weeks, I really didn’t do too badly at all.
My longest standing bed fellows of the night were a motley crew: “Crow886? (the ultimate winner of last night’s tournament) was an aggressive and far more experienced player, who initially intimidated me a little; but once I got a read on him I managed to hold my own despite the fact that he was chip leader by a ludicrous margin for the majority of the tournament. Then there was “Urine Trouble”, who I have to admit was the player I wanted to win once I had been knocked out, purely because his online name is one of the most creative I have seen in a long time and that alone deserves credit. He was a relatively tight player. And finally the man who beat my Full House Aces over Fives with his Full House Aces over Kings; the very lovely “Uys4Free”. Ironic isn’t it?
So, you can bet on there being another Poker Virgin Tournament very soon…watch this space!
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Can you come and play with me... please?
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1/28/2010 8:37:32 AM
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This city of Johannesburg that I live in is amazing. It is fast-paced, uber exciting and never stagnant. But all these thrills mean that time is a valued commodity and our lives are governed by our diaries. Very often I find that the balance between work and leisure is completely out of whack, with leisure ending up in the muck. This unbalanced state prompted me to start including leisure activities in my diary with the same level of importance of a business meeting. You see, all work and no play makes the Poker Virgin a very grumpy Virgin indeed; and we all know that no-one likes a grumpy Virgin. Grumpiness is best left to one of those seven “longitudinally-challenged” men, don’t you think? So you can consider this a “meeting request” to join me for an online freeroll tournament on Pigg’s Peak Poker on Thusrday, November 12 at 8pm. The tourney will be open to all new account holders on Pigg’s Peak Poker, so get cracking and open your account. If you are not sure how to get yourself started, refer to my previous blog entries for instructions.
I have it on very good authority (from a Non-Virgin) that playing in a poker tourney is akin to an endurance sport and should be prepared for. And being the anally organised Virgin that I am, I have made a list of things I will be working on in preparation for my Virginal debut. Firstly, I will not be burning the candle at both ends the night before, as funny as it would be I don’t think falling asleep during my first online tournament is a part of a winning strat? Large doses of caffeine-rich drinks are also on the list of things to avoid, a Virgin on a caffeine rush may not be as attractive or effective as it sounds. I intend to hold off on the caffeine fixes until I really do need them, assuming of course that I don’t end up getting knocked out in the first round! A gentle jog around the block (the one under my bed) and a refreshing shower to get the endorphins flowing beforehand, are more Virgin-appropriate things to do.
On the mental prep side I will have my notepad (refer to my blog entry on 22nd October) handy to draw my “map”; as well as the notes I have taken during previous games just in case I run into any players I have faced before. A terminology and rank of hands brush up would not go amiss either. And the final, and likely most important part of my prep, I will play as much as my diary allows in the days leading up to this tournament. My strat needs fine-tuning and that Ladies and Gents, can make the difference between having the rags or the nuts!
I know I am a nice person and I like my own company, but it can get lonely sometimes and I subscribe to “the more the merrier” ethos. So please play with me (you need to register as soon as possible). You know you want to!
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Moods and Money: A woman's prerogative
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Created:
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1/28/2010 8:32:45 AM
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Being a woman, my moods do have a tendency to fluctuate. I want to clarify right now that this is in no way a bad thing. It merely makes me colourful to be around, which I think definitely adds to my charm. But how does this affect my Poker game, if at all? Well, initially I thought it may be a handicap but the more I play, the more I realise that it is something that can be used to my advantage – as long as I pay attention to the mood fluctations. You see, on grey days I stick to getting chip-faced on double chocolate chip cookies and ice-cream; and on rainbow days I play. It’s quite simple really. Playing on tilt is never a good idea. You lose composure, deviate from your strat and for the most part make bad calls. All of which are going to suck the fun out of the game for you. Knowing how to quit while you are ahead is as important as knowing your strat. Each of us will be affected differently by our moods and only you will know how yours affect you.
And then there is the all-important “money” aspect of playing Poker online. I am the first to admit that I misunderstood my bank when they told me I had a “limit” on my credit card. I thought they said “target”; so I diligently hit and often exceeded “target”. Now, having learned that expensive lesson and rectified the “situation”, I make it my business to fully understand what I am doing when it comes to finances. Exploring the “Bank” on Pigg’s Peak Poker was not nearly as intimidating as I expected. It is broken into three tabs: Deposit, Withdrawal and Reverse Withdrawal.
Deposit offers you four options: transfer from your credit card, Standard Bank Autopay, UKash (voucher option) or Setcom Instant Deposit. All are safe and secure online banking options to transfer funds into your Pigg’s Peak account. If I can navigate them without supervision, everyone else can too. The Withdrawal option then allows you to withdraw funds from your Pigg’s Peak account to take into a game with you. Should you change your mind about the amount (as women do), you have the Reverse Withdrawal option. This is not rocket science.
Now clearly we are not the only ones trying to make some money here. Casinos also need to – they are after all not benevolent societies but businesses. This is where Raking comes in. Rake is the scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a Poker game. This is necessary as Poker is a player-versus-player game, and the house does not wager against its players (unlike in blackjack or roulette). This fee is the principal mechanism to generate revenues and it covers the various costs of operation such as support, software and personnel. The Rake can be seen in the bottom left corner of the screen when you are seated at a table on the Pigg’s Peak Poker site and it only applies to non-freeroll games.
Now because today is a rainbow day, I’m off to make a Withdrawal and play! See you there!
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Taking note of the notables
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1/28/2010 8:30:22 AM
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Through this blog you will come to know certain things about me as I share them. Now don’t panic, I am not the over sharing type so I won’t be pouring out my heart to you. But I am going to tell you about certain character traits that I have, such as my bordering-on-OCD love of taking notes and making lists. My nickname at work a few years ago was Anal Annie (my middle name is Anna-Marie). I had post-its and lists about absolutely everything and felt an unhealthy rush each time I could tick something off or refer to my notes for some sort of vital information. Deep down I knew this was not a character flaw and one day it would come in handy. Guess what? Note-taking in Online Poker is a bloody marvellous aid! I’ll explain…
The major difference between playing Online Poker and at a casino is Online Poker moves a lot quicker than a casino game; and it is exceptionally difficult to pick up other players’ tells online (the only obvious tell is the length of time it takes a player to make a decision). This can be tricky when you are trying to size up the other players and crack their strategies and Poker faces. Part of my own strat now is to draw a quick ‘map’ of the table and make notes about the players around the table as the game progresses. This is a distinct advantage to playing online as you would not be able to do this a casino game. Things to include in your notes are:
* What kind of player: tight aggressive, good player, weak player (fish) etc
* What cards would he needs to raise preflop?
* What is his/her betting pattern?
* Is the player easy to bluff?
* What are his starting hand requirements?
* Does he/she go on tilt? How does he/she play when stuck?
I also subscribe to the “keep your friends close but your enemies closer” ethos. Applying this to Poker is vital to winning. If you want to read the other players, get to know them. Use the chat option to strike up conversations (which also make the game a whole lot more fun) but ask strategic questions while you are chatting. You’ll be amazed what you can get out of people. But don’t be alarmed if you get blanked, some players just are not into chatting. But they are giving away a little of their strat anyway with their lack of response!
Now that this week’s lesson is over, I have some exciting news! As you know All Africa Poker Tv can now be found on DSTv Channel 112 from 10.30pm every night. One of the most popular shows (and one of my personal faves) is Ask the Commentators. This week you can e-mail your poker related question to commentators, David Dadic and Ryan Dreyer, and you will be entered into a lucky draw to win R1000. In addition five lucky readers can win the opportunity to be in the studio audience during the filming of this months’ show with special guest Neil Andrews on Friday 30th October 2009. So e-mail your questions and contact number to questions@allafricapoker.com .Please remember to indicate in your mail if you would like to be part of studio audience (the show is filmed in Rivonia, Gauteng). Winners will be drawn and sent all the relevant information on Wednesday 28 October 2009 and. I look forward to meeting you there!
So here’s hoping that this week I will not be the ‘fish’ but the Virgin with the ‘nuts’! See you in cyberspace!
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Losing my virtue and liking it too much
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Created:
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1/28/2010 8:27:46 AM
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One of my finest qualities, I like to believe, is my tenacity. I have been likened to a pit bull more than once hmmm now that I think about it; this may not have been a reference to my staying power. But that’s a whole other story altogether for another time and place. Let’s get back to my unrivalled tenacity. I had no idea that this trait would be a survival tool in an online poker room. Until I played with ”Stevvy’. When I joined the ‘Learning the Ropes’ table for a quick free roll game I was smartly informed that my virtue could be compromised by playing at that table. I just didn’t realise exactly how quickly my virtue would be slickly removed by Stevvy (whom I think should henceforth be called Slick just for the record).
One of my less-than-fine qualities is my intense distaste for losing unnecessarily. Stevvy did a fine job of not only relieving me of my 2000 credits and my online Poker Virtue, but also made me look like a real fish (poor player) in a spectacularly pathetic six hands. My parting shot of “I’ll be back!” was met with a smug “Look forward to it!” The Poker Virgin was less than pleased.
Then something exceptionally odd and out of character happened. I realised I had actually thoroughly enjoyed the “humiliation” of losing my virtue so unceremoniously. I still do not fully understand this turn of emotions, but I do understand perfectly well that I definitely liked it.
So where to from here? Firstly I realised that I had slipped up and not taken my own advice: my research was clearly not as hot as I liked to think it was and my strategy was pretty much not strategic at all. Back to the drawing board for the Poker Virgin (I warned you that the tenacity would kick in!)
My subsequent re-research (I do like to invent words) brought to light some very interesting facts which I will very kindly share with you.
Being dealt picture cards does not necessarily mean you have a good hand, so you need to understand what you can do with whatever you get dealt. Flushes and perfect hand wins are very rare in Poker; low card wins are more realistic. This is where studying the rank of hands comes in handy (there is a rank of hands under the “Help” tab displayed in the Lobby of the Pigg’s Peak Poker. Select ‘Poker General’ then select ‘Poker Hands’and scroll down to view the 10 ranked hands combinations). In addition whilst you are playing your hand will always be graded for you on the bottom right of the screen. So between the two aids even a Blonde such as me will be able to win at least one hand. Pigg’s Peak Poker is very kind I think to offer such assistance.
The second and probably most important thing to do is devise a proper strategy. Taking a seat and throwing yourself into the game willy nilly will result in a serious whipping. Trust me on this one and learn from my mistakes. (Now I am being very kind by sharing this with you, another of my marvellous traits.) Your strategy needs to be based on your character and level of skill. True skill in Poker is the ability to play even a bad hand of cards, it’s not about the cards it’s what you do with them that makes you a winner. Understanding the lingo will also help you understand other players’ strategies (there is a list of lingo on the Pigg’s Peak website). Plus it just sounds uber sexy to say things like “Two pretty ladies dying to step out” (you have two queens) or “Deuces” (a pair of twos).
My parting shot this week is: Do not play when you are on “tilt” (allowing your emotions to get the better of you). Any decision based purely on emotion is inevitably a bad one, so relax, take a seat and enjoy the ride. As for me I am off to find Stevvy to recover what he took from me!
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Putting on my Poker Face
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Created:
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1/28/2010 8:26:11 AM
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When I take on a challenge I tend to employ the same approach as method actors. I get into character and my persona begins to morph. This week has been all about putting on my Poker Face and setting myself up for some online action. My first port of call was the Pigg’s Peak Poker website (www.piggspeakpoker.co.sz) to download the software. I am the first to admit that I am technically challenged but this was an absolute doddle. I had created my online identity under the alias Poker Virgin, loaded my avatar (picture for your online identity) and was ready to join a table in just 25 minutes. If I’d known it was this easy and quick, I would have done this ages ago!
I suggest that you do some basic research before you start playing, such as downloading a rank of hands and familiarising yourself with some Poker terminology (look under the ‘New to Poker’ tab on the home page of www.piggspeakpoker.co.sz). There is a wealth of information here which is simple to understand and will make your transition from Virgin to Player almost painless. The only thing you can’t download is luck, but then a good Poker player knows that it is not about the cards you are dealt, it is what you do with them that wins hands. A truly skilled player can win a hand even if they have ‘bad’ cards. Once I had devised my strategy (which I am not going to reveal for obvious reasons) I was on my way to being the female equivalent of Chris Moneymaker, the online player who came out of nowhere to win the World Series of Poker in 2003. But back to reality for now!
Another advantage of playing online is not having to worry about your ‘tells’ (the physical signs which can give a player’s strategy away). But I wore my shades and peak cap anyway as I am determined to earn that seat in the 2010 All Africa Poker Tournament and I am in Poker Virgin character now. What I particularly like about learning to play on the Pigg’s Peak Poker site is the free guest tables for Virgins like me on which there is no cash buy-in. These are listed in blue at the bottom of each page on the table listings and they are a fantastic place to find your feet in the game and develop a strategy, which is vital for a good Poker player. If you are keen on trying a cash game, you get a R50 free cash bonus when you register. I advise you to store this until you have played a few free roll games and found your Poker Face.
I had downloaded my 2000 free guest chips (these are refreshed at midnight every day) and was ready to take my own advice and headed for the free guest tables. There are three options for play: Sit & Go, Cash Games or Tournaments. The Sit & Go tables are unscheduled mini-tournaments and can be joined at any time as long as there is a seat available. Play begins as soon as enough seats are filled, if you don’t have enough players you can advertise for players to join you. And I see that my ‘Learning the Ropes’ table is ready to play, so the Poker Virgin must dash! I hope to see you at a table soon where I will do my Virginal best to relieve you of the burden of your chips! I’ll let you all know next week how I fared!
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Virgin Entry of a Virgin
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Created:
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1/28/2010 8:24:44 AM
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As a rule when a milestone birthday looms, people have a tendency to take stock and list things they have not experienced in their time on this planet. With three months in hand before entering my Fabulous Forties I realised – with more than a little embarrassment and a touch of excitement – that I am in fact a Virgin! A Poker Virgin that is. This prompted me to take the plunge and lose my virginity to a game which had thus far intimidated me.
Being the proactive lunatic that I am a Ladies’ Poker Night was duly arranged. Lucky for me my friend Wendy happens to have a Poker Table at home. A few snacks, more than a few bottles of wine, Poker Face on and Chip’s your Ante, we were playing Texas Hold ‘Em! Terms such as the flop, the turn and the river had only ever invoked images of dysfunction in the male nether regions, a change in mood and trout fishing in my mind. Until I played my first hand of Poker. One hand and I was hooked (focus now, try not to let your mind wander).
I don’t recall losing my virginity being this much fun or well-attended. We got to talking and as is inevitable when a group of girls get together the subject of “anything Boys can do, Girls can do better” came up. Now, my Achilles Heel has always been my inability to say no to a dare. I try desperately but the word just gets stuck in my throat and instead “Hell yes!” falls out unceremoniously! So, of course when one of the Lady Pokers said: “I bet you wouldn’t play in the All Africa Poker Tournament next year”, you know precisely what happened. But I am also an eternal optimist so this challenge is now my focus, and through this blog I hope you will enjoy the ride as much as I know I am going to. I just hope All Africa Poker is ready for me…..
After copious quantities of wine (purely for creative purposes you understand), I discovered that Texas Hold ‘Em can also be played online. Once this information was on the table, The Girls devised a plan: I shall henceforth be known as the Poker Virgin and shall play Texas Hold ‘Em online in preparation for my AAP 2010 debut!
I am not averse to making a twit of myself in a public forum if it means that there will ultimately be some sort of benefit. The benefit of this blog is two-fold. Firstly, I shall rise up and meet my challenge to play in the All Africa Poker Tournament and show the Boys that the Girls are not just their equal but their superior. Secondly, I would like to encourage all the other Poker Virgins out there to learn along with me. The more the merrier! This game is not as intimidating as it may seem, I mean if a Blonde such as myself can figure it out, then it seriously cannot be that hard! Go on, I dare you!
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