Live Blogging: Metro Poker League Championship

200k guaranteed
4 players ITM

630 pm Players are introduced.

Table 1: Bong T, Erwin, Boy A, Franz, Henry N, Tata A, Jib, Alex C, Mike G, Nate L

Table 2: Rebel, Aris C, Reggie B, Ali, Kirby, Bong L, Flo, Lala, Daniel, JVA

650 pm Boy A goes all in on the 1st hand.

724 pm Boy A is out at 20th place.

727 pm Erwin set 10s vs Bong T straight with KJ on the flop. Erwin gets FH on the turn. Bong T is out at 19th place.

Sorry for this. Got busy and wasn't able to push through with the full live blogging.

Update...
5th place Jun Villa-Abrille who ranked number one in the MPL Board.
4th place Henry "Da Mang" Nucum, a house player.
3rd place Young gun Jib "Jiborat" Garcia also known as the FISH.
2nd place Tata "Bin Laden the Terrorist" Almaden

CHAMPION LALA "THE LADY" MEJARO, the only female player in the MPL's Top 20.

Congratulations! What a great way for Lala and the lady players of Davao to end 2010!

Good luck to all our MCCD players for the next MPL season which began yesterday, January 3. See you at the tables! :)

Donkey and Fish According to Wikipedia

Are you a donkey or a fish?

Don't know what that is? Let Wikipedia tell you...

HEE HAW! A donkey, simply put... is a poker player who calls a bet or raise even if he/she does not have a hit or a draw. Even if the other player obviously has a good hand.

A fish, on the other hand, is one who plays poker badly, giving his opponents the chance to get or "fish" all his money or chips away.

Images courtesy of Flo "The Blowfish" Aguilar featuring Mike "the Duke of Hazzard" Gemepsaw, Reggie "the Fish" Braceros, and Jib "the Fish/Donkey" Garcia.

BO Makes Me TILT!

Ria says... "I'd rather lose my money than sit with you the entire night."

While watching the Talking Heads episode on "Hygiene," I suddenly remembered something... poker players with BO! BO is body odor. OH MY!

Imagine being cramped in close proximity with 8 other guys plus a pretty dealer. Nice situation for a single girl to be in, right? WRONG! Admittedly, most of the guys in my club, sorry boys, aren't good-looking.

Worse, some of them have BO. :-&

Not all of them have it though. But there are just some nights when committing suicide is a healthier, better option than sitting through hours with a guy or guys with a smelly armpit, bad breath, or various combinations of BO. Sometimes, these are combined with various smells of alcohol and smoke.

You know how bitchy and scary I am when I'm on tilt, please let's avoid this situation. It's a very unsavory and unattractive one. It's pure torture to play in a tournament when your seatmate or seatmates have BO. :( In cash games, it's tolerable since we can always change seats or tables... hopefully, the club ain't that full.

Yes, guys... I know that you were probably working the entire day, sweating it out in the gym, or playing basketball. Given that... let me introduce you to something called DEODORANT. And something else named BABY POWDER. And oh... toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash... or hello there... GUM!

Guys... deodorant is cheap. And you must use it! Please, please, please take a shower after working out at the gym or playing basketball or whatever shiz game or sport you play. And baby powder is cheaper. I loooove guys who smell like baby powder. I prolly won't fall in love with you, but at least you won't make me tilt and get bitchy.

And yeah, ya know... perfume, cologne, whatever! I know it's a pain to be bringing perfume or cologne everywhere. But most of you have cars, right? Keep it there. Or if you don't, please... just sit far from me.

I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the club, and probably not the nicest smelling girl in there... but at least I try my best to smell good. That's why mah bag is that big ya know. I bring with me a toothbrush and toothpaste ALL THE TIME! And yeah, perfume or body spray, baby powder... and admittedly DEODORANT.

So you know... if you sense that I am sitting a few inches from you farther than our usually cramped area would allow or leaning away from you, ask me for some mint, or maybe some cologne or baby powder.

And if I tell you you reek of alcohol and yosi, it's not just me being maarte. K? You really do smell.

Piso lang po ang VFresh na binebenta ng guard. :P

And before I forget... please refrain from removing your shoes while playing. Foot odor is not attractive. Guys... FOOT POWDER! Or alcohol. Especially when you decide to leave your shoes in your car and decide to wear slippers to the club. ALCOHOL!

And OMG! This is not related to BO but general hygiene... Please do not pick your nose or scratch your butt while playing. Or lick it after you eat peanuts or whatever pulutan you're having. Use the tissue. We have lots of it. And once, again... ALCOHOL!

Please... at least try? THANKS!

Poker Face for November 2009: Czarina Lim

Undoubtedly one of the best, if not THE BEST, female poker players in Mindanao, Czarina "Cza" Lim is the Metro Card Club Davao's Poker Face Champion for November 2009. Czarina is one of the earliest and most veteran poker players in the region and can easily play and outplay the best poker players in Mindanao.

Czarina won the final heads up against former champion Ali "Gator" Lee after 11 hours of poker play yesterday, competing with 68 players in the biggest monthly poker tournament in Mindanao.

Also with Czarina and the Gator in the final table were former champion Kirby Te, house player Kenneth Anzano, perennial tournament players Jomans and Alex Chua, and Tagum's Roy Perla. It was definitely a competitive final table with Czarina as the lone female in the group.

Congratulations to Miss Czarina Lim! :)

Live Blogging: Red Dragon PokerMaster Fiesta Special

7:10 pm Start of tournament. Around 40 players. I'm in T2, S2 with Kenneth T and Bong T. 30,000 stack.
T1 Roy P, Ciara U, Lala M, Jim R.
T3 BM, Mark G, Winston P, Yoyong B, JVA.
T4 Kimboy, Ramil, Bong L, Kirby T, Flo A.
25 minute blinds. Preparing self for A VERY LONG NIGHT. Goal is to reach the final table.
Been having decent hands but the board isn't favorable. Tight. Tight. TIGHT!

7:30 pm Jundie and Brian A are here.

8:10 pm R3 Limped my K10 offsuit. Flopped trips 10. Was able to fish from the big blind.

8:37 pm Former champ Boy BM goes all in. Yoyong B calls. KK vs Q10 offsuit. Boy BM doubles up.

8:40 pm Oct Champ Ken T goes all in. Brian calls at the turn. Q6894. Ken T has 69, Brian has J10. Ken T is out. 34 players left. Yoyong B joins T2. Very aggressive. Wins two consecutive pots.

9 pm T4 Jundie doubles up with AK over Mark G's pocket Js.

9:35 pm Bong T is out. 2 new players in T2. Including high stacked Rebel M. R6 400/800. My stack is below 30k. Players are very loose. Counting on them to knock out each other.

9:45 pm Mark G in T2.

10:50 pm 18 players left. My stack is less than 20k. R10 1k/2k. 9 places ITM.

11:20 pm I double up. All in at the button with pocket Kings. Ramil calls with 56 hearts. Folded pocket 8s and 4s. R11 1.5k/3k, AS 61,764. My stack 35k.

12 mn R13 2.5k/5k. I double up again. Raised to all in the bet of Yoyong. He calls with A7 suited. I hold pocket Queens. I get a full house over his trips. AS 87,500. My stack is 65,000. 12 players left.

12:30 am 10 players ITM. Roy P at the bubble.
Mark G, Kimboy - shortest stack, Rebel, Winston, Ria, Engr Imboy, Engr Engin, Brian A, JVA, Kirby T. Wish me luck!
10th place gets 10k.
R14 3k/6k. AS 105,500. My stack 54,300.

12:48 am Brian goes all in. Kimboy calls for less. AQ hearts vs pocket Aces. Kimboy doubles up.

12:51 am Brian all in for 7k KJ vs A3 of Rebel. AKK67. Brian doubles up. Having an asthma attack. Pft!

12:55 am Engin 55 vs Brian A10. 1068A4.

1 am Rebel raises 15k. Engin and Brian go all in. A5 vs AK. A5 is straight draw and flush draw. Engin is out at 10th place with P10,000.

1:05 am Imboy is all in. Kirby and Mark G at the blinds call. Imboy is out at 9th place with P12,250.

1:16 am Mark G is out. Pocket Kings vs Brian's AQ. Brian gets a full house. Mark is at 8th place with P12,250.

1:24 am Kimboy doubles up with Q9 vs Rebel's pocket 6s.

1:35 am I go all in with AQ. Kimboy eliminates me with pocket 7s. 6 players remaining. Kirby is chip leader. I go out at 7th place with P12,250.

2:05 am Kimboy goes all in with pocket 4s. Rebel calls with A5 off suit. Rebel "The King" is out of the tournament at 6th place with P17,500.

2:13 am Brian goes all in after a flop shows 2 6 7. Kimboy calls with pocket 4s again. Brian is holding a 9 10 with an inside straight draw and two over cards. Turn is a King and the river is a 3. Brian is out at 5th place with 24,500.

2:47 am Kimboy goes all in with pocket 10s after Kirby raises with AJ off suit. Board shows A Q 8 J and 3. Kimboy is out at 4th with P31,500.

3 am Tournament ends with chip leader Kirby Te getting the championship title and a P124,250 cash prize. JVA bows out at second place with P65,500 and Winston Pulido at third place with P45,500.

Congratulations to the Red Dragon Poker Club and all the winners! :)

All photos courtesy of Roy Perla of the Red Dragon Poker Club.

Live Blogging: Ladies' Night

It's Wednesday. Ladies' Night at the Metro Card Club Davao.

6:35 pm Tournament starts. 35 players, 28 ladies, 7 men. I'm in T1 with 8 ladies, 0 men! Good luck to me!
The only serious tournament players are Anne Recones, Carol Smith, Mike D, and I.

7:30 pm 2 players are out from T1. Argh! Having a hard time play against the noobs. R6 200/400, my stack is only 6,325. Rawr!

7:55 pm Two moves left. All in or fold. :'(

8:20 pm Went all in for 2,300 at R11 600/1,200 blinds. Holding a Q10 offsuit. Two callers, board is 8 2 2 Q 9. Oppenents are K8 and pockets 6. I triple up. Next hand, I went all in again with pocket Jacks. No callers. R12, 2 tables left, 800/1,600 blinds.

8:50 pm Player raises 5,000. I go all in with 9,000+ at R15, 1,500/3,000, holding my fave pockets 8s. She calls with AQ hearts. I get a full house on the turn. My stack is now 23,000.

9:50 pm Chips reduced to 12,000 at 2,500/5,000 blinds. Stole 3 pots, and went all in with QJ diamonds. Final table, 3 guys, 7 ladies. R19 4,000/8,000. My stack is 64,000.
Final Table: Jenny H, RVA, Lani, Mike D, Anne R, Ria J, Sheryl, X, Carol S, and Eyla.
Eyla all in for 3,000. Out at 10th place.

9:52 pm X goes all in. Triples up with K high spades flush.

10:05 RVA, Lani, Mike D, and X are out. 5 ladies remaining. Only 2 seats to be given.

10:25 pm Ria out at 5th place. Never been this exhausted after a tournament.

10:38 pm Sheryl out at 4th place. Jenny out at 3rd place.

10:42 pm Carol wins 1st place. Ann gets 2nd place.

Live Blogging: Poker Face Warm-Up

A live blog of the Poker Face Warm-Up Tournament of the Metro Card Club Davao...

3 pm Tournament starts. 55 players in the tournament.

3:20 pm Won a pot for pocket 5s with JJ10 flop. Then lost a pot with a top pair on the flop after turn showed a flush of diamonds.

3:30 pm T1 AA vs KK. AA (Rene VA) is full house on the flop.

3:51 pm T4 Mike G, Franz A, Hans K, Ritchie R, Andrei M, Ria J, Bong T, Nilo L, Henry H, and Winston P. All legit tournament and cash game players except for.... Hope nobody tilts. Already had a rebuy.

6 tables. T1 Flo, RVA, Rey R, Patrick H, Carlos D, Iceman, Paulo, Natz L.
T2 Erwin, Boy A, Jomans, Basil H, Kirby T, Meloy.
T3 JJ, Jonee A, John O, Jesse C, Baldo, Hilda, Tata A, JVA, Maui VA, Aris C.
T5 Joel A, Mike D, Maui A, Beep, Lala M, Rebel M.
T6 Sam, Art G, Rodel, Tom, Jib G, Erwin R, Mitch A, Jeric S.

3 uncles, 1 aunt, and 2 cousins are playing.

4 pm T4 Pre flop Henry N raises 750, at 100/200. Hans K re-raises to 1500. Henry N re-re-raises to 4500. Chris calls.
Flop A 10 8 (2 clubs) Henry checks, Hans goes all in. Henry calls. Henry is KK, Hans is AA.
Turn 4 clubs. Henry has a flush draw.
River Q diamonds.

4:10 pm Break for add on.

4:30 pm Bong T First to act bets 750 (150/300). Andrei at the small blind raises to 2500. Ria at the big blind re-raises to 7500. Bong & Andrei fold. Bong AK,Andrei QQ, Ria KK.

5:50 pm Round 8 300/600, Ante 50. Ave stack 27,884. My stack 38,225.

6:25 pm End of R9. Ave stack 30,697. My stack 46,000. Dinner break.

8 pm R13, 1000/2000. 30 players left. Ave stack 44,000. My stack 30,000. 2 moves. T4 dissolved. Now in T3 with 2 uncles.

8:30 pm R15, 1.5/3k blinds. Just won 3 consecutive hands. Stole the pot at the big blind.
At the small blind, Baldo at the button raised 10k. I went all in. Baldo calls for less. Baldo KK loses to my AA.
Hilda goes all in with 19k+ under the gun. I call. Hilda's A3 suited diamonds was defeated by my AK offsuit.
23 players left. Ave stack is 57,391. My stack is 89,500.

9:15 pm Attempted to steal the pot with A8 offsuit. Tata A calls with pocket 10s. I win with a runner 5 high straight. R17 2.5/5 k blinds. 21 players. Ave stack 62,857. My stack 119,500.

9:20 pm R18, 3/6k. T3 dissolved. At T1 with 117,500.
T1 Baldo, Ria, Mitch, Hans, Carlos, Tom, Mike, Baloy, JVA, and Winston.
T2 Tata, Lala, Maui, Jomans, Rebel, Jesse, Bong, and Rodel.

10 pm R19 Transferred to T2 with 12 players left. Jomans all in with AK, Bong all in with KK. Board is Q54Q7. 11 players left. My stack is 92,500. Bubble time!

10:25 pm Final table. R20 5/10k. 106,000 chips. Players: Ria, Winston, JVA, Maui, Jesse, Carlos, Lala, Mike, Bong, and Baldo.

10:35 pm Jesse C out at 10th place. R21, Winston is all in. Out at 9th place.

10:44 pm JVA out in 8th place.

10:55 pm Mike G out in 7th place after being defeated by Maui.

11 pm Ria is all in. Out at 6th place.

11:05 pm Carlos Datumanong is out at 5th place.

11:20 pm Baldo Recones is out at 4th place.

11:30 pm Lala Mejaro is out at 3rd place. Final heads up between Mau (Nov 08 PF Champ) and Bong T (June PF & August WU Champ).

Past 12 midnight Bong T is out at 2nd Place. Mau Abella is the Poker Face Warm-Up Champion for November 2009. :)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS!

Poker Face Anniversary Special: 1 Million Guaranteed

Celebrate with us as the Metro Card Club Davao turns one this October. As the biggest hub for poker enthusiasts in Mindanao, MCCD will celebrate this birthday with a bang. This month's Poker Face Tournament will have a 1 million pot guaranteed, with three days of intense poker action.

The blinds structure of the tournament will follow that of our ONE Tournament (Day 1 and 2), but this time players must register to play in either Day 1a (October 16) or Day 1b (October 17). Qualified players from both days will then proceed to play on day 2 (October 18).

It's a freeze out tournament, with a buy-in of P10,0000 and a registration fee of P1,000.

If you are from out of town and need assistance in finding and reserving your accommodations, please email me your contact number at riajose at gmail dot com.

See at the best deal in town.... the Metro Card Club Davao!

Poker Face Kadayawan Special

Red Dragon's 2nd PokerMaster Tournament

Ria Jose

Got the chance to join the Red Dragon Poker Club 2nd PokerMaster Tournament last June 20 in Tagum City. And it was a different experience. With a buy-in of P2,000, registration at P500 plus an add-on worth P1,000, I set my eyes on part of the P100,000 guaranteed pot. 44 other poker players were also there to test their skills and try their luck.

Poker players from the Metro Card Club Davao also joined the tournament. With me were Metro Poker League leader, my uncle JVA, and my friends Bam, Mark Gempesaw, and Flo Aguilar. And representing the Davao poker ladies with me were Marilyn “Lala” Mejaro and Rose Newman.

Lala Mejaro

It was an entirely different game as Tagum players had very different styles and strategies compared to the Davao players that I'm used to play with. To start, there were a lot of limpers. And a lot of them really fought for and bought their draws. It was a stressful but fun tournament for me.

I made a big mistake of folding my pocket sevens in the final two tables after I heard the guy to my left say that he was gonna go all in. I was gonna win that hand and a monster pot if I did call. :( I was out at 14th place (I think) after I went all in with an Ace rags (it was that bad that I forgot what it was) that went against ... POCKET ACES! LOL!

Young poker players Garnet Campos, Mark G, and Ria J

Former champion, Tyron Uy bowed out early of the competition. The players in the final two tables were a mix of veteran players and young enthusiasts. Male players dominated the field as only three ladies entered the final 20. JVA bowed out of the competition during bubble time at 11th place.

Final Table

At the end of the night which ended at 5 am, Engr. Medel “Engin” Torres was declared the champion. Torres who was the chip leader with 369,900 coming into the Final Table beat Boy BM in the final heads up. Torres received a cash prize of P55,300 and the bragging rights as the Red Dragon Poker Master for June 2009.

Other players who cashed out were:

3rd - Garret Campos
4th - Christopher "Topher" Raymundo
5th - Macao Macalinao
6th - Lala Mejaro
7th - Romeo "Jack" Vias
8th - De Carlo "Oyo" Uy
9th - Rudyard Salazar
10th - Paolo Flores

Suffice to say, it was a long and stressful tournament. But I did enjoy it mainly because all the players were very light-hearted. The dealers and the staff of the Red Dragon Poker Club also took very good care of us. Plus I envy the really nice tables and buttons.

Thanks and kudos to Red Dragon big boss Tyron Uy for a successful tournament. :)

More poker action awaits poker enthusiasts as the next Red Dragon Poker Master in Tagum shall be determined on July 18, 2008. See you at the Red Dragon Poker Club!

The Red Dragon Poker Club is located at the 2nd floor of the Kopi Roti Building, along the National Highway in Tagum City.

Photos courtesy of the Red Dragon Poker Club staff. :)

Team Metro Tournament Highlights

Here are some entertaining highlights from the Team Metro Tournament held last June 14, 2009 at the Metro Card Club Davao...

Poker Tournaments this Weekend

First off, congratulations to my Papa Franz Avelino (joke lang!) for winning the Heads Up Championship for June. He beat October Poker Face Champion and November Heads Up Champion Kirby Te. Franz slew me early in the tournament by checking his two pairs on the flop. I went all in with lower two pairs at the turn. It was the first hand in our first match. Played one hand on my first heads game. LOL!

I would also like to congratulate Team Expats that beat Teams Rugrats and Tilters to become the Team Metro Champions yesterday.

Moving on... I will be joining two very exciting tournaments this weekend.

On Saturday, I will be trying out my skills and my luck at the Red Dragon Poker Room in Tagum City. I have been invited to join their PokerMaster Tournament, and I will be covering the event as well. Looking forward to flexing my poker skills, and slaying some dragons. I heard the style and strategy of the players there are very much different from those here in Davao City, so I'm looking out to be challenged. Many thanks to Tyrone Uy for the invitation!


And on Sunday, I will be back at my homebase, the Metro Card Club Davao for the Poker Face Warm Up Tournament. It's structured like the monthly Poker Face Tournament but cheaper and with a smaller pot. It's a practice of sorts. Plus it's a good way to earn major point for the Metro Poker League (I'm ranked number 28 thus far). Buy-in is P1,000 plus registration of P250. Rebuy and add on are at P500 each. Players start with a stack of 10,000 and the guaranteed pot is P100,000.

It's gonna be another busy, busy but fun weekend! :-)

Shout out to my reader Danny, a poker dealer from London who has been playing with his friends at the MCCD the past few days. He learned about the MCCD through this blog. Hi Danny and James!!! :) Don't be such a fish boy. Hope more of my readers drop by the MCCD. Looking forward to meeting more of you guys. ;)

The Metro Poker League

In order to encourage and develop excellent and consistent tournament play, the Metro Card Club Davao has launched the Metro Poker League (MPL).

MCCD will be awarding points to the top 30% participants of its regular multi-table tournaments starting June 1, 2009 until November 30, 2009. It was launched with a tournament last Sunday in which all participants were awarded 500 points each to kick of their Leader Board standings.

The number of points awarded to players will correspond to the number of entrants in the tournament, the buy-in amount, and your place or ranking in that tournament. The formula is as follows:
Points = 10 x {[sqrt (n)] / [sqrt (k)] x [b/100]}
where:
n = number of entrants
k = place or ranking
b = buy-in amount

At the end of the League season, the top 20 players in the MPL Leader Board will be invited to join the exclusive MPL Free Roll Tournament with a guaranteed pot of P200,000 on December 2009. In addition, the player with the most points in the MPL Leader Board will automatically receive P50,000.

I am not really optimistic I will be in the Top 20 as I don't really invest much in playing in tournaments, but maybe, yes? I placed 13th in last Sunday's launching tournament. ;-)

I think that the really strong contenders for the Top 20 are Poker Face Champions Kirby Te and Maui Abella. Other players who might have a strong showing in the leader board are Tournament Specialist Bong Lu, and veterans like Boy Arizola, JJ Javier, JVA, and Henry Nucum. Also to watch out for are James Young, Kenneth Anzano, and the Almaden brothers.

Among the young players, I think those who are good contenders are Franz Avelino, Jib Garcia, Andrei Martin, Mike Te, and Mark Gempesaw. And the ladies? We're sure to be represented by Rose Newman, Czarina Lim, Lala, and Leah Abella.

So why don't you start climbing the leader board by playing today, and everyday as the MCCD brings you various tournaments DAILY. Accumulate points while supercharging your poker powers by playing with the smartest and most competitive poker players in town.

Note: Sit & Go Tournaments, Special Tournaments, Special Satellite Tournaments, Exclusive or Private Tournaments or Free Rolls, unless otherwise stated or determined, do not count towards the MPL Leader Board.

Poker Face FAIL!

Last Sunday, May 24, 2009 I joined the monthly Poker Face Tournament of the Metro Card Club Davao. I was able to win a seat for the tournament in one of its satellites. I would like to think I have been improving as a poker player, so I thought I had better chance than when I last joined back in January.

Last Sunday, I picked table 10, seat 4. Among those in my table were young players Mark Esteban and Mike Gempesaw, and foreigners American Chris Teitrich and Dutch Daniel. It was mostly composed of MCCD regulars. It was a tough table since nobody really budged or folded when somebody raised. In other words, matitigas ang ulo.

After one round, Mike had already had a rebuy. LOL! I won two pots with a mid pair, and with a top pair, but those were small pots. :( The biggest pot I won was with a fullhouse in which the chip leader tried to bluff me. HUH! I folded an AJ after a raise, re-raise by the other players. And after three slow but action-packed rounds, there was a break for the add-ons. I didn't rebuy and add-on. Wala lang... LOL!

After the break, around three deals after Round 4 began, I held a pockets A. At 150/300 blinds, I went all in with 6,250 under the gun. Unfortunately, somebody called and got a fullhouse Jacks over tens on the flop. And I was the second one out. FAIL! My mistake, I know. Could have gotten scott free if only I didn't go all in before the flop. STUPEEEED!

The tournament ended late at around 2 am with Korean cash game player Ali taking the big money. Early chip leader JJ Javier bowed out at 7th place, while one of my other mentors Sir Boy Arizola ended up at 3rd place. Tagum's Tyrone Uy was at second place.

So all in all it wasn't a fail. It was a huge success akshully. Save for my monumental tournament fail!!! But I'll get them next time. ;)

Metro One Tournament: AK vs AQ

Two heads up plays with AK vs AQ. Both involving eventual 2nd placer Ken Ansano.



Videos taken during the ONE Tournament at the Metro Card Club Davao last May 1, 2009. First play involves Ken and Maui Abella, while the second play involves Ken and Alex Cruz of General Santos City.

Much love to Carol Smith for helping me take the video. :)

ONE Tournament Day 2

Day 2 was off to an early start as most of the 50 remaining players arrived on time ready for poker action. After a few hours, it was already bubble time for the final two tables. It was finally burst after Mark Esteban bluffed with an A8 hearts which was busted out with the AK spades of PM's BuddhaGeorge. This gave him a low stack, and forced him to go no look, all in. Surprisingly, he had the top pair on board as he was holding KL suited. Even more surprising, Alex Cruz also called him, no look, all in. And he had pockets Q!

After the bubble excitement, only 20 players remained. All twenty of them were already ensured of a prize as the 11th to 20th placers were each given P10,000 non-cashable chips by Pagcor. Locals were rooting for tournament regulars Reggie Lu, James Young, Maui Abella, Kenneth Ansano, former MCCD Floor Manager Ken Ansano, the Almaden brothers: Tata and Iceman, and the lone lady remaining, Rose Newman.

Of course, players from out of town didn't travel all the way to Davao just to be busted early. Alex Cruz of General Santos, Wennie Odog of CDO, and the famed Eric Cheung of Cebu remained strong in their campaign for the championship. Among them, it was really Eric that showed an impressive strong gameplay from early game until the wee hours of the morning.

Metro Manila was also well-represented with Ariel Reyes, Jojo Tech, Raymond Enriquez, and PM's George, among others. It was George who provided much entertainment to the spectators and the players alike as he went all in, more than enough times. Early during the day, he also shocked a lot of players when he jokingly cursed in Bisaya. LOL! :)

It was definitely, not a day to joke as locals started to bow out of the competition even before the final table. A lot of people were disappointed as Maui, Reggie, Rose, James, and the Iceman busted out to their competitors. Meanwhile, Ken remained strong and aggressive, getting chips, and busting out players from the final 20. So much so that going into the final table, he was the chip leader.

Past 10 pm, ten poker players stood up to take their seats at the final table. The 10 consisted of five local players, Eric of Cebu, Wennie of CDO, and Raymond, Jojo, and Ariel of Manila. It was a quiet and intense poker action punctuated by cheers and jeers from supporters of the final 10.

In the end, it was early chip leader Ken and the silent Jojo who battled in the final heads up, after local favorite Tata was eliminated from the tournament. The two battled for only 3 hands. In the final hand, the two went all in as the board showed a King high. Ken was holding a K10 off suit, which was trumped by Jojo's AK off suit. In the end, Jojo's patience and smart plays paid off as he took home the prize, the trophy, and the admiration of many poker enthusiasts who watched him play his way to the top.

The other placers in the final ten are:
4th place - Rebel Magdagasang of Davao
5th place - Eric Cheung of Cebu
6th place - Franz Avelino of Davao
7th place - Ariel Reyes of Manila
8th place - Raymond Enriquez of Manila
9th place - Wennie Odog of Cagayan de Oro
10th place - James Young of Davao

Congratulations and thank you to all the winners and participants!

Much kudos to the organizers, promoters, tournament directors, dealers, chip runners, and other members of the staff who made this event one of the most successful and best organized ones this year! ;)

We look forward to more fun and interesting poker action. ;) Only at the Metro Card Club Davao... the best deal in town. :)

ONE Tournament Day 1

Leah Abella, Lala, Czarina Lim, Ria Jose
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sir Bryan Lim! :)

So to celebrate his birthday, the Metro Card Club Davao hosted the ONE Tournament which kicked off yesterday. The tournament has a buy-in of P10,000 and a registration fee of P1,000 in exchange for 20,000 worth of chips. The tournament has a 1 MILLION PESOS guaranteed pot!!!

PM's Del aka Welcoat
Yesterday, we say more than 120 players join in on the action. Popular Davao players such as the Almaden brothers, Bong "The Tournament Specialist" Lu, and Kirby Te pitted wits against Manila players such as the Poker Manila boys. PM was well-represented by the presence of the Branganza brothers, Del, Pusang Gala, George, and Pocket Joe. Aggressive tournament players Mau Abella, Reggie Lu, and Randy Yap were also present to up the ante. Also joining into the fray are young poker guns Nate Lorenzana, Jib Garcia, Mark Gempesaw, Andrei Martin, and the Avelino brothers. Also notable was the participation of lady poker players Czarina Lim, Lala, Rose Newman, and the mother-daughter tandem of Mrs. and Carol Smith. Players from Tagum City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, and General Santos City were also around to represent their cities.

Chip Leaders and Brothers: Iceman and Tata Almaden
After 14 rounds of action, at around 9:30 pm, only 50 players remained in contention with young Davao player Peter Abella bowing out at 51st place. And among the 50, these are the 20 whose chip stacks remain higher than the rest:

1 Tata Almaden 132,800
2 Alden Almaden 131,400
3 Mike Larzen 113,500
4 Franz 111,100
5 Wennie 100,200
6 Bong Lu 89,400
7 Reggie LU 88,900
8 Mau Abella 88,500
9 George Lim 74,100
10 Jun Veldevia 69,000
11 Nate Lorenzana 67,300
12 Alex Cruz 66,500
13 Angelo 66,400
14 Alex Gucor 64,400
15 John Uy King 59,900
16 Eric Cheung 59,800
17 Ron Sia 58,200
18 Dodot Hilario 53,200
19 Leah Abella 52,400
20 Don Carmona 44,200

It was really quite a shock to see so many people inside the MCCD. Players and spectators alike were full of excitement and energy as 12 tables offered poker action, bad beats, and other surprises.

Young Guns: Aris Cantada, Randy Yap, Nate Lorenzana
An extra bonus was meeting the PM members who came in all the way from Manila. They even surprised me with a nifty PM cap. :) I was hoping to meet MCC Ortigas' Sunshine Samson, but didn't see her anywhere. Maybe later?

The cards will be dealt to the remaining 50 poker warriors at 2 pm this afternoon. As we gamers would say... GLHF! ;)

Updates

I couldn't think of a more creative entry title, so pardon me.

People, left and right, have been looking for me since I haven't been to the Metro Card Club Davao (MCCD) in more than a week. And for Ria, that's quite a long time. People have especially been noticing that the poker room has been quieter because of my absence. HULOLZ! To cut the story short, I've been hospitalized and I am now still recovering.



So anyway, the Poker Face for April has been concluded and my friend, Baldo has been crowned champ. He has now earned his spot on MCCD's wall of fame. Other young players on the final table were Nate Lorenzana, and Mark Esteban who garnered the second place. They went up against Art Garcia, Atty. Casim, James Young, Karloz Alba, Henry Nucum, Sir Rey, and Richard Lo.



And now that the Poker Face Tournament for April 2009 is over, the frenzy for the One Tournament has reacher fever pitch. Today until Thursday, poker enthusiasts will be given the chance to win seats to the tournament. MCCD is also anticipating the arrival of poker players from Manila, Cebu, and other parts of the country. Some of them I have met online via the Poker Manila forums. :)

The tournament will start on May 1, with a P10,000 buy-in and a P1,000 registration fee. It will be a freeze out tournament with a guaranteed 1 million pot. Cards will be dealt beginning at 2 pm. And the tournament will end on May 2. For more information, please visit the tournament page.

So I will definitely be present there on Friday. That's the last day of my medication. ;)

The MCCD will also play host to a live telecast of the Pacquiao - Hatton Fight on May 3. For P450 net, you will get to watch the fight LIVE and partake in a sumptuous brunch buffet. :)

For more information on MCCD and it's events, visit the poker room's official site at MetroCardClubDavao.com, or join the MCCD Facebook Group for more updates.

See you all soon! :) Stay healthy. ;)

How Did I Start Playing Poker?

Most of the poker players at the Metro Card Club Davao started playing at the Casino or online. The girls, most of them started playing poker coz of their husbands or boyfriends. Me, however, I started because my high school friends and I were super bored one summer evening of 2004. Because of that boredom, we started hanging our nightly at my house and one of us taught us how to play poker. It was even Texas Hold 'Em back then. I don't know what kind of poker it was. We didn't have blinds, and only bet in P1 increments.

But even before that, I already knew how to play local versions of poker. As a kid, I played Chikicha (or Chikacha) with my cousins. Then I learned how to play piat-piat in college. Eventually, I also played poker with my paternal cousins and their friends. Later on, I my maternal cousins and I played poker during family gatherings.

In 2008, one of my DotA buddies started training to be a dealer at the Metro Card Club Davao. He didn't pursue that job, but his training encouraged my poker buddies to start holding Texas Hold 'Em house games. We started sometime August 2008. We played poker almost every night. Weekdays and weekends. I was a stupid player back then. And the boys, they loved bullying me. So I stopped playing with them.

October 2008, I was invited to a DigitalFilipino.com gathering which was held at the Casino Filipino at the Grand Regal Hotel here in Davao City. One of the sidelights of the event was a poker tournament for the bloggers present. I got the third prize in that free roll tournament.

Later that month, one of my friends played in Metro Card Club Davao's Poker Face Tournament. I accompanied him at that tournament. That day, I learned one of my uncles was a house player at the club, while a cousin was one of the floor managers. The following nights, I would accompany my friends while they played at the Metro. While I watched my friends play, my uncle would occasionally give me money or chips so I could also play.

And since then, I was hooked. The interest in being a better poker player and the rush of playing a game got me addicted. By nature, I am a competitive person. Recently, I realized, it was partly the nerdy gamer (as asserted by this very interesting blog post) in me that also got me interested in poker. See, unlike most of my other friends, I don't see poker as gambling. Rather, it is a game, a sport even. While I am not much of an athlete or sportswoman, I enjoy competing, especially in events or games that challenge the mind.

After months of playing regularly, I can proudly say I have improved. I am by no means a professional yet. And maybe I'll never be one. But I'd like to think I'm quite a competitive thinking poker player right now. And a formidable opponent in cash games. As for tournaments, I still have a lot to experience before I can say I am somebody to look out for.

Join me as I continue my journey in playing this game. ;)

Aris Cantada Goes All In at the Final Table

Final Table action during the Poker Face March 2009 Tournament:



Another one bites the dust, yes? And Chickoy eliminates another one.

Chester Goes All in at the Final Table

Final Table action during the Poker Face March 2009 Tournament:

Poker Face March 2009 Bubble Time

Bubble Time of the Poker Face March 2009 Tournament held last March 15, 2009 at the Metro Card Club Davao.



The 11th to 20th placers:

11th place - RANDELL
12th place - CHRIS TIETRICH
13th place - TATA ALMADEN
14th place - TOMMY ESCAÑO
15th place - PAOLO PAGUNTALAN
16th place - DANNY CLARKE
17th place - CESAR PABILLO
18th place - HENRY NUCUM
19th place - AJONG DE GUZMAN
20th place - ARTHUR GARCIA

CONGRATULATIONS!

Note: Sina Andrei, Maggie and Jib yung makukulit mag-comment sa video. :P

Nate Goes All In vs Chickoy

Early round of the Poker Face March 2009 Tournament held last March 15, 2009 at the Metro Card Club Davao. Guaranteed Pot of P300,000. Visit metrocardclubdavao.com and davaopoker.blogspot.com for more news, photos and videos of poker action in Davao City.

Poker Face January 2009

Champion: PAUL JEFFREY "PAXEL" KABIGTING

Runner up: Jib Garcia

3rd Place: Nate Troia
4th Place: Maui Abella, Poker Face November 2008 Champion
5th Place: Alex Cruz of General Santos City

6th Place: Carol Smith
7th Place: Dodot Hilario
8th Place: Yolly Matalam of Cotabato
9th Place: Bong Lu, Tournament Specialist
10th Place: Jan Carlo Bacar

Photos by Karloz Alba. Video by Ria Jose.

Pares-pares sa Lunes

Want to try out playing in a tournament but you are not confident enough to try it alone? Grab a poker friend to be your partner and join Metro Card Club Davao's Pares-Pares sa Lunes Tournament.

Pares-pares sa Lunes fixed doubles is happens every Monday, beginning at 6 pm, at the Metro Card Club Davao. Players work in tandems. One player plays during Rounds 1, 3, 5, and every odd-numbered round, while the partner plays during Rounds 2, 4, 6, and every even-numbered round. Each player plays independently from their partner, and they cannot consult each other within the round or during a deal.

There is, however, a one minute break after each round, during which they can confer with one another regarding strategy and other matters.

So bring a friend, a lover, a partner, whatever and try your luck and skills. Maybe you're better playing together than against each other. :)

See you later! ;)

Poker Face Tournament for January 2009

Kirby Te... Maurice Abella... Michael Te... these three by skill and luck are now immortalized on the wall of the Metro Card Club Davao as the first three monthly Poker Face Tournament winners.

The famous Kirby, perennial tournament final table player and winner, was the first ever champion having conquered the Poker Face Tournament last October 2008. My cousin Mau Abella, having won a free seat during a satellite tournament, with no rebuys, and no add ons, won last November 2008. And to close the year, 25 year old Michael, cousin of Kirby, surprised everybody when he beat older and more experienced players last December.

This year, who will be the first to conquer the wall of fame? Will he or she do it with skill or with luck? Maybe both? This month's Poker Face tournament will be held on Sunday, January 18, 2009. You may join by buying in 10,000 worth of chips for P2,000 (plus P500 registration fee) or you may join the satellite tournaments to win a free seat. Satellite tournaments are held starting at 7 pm, nightly until Saturday. Ladies may also join the free roll satellite tournaments every Wednesday to get a free seat.

See you on sunday! :)

Poker Girl

Hi there!

I'm Ria, professional blogger slash wedding coordinator slash speech writer by day and poker enthusiast by night. I am by no means a professional poker player by I frequent the Metro Card Club to play tournaments and cash games.

This blog has been created to chronicle my experiences as a poker fan and player. ;)

There's not much here yet so I leave you with my favorite song of the moment:

Metro Card Club Davao Tournaments

Here is the schedule for the weekly tournaments of the Metro Card Club Davao...

Pares-pares sa Lunes
Mondays, 5:30 pm
P500 buy in, P100 registration fee
Players work in pairs. One player plays in the odd numbered rounds while the other plays in the even numbered rounds.

Metro Doble Panalo
Tuesdays to Thursdays, 5:30 pm
P200 buy in, P50 registration fee
House doubles the pot generated

Poker Face Satellite Tournaments
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 pm
P200 buy in, P50 registration fee
Table winner gets a free seat for the Poker Face Monthly Tournament

Ladies Night Free Roll Tournament
Wednesdays, 7 pm
FREE for the ladies only
Top 3 players gets free seats for the Poker Face Monthly Tournament

Metro Sabado
Saturdays, 3 pm
P500 buy in, P100 registration fee
P50,000 guaranteed pot