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.