tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-657404833325667872024-02-07T21:57:56.760-08:00Double up or go homeMattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-63786835530127359782009-08-02T21:14:00.001-07:002009-08-02T21:19:26.194-07:00Selling shares for Megastacks at FoxwoodsAugust 18-23 there are three megastack events at foxwoods 340, 560 and a 2000.<br /><br />I figure I'll also play a sng or two and a satellite or two for the main event<br /><br />I'm putting my trip bankroll at $4000 and will not be playing any cash.<br /><br />Expenses will come out of profits only and I am selling shares at $40 for 1%; $100 for 2.5% math is the same<br /><br />Let me know if you are interested in buying a piece of the action either by emailing me at matthew.ebner@gmail.com or commenting below.<br /><br />I'll be updating my status on twitter throughout the tournament so you can follow the action<br /><br />Thanks for the support,<br /><br />MattyebsMattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-62609682541133345842009-03-13T21:25:00.001-07:002009-03-13T21:48:42.096-07:003 months is less than 6Immersed back in both my worlds it begins time to inter-relate again. Poker is going well, splitting my time between two clubs on both sides of the felt and I know that while my game has not plateaued, I certainly am not as sharp as I once was. My newest fascination has been with reads and micro-expressions, something I picked up in Forensic Psychology and which has been recently exaggerated in the show Lie to Me. <br /><br />The interaction is still fun, but I feel like when I live in the poker and comedy worlds I become a little displaced from the real one and even my dreams become laughingly mundane. I usually write with a mission so here is today's "Topic." What is the typical player looking for?<br /><br />Obviously a win. But more specifically than that, do players want a social environment, a cheap rake, loose players, all of the above? Do players want access to alcohol, to massage girls, to hookers? As a player I've been told table selection is more important than bankroll management, but rarely do I see people scout the competition, or question the houses' take. I'm against private lotteries, so bad beat jackpots, high hand collections and showdown and high cards are not for me. <br /><br />There are tournament players and cash players, tight players and loose players social players and quiet players, I don't necessarily adapt to the situation but at one time or another I have been all of these. I've been playing for over 5,000 days, more than half my life and the game still has so many mysteries to me, the biggest one is when a watch a player who fundamentally plays against the rules of the game win. "I got it in with an under-pair against an over-pair 7 times, I'm supposed to win that one in five." And it constantly amazes me how much good players can lose, but when does luck even out, when does the math settle in...it is hard to imagine luck being such a factor. <br /><br />Let's see if I can write more than once a week rather than only once a year...MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-63167457795947595392008-12-03T15:28:00.000-08:002008-12-03T15:34:27.150-08:006 MonthsIf I never see you again it has been nice knowing you<br /><br />Playing at a club uptown and finishing up law exams the decision has finally come to the table....what is next on the agenda of my life?<br /><br />December and January are already scheduled with distractions, AC for two weekends, two comedy shows, a cruise, perhaps some time in Cleveland, New Orleans, Miami. The law degree doesn't mean much without taking the bar and while the most visual occupations in my mind are high school teacher and psychotherapist, neither falls within my current degrees. There are invitations to Micro Decision Systems and Rock Ridge Music, there is the possibility of comedy or poker or travel, there is the actuality that I am drowning in debt.<br /><br />Part of me feels like it is finally time to leave dodge, no regrets, no tether holding me back to my roots. There are plenty of people that I still have some connection with but they are fleeting and it seems like it is time that so do I.MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-8026907924782149142008-07-02T14:22:00.000-07:002008-07-02T14:36:22.297-07:00Making something out of Nothing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YVDSnj7uR_LAxXANk7H8zkgeHtH7i4RrDv2T2NlFmo4B4bHmxj-gICiTTm4wk0GLEWL5mf8j3pi-wQMQsu6Y9ChEuF86-ep6rZ0bIhO0AgwRQ37N3XjQls1RuKARURlJjOU11Q4V/s1600-h/Picture+1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YVDSnj7uR_LAxXANk7H8zkgeHtH7i4RrDv2T2NlFmo4B4bHmxj-gICiTTm4wk0GLEWL5mf8j3pi-wQMQsu6Y9ChEuF86-ep6rZ0bIhO0AgwRQ37N3XjQls1RuKARURlJjOU11Q4V/s320/Picture+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218533755404278162" /></a><br />Finally getting back to the online game. I've actually been surprising myself. Took third in a HA game the other night and today I turned FTPs into $<br /><br /><br /><br />Playing in the WSG Thursday night I'm sure there will be stories to follow...this time with less of an interim<br /><br />I'll come back and give the play by playsMattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-26744175784102668762008-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:002008-04-30T15:13:05.634-07:00Seven Stud Skills Event2nd Place is the first loser; it really is amazing that even when you win you feel the sting of defeat. I was the big chip leader with 98,000+ with six players left and after that it was a bumpy ride mostly downhill. I’m partial to the players I know and having LJ at the table made me more focused on the hands I wasn’t in, having a second person to root for, unfortunately our styles overlap and we ended in a lot of pots together. When it was down to the two of us and surflexus I really wanted one of us to pull ahead but it didn’t happen.<br /><br />Looking back I see both the good and the bad, how I built my tower of chips, and what I did to cause it to crumble. Let’s start with the good. People expect the most basic plays and there are three types of players you want to extract chips from. <br /><br />1) The over-aggressors: This can be dangerous, but the key is to abandon draws and hands as soon as you fall behind because there will be at least one bet on every street. It makes big pairs vulnerable and drawing hands to straights and flushes much more powerful.<br /><br />2) “Correct” Players: This is where knowing the game and the “standard” play comes into effect. Bring it in for a raise with the highest door card, if you have a high pair underneath, “9s or better wired; Jacks or better split.” The check raise is huge against these players because the gap concept makes them give you A LOT of credit. I started with 5c 6c and 4c up top and called a raise. Hit a 4 on fourth showing a pair and checked it…check behind. A blank and a bet on 5th and I took down a pot against a higher pair because of the possibility of trips. <br /><br />3) Short stacks: The entire game changes when you only have three or four bets, all of a sudden players are allin committed once they make it to Fourth Street. Knowing the implied odds and the likely holdings, this can lead to a lot of easy chips, especially when players get desperate. <br /><br />The bad plays: Most of the time you don’t lose on your last hand, you lose on paying off extra bets and seeing too many streets with marginal holdings. Some players lose money on missed draws and bad beats, but by maximizing gains and minimizing losses your stack can usually handle the variance. I don’t remember many hands but I do remember several mistakes from last night. On Seventh street my opponent was showing sevens and had bet the whole way. I had tens and folded to a river bet even though I was getting 9 to 1, I even wrote it in the chat field…risking 10,000 to win 100,000 could have been huge and I really wasn’t 90% sure I was behind, maybe 80%. <br /><br />My biggest mistake in Seven Card Stud is river bluffs and lack of value bets at the end. I also let myself get squeezed from behind on middle streets. Like in flop games position is extremely important to gain or avoid extra bets. In stud however, the rotation can change from street to street so it’s important to see the shifts and the possible reactions. Betting on seventh street is rarely successful at chasing out a better hand and rarely causes a similar hand to fold. A middle pair may pay off a flush because there is so much money in the pot…and unlike in no limit games opening up the betting on the river in position is not as detrimental because there is no fear of an allin, just an extra bet. <br /><br />Many players check seventh if they believe the other player is on a draw so as to call one bet rather then two when they are behind, but it is important to realize the likelihood that they make their hand on the river. Usually the best case scenarios are 4:1 to hit the draw and if one out of five times you pay off two bets, as long as they are willing to call your last bet half of the time when they miss (and have a pair or some other semblance of a hand) the bet becomes a break even. The advantage comes in the times when you fill up against a straight or flush and get two extra bets even if that only happens 4:1 x 5:1 = 1 time in 20 or so. That three bet gain 5% of the time makes the play more profitable than checking, but of course everything changes according to the field.<br /><br />I’m enjoying writing and will try to play more live games and internet mtts as law school ends and life frees up. Until next time wish me luck.<br /><br />“I don’t believe in luck, I believe in cause and effect.”MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-82049146855400056862008-04-28T14:19:00.000-07:002008-04-28T14:21:17.753-07:00It's all about the SetupI’ve made appearances in the comments section of other poker and comedy blogs…this is my first post in a while. I could write pages of theory, or a diatribe of an explanation of who I am, who I was, and what I want to share. The basic message for now is simply this:<br /> I LIKE TO PLAY<br /><br />I’m sure I’ll go into my flaws as a person and the flaws in my game. I’ll look at other players and actual scenarios. I’ll share my playbook of theories that’s developed over the last decade. I’ll share the highlights and the low points as they come and also in reflection. There are still many stories to tell and hopefully this isn’t another passé attempt at downloading the weekly drama but the more I play with this circle of poker bloggers the more I find myself sharing my opinions, so why not start a reference point to refer them to. <br /><br />They call me MattyEbs and I often get the consolation comedian stereotype, other times I’m just the guy dealing in the box. I find myself one of the younger players but you would never know by the look of it. I’d characterize my game as loose and fast and my personality as matching that demeanor. I prefer tournaments to cash even though I’m more accomplished at the latter. I’ll play any game; just tell me the rules and I’ve come to know many of the intricacies of the rarer breeds of poker. <br /><br />My online game is scarred by lack of patience and my live game is hurt by my empathy. I find myself untiltable at the table and anyone who has a bad beat story, I’ve heard or seen or been a part of at least three times. I’ll get to more specifics as they surface but for now suffice to say that the more I play the more I realize that your most difficult opponent is yourself. When you get past that you’ll find you have an unparalleled amount of luck.<br /> “Luck is something man invented to explain the successes of his enemies.”MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-23415605742904823302007-03-26T18:14:00.000-07:002007-03-26T18:20:31.107-07:00From Atlantic City to Christopher and GayThis past weekend was packed with a lot of comedy and poker as CT came to town and the Tropicana was kind enough to provide a free room for the two of us. I always was most comfortable at the poker table. I think that’s where my interaction with an audience truly began. It’s the process of entertaining a crowd whether for three hours of a tournament or as was the case on Friday a sixteen hour cash game session. Not everyone appreciate the jokes and the commentary but usually I bring over 60-80% of the table who don’t want to leave and don’t want me to leave. Some of the tales I tell are designed to get certain results for the most part I just yuck it up and it is there that I do my best crowd work. <br /><br />I’ve never been one to talk to strangers on airplanes or buses. I typically kept to myself even before the advent of ipods but at the table I’m a completely different person and if I could get that persona on stage I’d be one step closer to the success I seek. After doing unwritten material for two days and three nights in AC I came home to do the new talent show at Gotham and although I only had a short four minute set, it went well and I feel like my new material always ceases to disappoint and I’m looking forward to doing my current set at Laugh Lounge this Saturday. Sunday Night I went to Pieces for Menage a Ha part Deux. <br /><br />I still need to write my reviw of Menage a Ha part one but I’ll start with Menage a Ha Part Deux which like many sequels was not quite as strong as the original but was still a great time. I really recommend Christian’s show at Pieces, whether gay straight or bisexual you can appreciate the mixed comedy in a comfortable setting. Although a little tight, you can’t beat the easy access by taking the ABCDEF to West 4th and plenty of late night drunken food to end your night, even with the loss of the rat infested KFC/Taco Bell. Part Deux consisted of the very funny Imrana Zaman, Julie Marcus, Brad Loekle, and headliner Becky Donahue. Danny Leary was back from the first Menage a Ha “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.” And of course always hilarious gay Puerto Rican, Christian Cintron, “We’ll either fuck you or we’ll cut you.” After the night great conversation ensued with fellow comics Chesslee Calloway, Stu Mason, Amanda Beals, Keith an Irish comic and the performers. Late night drinking led to a 2:30 drunken sleep but I’ll definitely be back for Menage a Ha part Tres and if you have any Sundays open check out Pieces at the corner of Christopher and Gay.<br /><br />Coming up is the comedy contest at Laugh Lounge for the Comic in Residence Program. Hopefully many will make it out and support. It should be a great lineup and a great show, I know I'm coming to represent. All information can be found at my myspace page: www.myspace.com/mattebner or at laughlongenyc.com<br /><br />Evil happens when good people sit back and do nothing...MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-56146949269028710652007-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:002007-03-26T17:46:55.815-07:00Taint Comedy Great?Taint comedy great?<br />I’ve had trouble updating here and I think it is because the purpose of it was lost on me but I’ve gotten a new motivation and that hopefully will make this a more daily to weekly event and less of a weekly to monthly event. There’s always a joke of the day or a comedian’s perspective but my current world is a rare blend of being both a fan of comedy and an active participant. Yesterday I had two important gigs.<br />First I auditioned for last comic standing. The American Idol of comedy and while the results were vacant and at best I left with being accused of being unoriginal, at best I met several comedians, reaffirmed my commitment to comedy to myself and learned that sometimes the journey is worth more than the moment it leads to. I’ll finish this entry with an explanation of the LCS process but the highlight of my week was a show produced by Chesslee Clay Calloway at Kabin at 92 2nd Avenue called Taint Comedy Great.<br /><br />By far the best show I’ve been to at a bar. The lineup was great including Amanda Beals, Eric Andre and of course Chesslee Calloway. The room was intimate but comfortably sat the 40 person audience and the bar may have been a borderline hole in the wall that happens to be my personal preference. I was happy with my set, although I broke my rule of not drinking before performing. The Wild Turkey slowed my rhythm and slurred some punch lines but helped my stage presence, audience interaction and overall confidence. After the show was a good gathering of comics and comic appreciators and I ended the night at a diner with Stu Mason and Amanda Beals, where many laughs were had. I’ll definitely be attending the next rendition of Taint Comedy Great, probably as an audience member but I highly recommend it regardless as the show is professionally done and entertaining beyond its cover of FREE. <br /><br />Last Comic Standing began for me at 1:00 PM on Tuesday the 20th. I’ve always been one to arrive ahead of schedule and while 19 hours is a little much it ended up being fortunate as only 113 people auditioned. I’ve heard not a single comic was welcomed back from open auditions and perhaps they only use the foolish freshman and sophomores of comedy to fill blooper reels but regardless it was an opportunity to both meet comics and have comics meet me. I met several local comics, too many to name although I’m sure I’ll be attending their shows in the future and mentioning them here. I also met comics from Ohio, Maine and the middle of the country (all those states are the same to me). Waiting on line began as a game but as the cold came quickly became a burden. We spent mixed hours shivering in the cold and drinking at a local bar while taking turns grabbing food and watching each other’s spots. Despite the competition most were friendly and realistic of their chances and while the sun rose, the people who were out for themselves were obvious and unwelcomed and the fact that the comics who were funniest were also friendliest was reaffirming.<br /><br />Will I try out for Last Comic Standing next year despite my negative 26 second audition experience…probably. My brother will be living in New York and he will want the exposure the networking opportunity has no comparison and for me pulling an all nighter while marginally inconvenient is no real burden when compared to my lifetime of insomnia. I will take the advice I received more seriously. Uber clean, quick punchlines and material that is neither generic nor too jokey. Have a plethora of subject matter available to cater to specific judges and appeal comfortable, marketable and overall capable. With the change in objective expect more entries more often and more entertaining. <br /><br />Comedy – If it was easy everyone would do it.MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-81577366780004505572007-03-06T09:12:00.000-08:002007-03-06T14:30:12.719-08:00Based on a true storyOne of my pet peeves is, “so, this is a true story,” it gives me the impression that all your other stories are sprinkled with falsehoods. It goes back to when I was hanging out with these sorority girls and before any comment they would say, “I’m not gonna lie, I’m so hungry.” You know what lie, say you’re famished, that you’ve been starving and traveling through a desert for weeks. It got me so irritated I started prefacing all my statements with, “I’m gonna lie; I’ve never been more turned on by someone’s personality.” So on that premise, none of this story is true.<br /><br />I’m an alcoholic, and while most alcoholics can trace there disease over years and several tribulations mine goes back to one event; it was actually my first trip to a bar. My older cousin got me in, even though I was underage and told me to sit by the bar, they wouldn’t let me stand on it until much later, but eventually, I was charming when I was younger. She spent most of the night with her friends and I spent most of mine with the bartender. When the end of the night came she drunkenly stumbled out of the bar, but she forgot something. She didn’t forget her keys, not her credit card, she forgot her two year old cousin. It was then that I found out that to become an alcoholic you only require the two A’s Abandonment and Access, well either that or a two drink minimum.<br /><br />I think most things are based on true stories but memory has a way of tweaking things. Some quotes: History is written by the victors and memory works the same way on an individual basis and Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent oneMattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-85674086126800183462007-02-23T07:57:00.000-08:002007-02-23T08:05:42.146-08:00Some things are lost on meI've never been able to comprehend temperature. I know hot and cold, I know the human body is 98.6 degrees. I know water boils at 212 and freezes at 32 its the 40-80 degree range that confuses me. You know, relevant temperature. If it's 52 or 63 all I need to know is whether I need a sweatshirt, a jacket or two pairs of socks.<br /><br />I'm unbelievably accurate with time and how long things take, direction on the other hand. I often rise from the subway and have a knotting feeling that north is south, or even worse, east. I lose track of turns when streets are diagnal or turn unnaturally. I remember where I've been and how to get there when I'm driving, but as a passenger, forget it, as a hostage I'd be useless. Show tonight at the laugh lounge to hear the funny, this is more about downloading those off beat thoughts.MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-34760786950504250232007-02-20T13:44:00.000-08:002007-02-20T13:58:02.700-08:00Why I'm not concernedTHE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END<br /><br />Proclamations of Armageddon have existed since the inception of the intelligence of man. One who knows a beginning foresees an end. But I'm not worried. Why? Let's say the world was to end tomorrow, it would be done, it would be over and all the worriers would no longer exist. Televangelist would go to their make believe heaven and sinners to their imaginary hell and the rest of the energy would be re-dispersed accordingly.<br /><br />Too bitter? How about we concentrate on the history of man, of disaster and overcoming it, there is no great meteor in our immediate future; we only dwell on the possibility. If the end is coming it is inevitable, no science, no faith is averting some great flood, so ignore it or accept it if the horizon brings disaster it's already here.<br /><br />Live each day like it is your last. What a crock. There's a reason why life has an order and assuming today without tomorrow would be the same as ignoring all the yesterdays, we learn, we adapt, we survive for the purposes set forth...no bother. Why the diatribe? I'll get to that later but the long and short of it is a day doesn't go by without some passer mentioning or holding a sign about the inevitable conclusion of our wasted lives...if they really believed that, that the end was so near, would they really waste their time advertising it? I'm all for cynicism but let's be real, if you're holding a sign in the dead of winter in NYC predicting the apocalypse, you are hoping for it, because it might just be an upgrade.MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-78978209186487320612007-02-15T15:25:00.000-08:002007-02-15T15:39:49.035-08:00So hack but so trueI'm like a parrot, I tell my daily story over and over again the day it happens and then I forget it for months. Today I woke up pre-dawn to go to a psychiatrist (yes, I'm a little crazy) and picked up a new prescription that needed to be dropped off. I went to the store and it was only going to be ten minutes so I walked around and window shopped while I waited. Knowing that I was picking up medication for bipolar disorder I figured no need for embarrassment and went to the condoms aisle, which is always next to the pregnancy test, and that has been said before (reference of coffins next to alcohol and cigarettes quote here) but surprisingly down the line were indigestion tablets and diarrhea medicine, followed eventually by gummy bears. It was like a montage aisle of the worst six weeks of anyone's one night stand gone wrong. Condom doesn't work, pregnancy test confirms, indigestion abounds, diarrhea follows and finally cravings for the non-aborted fetus begin. I have an imagining of choose your own adventure aisles at this point, walk down aisle two if you want to resume responsibilities for diapers and formula, aisle three for a life of guilt and regret which is laced with porn and alcohol, (probably what got you into trouble in the first place.)<br /><br />So back to reality after playing through these events I pick up a thing of KY and a medium sized box of the blue Trojans along with a video game magazine and a bottle of Aleve and arrive to the counter after hearing my name. I put the items down preparing to pay and Mr. Pharmacist starts striking up a conversation with me. "Oh you live on Cheryl? I live on Judith, we're like neighbors, I'm Joe," as he shakes my hand. You're not my neighbor, you're my pharmacist I want anonymity, not a name and an address. Now I'm not embarrassed because I don't let it get to me but I'm thinking isn't there etiquette for these situations, you don't strike up small talk at an STD testing center do you? Anyway, it occurred to me, to him, I'm a typical customer and apparently and atypical neighbor because I actually introduce myself, but now all day I'm trying to come up with a purchase order that puts this guy in an awkward position to the point where he doesn't have the normalcy to ask my name and shake my hand...all suggestions welcome.MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65740483332566787.post-11777715742272561162007-02-13T13:53:00.000-08:002007-02-15T15:42:23.439-08:00Procrastinate no moreIf something doesn't get done tomorrow, it never gets done. I'm not officially starting this yet although my livejournal turned private journal turned blank pages needs to be transferred to a new medium. I need a place to put my non-material and why shouldn't this be it. No self description, no political views, no religious diatribes, I discuss people because I have a small mind and ideas are too complex for me. I misquote the greats because they've said it better already and while television is the bane of my existence it also keeps me going along with eavesdropping and video games. I don't drink coffee but I spend too much time in coffee shops, I don't smoke but I stand outside of bars, I tend to ramble...No looking back at old entries. Start anew and keep this a little less personal and a little more relatable. Until next time...MattyEbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17923885525221014860noreply@blogger.com0