During my almost 7 years on the online felt, I’ve raked between $3-20k/month.  I’d guess that the average it’s somewhere around $6k. That would mean that I’ve paid almost $500k to play online poker the last 7 years. The month I’ve played the most I’ve raked and paid $20k, in one month!!! Is this an acceptable amount?

To play poker online is really not that expensive for the network. Sure; support, money handling, marketing and software development cost money, but is it reasonable that I pay for 2-3 full time empoyees per month myself? Unlike land based casinos, online casinos have less staff and less rent to pay. The rake on the other hand is not that much lower, if lower at all.

The networks are responsible for the situation, not the sites themselves. The networks have structured the way a poker site pays for its turnover so that they pay a certain % to the networks for using their platform. Everything is of course designed to make as much money as possible.

So what’s the alternative? Personally I think that there should be a maximum amount for how much one player can pay to one site to play poker in one month. The amount can be discussed, but I think $2k is resonable. One alternative could be that one player paid a fixed amount to a site every month to play, but this system would be unfair to the recreational players.

Are there other options out there? If you have one please share it with me, cause I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this. One thing however is for sure, no poker player will ever be the biggest winner in the business.

The network owners enjoy our money

Pic from here

I’m almost certain that no other player comes close to Ivey’s status as a legend in poker. Every since he owned Paul Jackson in Monte Carlo Millions a few years ago he’s been the man. Sure some say Doyle has the same legend status, but not really close huh? Sure, Stu Ungar is the biggest legend in poker, with the same legend status as Elvis, according to some. But you must not forget that when he was aroudn the poker world was smaller, a lot smaller.

Phil Ivey has been crushing all games since he started sneaking in to casinos in Atlantic City as Jerome with his fake ID for about 20 years ago. During the poker boom his poker wits grew fast than the number of players coming into poker. Yesterday he once again prooved his is the man.

After beeing away from tournament poker for almost a year Phil Ivey came in 12th in the Aussie Millions main event. After busting he didn’t do what most would do and tilt away the winning playing online, instead he bought into the super high roller for $250k and won!

Even the stone faced poker Jedi gave us a smile. It was, after all, his biggest tournament score ever.

Let’s just hope that the Full Tilt scandal gets sorted so that we can keep one “honest” superstar around.

More abour the Thai-promo here shortly.

The house

The Beach

Good luck

If your heart doesn’t drop seeing that pic I suggest you go find the nearest bridge. If ou have any idea what the world looks like you know that the wester mass comsumption, for example around xmas, defines what is wrong with this world. Most pokerplayers who win big in a tournament think that it’s their biggest score, now they can finally buy that boat, car or watch they’ve been looking at. But if they think about it for a second they should realize that the  without a doubt biggest score they’ve ever won is when they were born in the part of the world where health, food and even xmas presents is a matter of course. Unfortunately not everbody are born with good values.

I therefore have some alternatives for xmas presents for those of you who have not yet bought their gifts yet, or simply have room for another one. Donate money to:

* WWF
* PETA
* Barnmissionen
* Amnesty
* Greenpeace

Giving to charity is also a good experience for a kid. It’s good to learn why it’s more important that a kid in Africa gets HIV medicine than you getting a new video game. Of course it doesn’t matter what charity you give to since all can manage your money better than the  supermarkets. No matter which one you choose, you are guaranteed good karma

Casino Cosmopol in Göteborg this weekend

Time to introduce laptop ban to the bathroom?

Pic from here

Luckily, the fish gave everything back when I was back at my desk;) It’s a little funny that even though I won a couple of buy ins today, I was still happier when a crumpled-20kr note was waiting for me in the parking lot (about $3). Sort of the same as me getting more upset about a parking ticket than losing a $ 1k pot. Why?

Read yesterday that there will be a tourney during the WSOP next summer with a buy in of $ 1miljon. Sick! Even sicker is some of the names that bought in. Perhaps it is not really surprising that Guy Laliberte and Bobby Baldwin bought in, considering they probably have more money than they can spend, but that Gus Hansen, Durrr, Elky and Duhamel have signed up surprised me a bit. Are they really that rich or have they just extreme overconfidence in their own ability? Is it perhaps because there is a bracelet to win? It doesn’t improve the value that 11% is paid in “rake” that goes to charity. I guess I shouldn’t complain, no matter how much or how little they have, donating to charity is a good thing! However it means of course that a large part of the prize pool will disappear. Maybe Gus and Durrr don’t care cause they have some Full Tilt dough left to spend;)

Today is day 3 of EPT Prague and my teamm8, Pontus Khosravi, is eighth of a total of 104 players that are left! Best of luck Pontus!!

The man the myth the legend!