Poker Stars accepting eChecks

I saw a post on Lou Krieger's blog stating that PokerStars was allowing some US customers to deposit via eCheck directly from their bank account.

Curious, I logged into my PokerStars account and when I went to the cashier received a similar message, that as loyal and valued PokerStars customer I'm eligible to to try out the offer during their introductory phase. At this point I'm more interested in cashing out then cashing in, so I haven't tried it, but it looks like it may be getting easier for US players to get back in the game. If you were a PokerStars player and ran out of funds log back into your account and see if this is an option for you.

Originally posted at blog.pokerwords.com

Fantasy Football Draft 2007

I usually start thinking about football, and thus fantasy football around the beginning of June. You know, right around the time when the Cubs are traditionally mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. So imagine my surprise when this year I find that our draft is actually happening with the Cubs still in contention. Who knew it was almost football season? Since I've been focused on baseball all this time, I have spent zero time preparing for this year's draft. Prepping didn't exactly help me last year so I'm probably not missing much. OK, that's not entirely true. I did spend about three minutes to print out a cheat sheet from ESPN, which came in quite handy.


Before I get to the draft I would like to remind everyone to checkout Fantasy Sports Live. Its a fantasy sports site started up by a fellow poker blogger and caters to those of us with short attention spans. Its basically a Fantasy Sports Sit-N-Go where each contest only lasts one day. Its fully legal in the US and does involve real money wagering on your fantasy sports skills. Or lack thereof. Check it out. I've played baseball there for a while and it is much more enjoyable than my full season league. Football should be up and running soon. Use bonus code POKERWORDS or one of the links on this page for a %20 deposit bonus rather than the standard %10.




So now, without further ado, here is how our draft went down. Since I didn't prepare for the predraft its hard to critique everyone else's performance, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Salsiccia Kings
1. (1) LaDainian Tomlinson
2. (20) Maurice Jones-Drew
3. (21) Marvin Harrison
4. (40) Marc Bulger
5. (41) Anquan Boldin
6. (60) Todd Heap
7. (61) San Diego
8. (80) Nate Kaeding
9. (81) Laveranues Coles
10. (100) Tatum Bell
11. (101) L.J. Smith
12. (120) Trent Green

We drafted in the reverse order of our finish last season, and so this year, as in many previous years the Salsiccia Kings are drafting first. Their manager was not present for the draft so he was given the best available player at the time, which means this will be his best team in a long time. Its tough to go wrong with drafting LT #1 so the team should at least be competitive with just him alone. This is the team most likely to star a player on injured reserve, or their bye week, but this year he may actually win anyway.


No Talent Ass Clowns
1. (2) Steven Jackson
2. (19) Ronnie Brown
3. (22) Chad Johnson
4. (39) Randy Moss
5. (42) Donovan McNabb
6. (59) Chris Cooley
7. (62) Jerious Norwood
8. (79) Calvin Johnson
9. (82) Vince Young
10. (99) Philadelphia
11. (102) Dallas Clark
12. (119) Jason Elam

The second draft pick went to our commissioner who has one league championship under his belt. He's had a reasonably solid draft with one of the best RB's in Stevan Jackson and WR's in Chad Johnson. If McNabb stays healthy and Calvin Johnson ends up being as good as some are projected, he could have a real good team.

Chocolate Squirrels
1. (3) Larry Johnson
2. (18) Cedric Benson
3. (23) Torry Holt
4. (38) Donald Driver
5. (43) Jon Kitna
6. (58) Tony Romo
7. (63) Jamal Lewis
8. (78) Darrell Jackson
9. (83) Terry Glenn
10. (98) Pittsburgh
11. (103) Randy McMichael
12. (118) Joe Nedney

I was really hoping the manager of the Chocolate Squirrels would pass on LJ, but alas it was not to be. Stranger things have happened in our league, but it looks like people are starting to do at least a little research before picking say Brian Westbrook with the #1 overall. I don't have much to say on his draft. As a Bears fan I hope Benson does well, and that could end up making or breaking his team. Holt always puts up decent numbers but how old is he now? 50? Kitna should put up some big numbers since the Lions are horrible and will be passing a ton to try to catch up. That's why Kitna was such a good fantasy QB a few years ago with Cincy.

Norwegian Blues
1. (4) Shaun Alexander
2. (17) Steve Smith
3. (24) Brandon Jacobs
4. (37) T.J. Houshmandzadeh
5. (44) Matt Hasselbeck
6. (57) Jeremy Shockey
7. (64) Ahman Green
8. (77) Denver
9. (84) Shayne Graham
10. (97) LaMont Jordan
11. (104) Donte' Stallworth
12. (117) Devin Hester

And we come to my team. I've won this league two of five years so I have high expectations, but I'm not really happy with my draft. I hated having the fourth pick. I was torn between Alexander, Gore, Addai, and Manning and wasn't happy about any of them. I would have taken Gore, but he's hurt and while he should be fine by the start of the season, who knows? I also strongly considered Addai, but was worried he'd split carries. You can't go really go wrong with Manning, but the falloff between him and an average QB isn't nearly as much as that of a top RB and middle of the road. So I got Alexander. At least he's likely to put up a large amount of TDs.

I got Steve Smith as the first receiver on the board. Conventional wisdom might have said to take another RB at that point, but there wasn't anyone left that I felt I had to have and I don't think I missed much by picking Jacobs in the third. Of coarse I know nothing about Jacobs other than the fact that he was the highest projected player remaining when it was my turn.

I try to make a point of spreading out my bye weeks and minimizing players on the same team yet I have drafted two pairs of teammates and four players with byes on week 9. Brilliant.

I think I did good with LaMont Jordan and Ahman Green as my backup RB's. As far as I know they are both starters, and while their teams suck, at least they should be getting the ball as much as any other backup.

And yes I picked up Devon Hester. It was my last pick and the ceiling is way too high to pass up. And I'm a Bears fan.

Drunken Pirates
1. (5) Frank Gore
2. (16) Carson Palmer
3. (25) Clinton Portis
4. (36) Larry Fitzgerald
5. (45) Plaxico Burress
6. (56) New England
7. (65) Robbie Gould
8. (76) Kellen Winslow
9. (85) DeAngelo Williams
10. (96) Joey Galloway
11. (105) Jay Cutler
12. (116) Heath Miller

A few years ago the Drunken Pirates passed on LT, Larry Johnson and Shawn Alexander to take Brian Westbrook with the #1 pick. He did a little better this year. He took Gore in round 1 who I very almost took, then Portis in three who I also strongly considered. I was all set to take Fitzgerald in round four but he beat me to it. He took a kicker a bit early but you can't fault a guy for wanting a Bear on your team, can you? I don't see any significant holes in this year's Pirates lineup.

DADS DYNASTY
1. (6) Peyton Manning
2. (15) Thomas Jones
3. (26) Marques Colston
4. (35) Willis McGahee
5. (46) Chicago
6. (55) Reggie Brown
7. (66) Alge Crumpler
8. (75) Neil Rackers
9. (86) Julius Jones
10. (95) Ben Roethlisberger
11. (106) Vincent Jackson
12. (115) Owen Daniels

It wouldn't be a Dad's Dynasty team without Peyton Manning and bunch of home grown talent. I wonder if he knows Thomas Jones isn't on the Bears anymore. Actually I was disappointed he took Jones because I think he's underrated and would have gladly taken him if he fell to me in round 2. Taking a QB number one left his RB core somewhat depleted, but at least he got the #1 QB in the game.

fighting Danimals
1. (7) Joseph Addai
2. (14) Laurence Maroney
3. (27) Terrell Owens
4. (34) Reggie Wayne
5. (47) Adrian Peterson
6. (54) Philip Rivers
7. (67) Jacksonville
8. (74) Matt Leinart
9. (87) Vernon Davis
10. (94) Chris Chambers
11. (107) Greg Jennings
12. (114) Greg Olsen

Perennial winners of the losers bracket it looks like the Danimals managed to make the playoffs last year. I actually like his picks a lot. I think Addai could have gone fourth and TO and Reggie Wayne make a pretty good group of receivers as long as TO manages to play all year. Adrian Peterson was on just about everyone's sleeper list which, makes him not a sleeper, but I was really hoping he'd fall a few more rounds. He failed to draft a kicker again this year which means he'll have to make a move before the season starts, but that probably isn't a bad thing. Kickers aren't worth much so you might as well lock up another real player until closer to the start of the season and decide who to drop then.

Vikings
1. (8) Willie Parker
2. (13) Reggie Bush
3. (28) Roy Williams
4. (33) Andre Johnson
5. (48) Lee Evans
6. (53) Tony Gonzalez
7. (68) Adam Vinatieri
8. (73) Marion Barber III
9. (88) Braylon Edwards
10. (93) Eli Manning
11. (108) Brett Favre
12. (113) Minnesota

I don't have much to say. Willie Parker was probably the best player available for his #1 pick. As I've mentioned I haven't done much research so I'm not sure how much the Saints plan to use Bush this year, but if they were smart it would be a lot more than they did last year. I have a feeling his fantasy production will fluctuate quite a bit.

Spider Pig
1. (9) Rudi Johnson
2. (12) Brian Westbrook
3. (29) Javon Walker
4. (32) Tom Brady
5. (49) Marshawn Lynch
6. (52) Hines Ward
7. (69) Santana Moss
8. (72) Carnell Williams
9. (89) Mark Clayton
10. (92) Jason Witten
11. (109) Seattle
12. (112) Jason Hanson

Rudi Johnson has been on my team a few times so I'm a Rudi Johnson fan, and Brian Westbrook is a pretty good second round choice, especially since our league gives more points for receptions than most other leagues.

HOOSIER DADDIES
1. (10) Travis Henry
2. (11) Edgerrin James
3. (30) Drew Brees
4. (31) Antonio Gates
5. (50) Baltimore
6. (51) Deion Branch
7. (70) Jeff Wilkins
8. (71) Deuce McAllister
9. (90) Devery Henderson
10. (91) Michael Jenkins
11. (110) Warrick Dunn
12. (111) LenDale White

Depending on who you ask last years champ has won this league two or four times. The manager of the Daddies claims championships in 2000 and 20001 even though the league didn't start until 2002. My guess is that he was in another league with our commissioner and thinks they are somehow related. Maybe they are. I'm still not going to recognize any championship in a season in which I didn't participate.

Championship discrepancies aside the Daddies usually have an unorthodox draft style, but it also seems to be pretty effective. He's probably the team to beat by default. There aren't a lot of great RBs to choose from in the 10th or 11th slot but I hate the Edgerinn James pick. Maybe its because he burned me last year, but he is not a very good back on Arizona. I don't think LT or Larry Johnson could do much in that offense. They get behind big and early and resort to passing a lot. I think Antonio Gates is a great pick. Some people are going to consider themselves lucky to get a point or two out of their TE, but he's going to expect 100 yards + a TD just about every week or so. That can make up for your crappy RB production.



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And that's all I have to say on this year's draft. Would it be too cliche if I asked if you were ready for some football?

Originally posted at blog.pokerwords.com

WSOP Omaha Event

I'm not even sure when ESPN is broadcasting the WSOP events, but they keep showing up at random times on my DVR so I'm not complaining. I just watched the $5000 Pot Limit Omaha event and I really enjoyed it. These days it seems that 99.9998% of the poker on TV is holdem, and it can get old for even the most enthusiastic poker fan. I'm not very experienced in playing any other game, so I always look forward to broadcasts of non-holdem events. I want think it helps to get a feel for the game to watch other people playing it.

I especially appreciated the fact that they split the final table into two episodes. This way we can actually see some hands develop and they can show interesting hands that don't necessarily result in the elimination of a player.

It would be cool if high stakes poker turned into a mixed game. Or maybe they could play Omaha-8 for a season. Something to mix it up and let people know that there are other games besides holdem.

Another interesting point that Norman Chad kept bringing up is the number of international players that won bracelets this year. I wonder how much of that is a result of the UIGEA and the fact that not as many US players are qualifying online. Or at least not as high of a percentage of players.

Originally posted at blog.pokerwords.com

Cash Out Successful

My cash out from Neteller has been successfully deposited into my bank account. I think it took less time than it used to back when they were fully operational. If you still have money there I'd recommend requesting a cash out asap. You aren't going to be able to do anything else with that money so you might as well get it out while you can.

Originally posted at blog.pokerwords.com