Filthy Rich Fish

The Daily Grind

2012-05-20T08:45:00.002+02:00

While I spend my days sitting on a beach and staring at the sea;
you can now visit Filthy Rich Fish for daily-updated online poker news.

Check out The Daily Grind in the menu bar.

More interested in sunny beaches?
Follow me on my latest blog The Fishy Trail

Good luck & Good Game!

The Escape Of The Dodo

2012-02-02T20:24:00.000+01:00

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. It stood about a meter tall, weighing about 20 kilograms. The dodo lost the power of flight because food was abundant and mammalian predators were absent on Mauritius.

(Source: Wikipedia)

My Dodo Days from Vagabond on Vimeo.

After years of online poker,
it's time for something different...

The Fishy Trail - Facebook - Twitter - Flickr

The Fishy Trail Mission Statement

2011-11-11T19:40:00.001+01:00

I jumped through all the right loops. I ran in the rat race long enough. My mind's made up. Three more months on the grind. Then I'll take the money and run:

The hard part is over; the decision has been made. All I need is one final confirmation from the Government Office for Employment. At the day job, all documents are signed and approved. In 3 months time I'm free to go. Nothing holds me back. Preparation can finally start. The dream came true. I'm a happy man. The long road ahead is all mine. (Yeah!) It's about time. No more compromises. I'll do as I please. I'll go where I want. Back to the East, of course. Same same but *seriously* different. Done with dope, done with troublesome love affairs. Intrepid traveling on my own terms, like a vagabond in the distance...

(from "Green Light")

Follow The Fishy Trail on Twitter, like the trail on Facebook or add The Fishy Trail to your favorites for more adventure and less poker. It's just a different kind of gamble, after all.

A Quest For Dollars

2011-11-01T09:30:00.001+01:00

A Quest For Dollars
Originally uploaded by VagabondBXL

The Micro Stakes Grinder

2011-10-18T11:15:00.000+02:00

After a great holiday in Cambodia, I didn't really know what to do back home. From the busy streets of Phnom Penh to the big, lonely apartment in Brussels...

Poker doesn't interest me much these days. But I can't just lay on the couch, smoke weed and watch TV all weekend, every weekend. I need something to do. Something to pass the time while I'm saving my monies for The Fishy Trail. Then I saw an add for PartyPoker Mac software. Tired of dividing my time between Angy Birds and a Murakami novel, I downloaded the software. On PokerNews there's a promotion that promises a free $50 for every new Party-account. I don't believe in 'free money' but followed the instructions anyway. A day later, there was $25 in my Party-account (for the other $25 I'll need to get to 200 Party Points in 45 days, but I'm not complaining). Soon I was playing $4NL full ring cash games and enjoying it. Actually, poker is still kind of fun. I just can't afford to lose significant amounts of money any longer. Before all I wanted was play, play, play and move up in stakes. Now it's different. There are better ways to get the most value out of my hard-earned dollars.

This morning I tried to launch PokerStars only to discover that they are now PokerStars.be. In the light of recent events, I'm very much in favor of government regulation. All the games (cash and tournaments) are still available in the PokerStars.be lobby. No worries. It should be all ruled and regulated now. That's good. It makes me feel safe. I checked my account balance. It's still too much. I don't want to gamble for these amounts anymore. The numbers look different now. Not so long ago, $50 didn't mean much to me. Now it equals two days of living like a king in, for example, Kampot (Cambodia).

If I want to keep playing poker it will be like going to the gym. Exercise, nothing else. Something to keep my brain sharp while I prepare to get away. So I cashed out half of my PokerStars bankroll. It felt good to convert PokerStars dollars into cold, hard euros.

It's a grey, rainy morning in Brussels. I don't mind. I'm ready for Belgium winter now. I got PokerCopilot, PokerStars.be an PartyPoker running. Looking for some games to play. Something like 10NL cash games on Party and maybe a few $3 sit 'n go's on Stars. It's alright. Money comes and goes. Adaptation is an essential survival skill.

Back to the micro stakes!

No Mercy For Those Who've Lost (The Casino)

2011-10-09T17:47:00.001+02:00

No Mercy For Those Who've Lost (The Casino)
Originally uploaded by VagabondBXL

The Blissful Poker Tournament

2011-10-07T08:17:00.001+02:00

A peculiar series of events have led me to the small, sleepy town of Kampot in Southern Cambodia....

I've been here a couple of days now, staying in the Blissful Guesthouse. It's been a long time ago since I had anything to do with poker. But it turns out there's a weekly $5 buy-in no-limit hold'em poker tournament in this very guesthouse. Of course, I couldn't let this opportunity pass. One more night of pokers!

Unsurprisingly, it was a small event. 12 people showed up. Top three gets the money. $50 for first. Doesn't sound much but, considering the current state of my financial affairs, that's at least two days of living expenses here in Kampot.

We got divided in two six-max tables. The blind structure was alright, rather slow even. But that's probably a smart move from the bar owner. There's no rake so longer blind levels sell more drinks. That's good for everyone.
The tournament itself was uneventful (for me, at least). Your typical low buy-in no-fold'em game. Most players hardly knew the rules. The first few rounds where pretty chaotic. People acting out of turn, splashing the pot, showing cards and doing all kinds of goofy things. An older dude bought a round of beers for the table. A nice gentleman, indeed! If I don't make it to the money, well, at least it got a beer for my 5 bucks. The game went on, I managed to get a little bit of value with a top pair hand but for the most part I played pretty tight. I figured only solid hands would do. Generally the whole table saw the flop and everyone seemed to love to min-bet (and call the min-bets with any two cards or min-3bet etc.).
My key hand came around in the second blind level. Ten Ten on the Button. I raised 4x after a limper. The Big Blind (an English girl without a clue) min-reraist. The limper folded. The flop came Ten-Ace-Five rainbow. Boom! Flopped a set! Big Blind min-donks. I raise. Big Blind shoves. I call. My set of Tens is in good shape against her Ace Jack. Alas, the turn is a Queen and on the river a King rolls of… Her straight beats my set. Oh, well. Severely crippled, I tried to fold my way to a good spot. When there were 8 players left we all moved to one table. I guess you can call it 'The Final Table' but that is a big word for a small game in a quiet town. I dwindled down to 9 big blinds, found 88 utg and open-shoved. Got called by Ace Queen. Ace on the flop. Busto! The end.

Railbirded for a while but soon got bored and went to bed. To be honest, I don't care much about poker anymore these days. Although I'm still very much a fish in the life, I try to avoid filth and gave up on ever getting rich a while ago...

If you're interested in travel stories, a troubled love live, conversations with cows and the life on the road you can find my recent writings over at The Fishy Trail.

Good luck at the tables and thank you for visiting Filthy Rich Fish!

Closing Time (A Farewell To The Pokers)

2011-09-11T18:24:00.000+02:00

This was my first weekend without a single hand of online poker in about four years.
All summer long I've been whining about my financial woes due to the divorce and the closure of a certain poker site (which no longer will be named but... - Fuck you, Howard Lederer! Hope you go to jail and get ass raped repeatedly).
Wel, that was that.
And then there was a horrible run at PokerStars. Lost more money than I'm willing to admit. It doesn't matter how you look at the figures. They are all very red. There's a certain point where it doesn't matter anymore if you played the hand well or not. Money lost equals money lost. Unlucky or bad play, my bank account doesn't notice the difference...

Last Friday I had a great time at a home game. But after losing another three buy-ins I decided to quiet right there and then. Got in this hole also/ largely because of poker. I doubt poker is going to get me out of it. Accept the losses and walk away. That's the plan. Got other interests to pursue. Got a plane ticket in my pocket and a new project I might launch one of these days...

As for the pokers;
it was fun while it lasted.
A rather bumpy (but interesting) ride.
I'll probably be back some day...

Until then Filthy Rich Fish is temporarily indefinitely on hold.

Good luck if/ where applicable!

Drifting In A Different Way

2011-09-04T00:17:00.001+02:00

Summer's almost gone. Only a fool believes Full Tilt Poker will ever pay. They are gone. They are never coming back. The similarities between Howard Lederer and my ex-wife are quiet uncomfortable. They both gained my trust than they lied, cheated, took my money and ran...
Though shit. I tried to start over on PokerStars but there's not much fun without heart and commitment. So everyday I play less and less if and when I even play at all. Slowly drifting further and further away from this goddamn desk. Fuck the money. There must be more rewarding ways to spend my time than this never-ending strife for profit....

Forever Delayed

2011-07-27T12:18:00.003+02:00

On June 29 the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) suspended the license of Full Tilt Poker. Yesterday the AGCC held a hearing for Full Tilt... After an entire day of deliberation, it was announced that 'in the interests of justice and the best interest of Full Tilt customers, the hearing will be adjourned. This is so Full Tilt can pursue advanced investment negotiations, which could result in a better outcome for the players.' The AGCC stated they did not enter into this decision lightly, and will reconvene no later than September 15, 2011.

In other words/ my humble opinion: Howard Lederer stole our money and there's no way we're getting it back.

Being robbed by my favorite poker site left me in a strange state of mind. Shortly after the closure of Full Tilt Poker I stopped smoking dope. Not out of principal or health reasons or whatever, mind you. Just got bored with being stoned all the time. Once the weed was out I quickly lost interest in drinking as well. No more weed and no more whiskey for no particular reason at all. Strange days, indeed. Lastly I paid off some long standing debts from my days as a married man.

The little money I had left I deposited on PokerStars. A month has passed and things have gone ugly. I'm down on my very last money and running four figures under Ev. (That's awful, if you're not familiar with poker lingo). This is the end of the line. Last stop: this grey old town. I'm not asking for sympathy or understanding. Almost every poker player on the planet thinks he's totally awesome but just going through a small downswing at the moment. I guess I'm no different. Whatever the reasons and the intentions; sooner or later one has to take responsibility for his results. ... And results I do have not. Neither in poker, photography or any other part of life (and certainly not in writing blog posts lol).

With the return of my Full Tilt bankroll forever delayed, I rest my case. There's nothing left to say. This story doesn't end with drinking champagne on a tropical beach or with overdosing in a back alley on cheap dope....

Just slowly fizzling out in the Belgian rain.

Another thirty odd years on the dayshift and maybe a pension in the sun, if I'll ever make it that far.

Fish 3.0: Tilt Free

2011-07-05T11:00:00.002+02:00

"Totally Fished"

As from today Filthy Rich Fish is no longer affiliated with Full Tilt Poker.

The incompetence of Mr. Howard Lederer and co is not compatible with the values and integrity of this blog (well yeah, there's that and the fact that those motherfuckers fuckers stole my money...) Anyway, all Full Tilt adds, links and rakeback offers have been removed (except those in archived blog posts). There's also a new Vagabond Photography section added and the 'Where to go? What to see?' page got a makeover.

Welcome on Filthy Rich Fish 3.0, certified Tilt Free!

***

The Tilt Debacle

2011-06-30T17:45:00.002+02:00

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself." - D.H. Lawrence

We can complain, moan or cry as much as we want. Our Full Tilt bankrolls are not coming back. Accept the loss and move on. That's the only way to go. The Full Tilt days are forever gone. Fuck the money. Write if off as a loss. Yeah, it sucks but there's nothing that can be done.

For three years I've been bonus whoring and rakeback grinding. Putting in long, boring hours almost every single day. Sometimes I wondered why. There must be more interesting and satisfying ways to spend my time.

Once you get stuck in the Full Tilt Iron Man Challenge it's hard to leave. I got reeled in by this never-ending promotions machine. There's always more free money just around the corner. Just a few more hands to play, just a few more points needed to unlock the next cash prize...

Fuck this, I've lived at the bottom of the poker food chain for years. Just one tiny step above the fish who fund this volatile, flawed, bullshit poker economy.

Full Tilt has been down for about twenty-four hours now. Somehow it doesn't feel all that bad. It's almost like I'm on an (expensive) holiday. No need to hurry through my days to get to grinding, no more Full Tilt Points to gain, no more Happy Hours or other exhaustive bonus schemes. No more playing poker above everything else for just some extra cash.

My money's gone. My rigid playing schedule' s gone. But, hey, I'm free!

I can do whatever I want. That's a glorious thought. I've been caught up in this shit way too long. Finally freed of the rakeback schackles . Time to move on to bigger and better things, but before we go...

There's only one thing left to do:
Turn up your speakers, play this clip and sing along one final time:

Say it loud and say it proud:

Fuck you, Mr. Lederer!

I'm out.

RIP Full Tilt Poker

2011-06-29T18:04:00.000+02:00

Game Over.

The Alderny Gaming Control Comission, which supplies FTP's license to offer poker games, has suspended Full Tilt Poker's license today. As from now Full Tilt can no longer:

Register new customers
Accept deposits from existing customers
Allow existing customer to withdraw funds that are held in their account
Permit customers to participate in any form of poker game or gambling transaction

All players worldwide are unable to launch the Full Tilt client. On the website the following notice is displayed:

I've said it before and I say it again:

if you have (had!?!?) money on Full Tilt, you're screwed.

Twitter and Two Plus Two have been buzzing with comments and opinions all afternoon but there's really not that much to say.

Full Tilt is gone.

That's the only fact we have for now.

After Black Friday, I found it very hard to leave. I was planning to but... The games were good. Easy money is hard to resist. Still had some bonuses to unlock, some fish to stack. There was always a reason to keep playing. I made a few cash outs but not enough. Not everything. The rakeback, the bonuses, the smooth software... I really didn't want to leave. It's sad to say but Full Tilt Poker has been one of the few constants in my life over the last few years. Something that was always there. Something I could count on. Deep down I believed everything would turn out allright. It turned out I was wrong.

Sometimes I wonder why

I have to learn everything the hard way.

RIP Full Tilt Poker/ Bye bye $$$...

Sunday Link Dump: Poker & Other Topics

2011-06-05T18:46:00.001+02:00

What can I say? I feel like a Full Tilt spokesman. We'll get back to you when we've got anything to say. In the meantime, all I got to offer are just a few links:

The WSOP 2011 has started but the biggest news so far is Phil Ivey not playing. Tao of Poker has an excellent piece on Ivey's Titanium Balls

In related news: Howard Lederer, only a few months ago chosen by Bluff Magazine as the most powerful man in poker, is still nowhere to be seen. There are rumors that he's spending his time (and our money) hanging out with his homey Kim Jong Il... Check QuadJacks.com for more on this.

WSOP.com broadcasts all final tables of this year's events on a 5 min delayed live-stream. Perfect stoner TV.

Unrelated and somewhat irrelevant: I've got nothing to say so I shoot pictures instead, they can be found on Flickr...

Lastly, this life needs a 'Quick Fold'-button... "You wake up in the night with a fear so real.
You spend your life waiting for a moment that just don't come" - Badlands:

Anyway, have a great week everyone!

Fantasy World Series of Poker 2011

2011-05-29T11:15:00.000+02:00

Question: What's better than the Full Tilt Fantasy Poker Competition?

Answer: OwnIvey.com

It's a cool new site, created by respectable DeucesCracked-members, where you'll be able to draft a team of poker players to compete against other teams in the World Series of Poker. It's simple - the team that wins the most money wins. Creating an account is free and will allow you to compete in fantasy poker leagues against others. After creating an account you may draft a team of poker players according to the salary cap format. Your team of poker players may then be entered into as many fantasy poker leagues as you like. You may also create multiple teams. Fantasy poker teams score points based on the total amount of gross cash won during the World Series of Poker.

If you want to enter real money leagues you can easily deposit funds with PayPal. It's completely legal, even for US players, since the he UIGEA that passed in 2006 gave a special carve out to fantasy sports competitions as a game of skill...

So head over to OwnIvey.com, create a team and enjoy the WSOP excitement like never before. Just beware of The Angry Panda Express, that's my team and I've got a good feeling about crushing this...

Good luck!

Hipster Archive

2011-05-28T22:36:00.002+02:00

The Filthy Rich Fish archives got updated. All shiny and fresh, five new ways to browse it like a hipster:

The Micros: All Episodes

2011-05-27T13:53:00.000+02:00

All the episodes of this awesome poker comedy series back to back...
Perfect cure against tilt, downswings, bad temper and/ or lousy days. Watch until smiling. Repeat regularly if necessary.

Donkdown Radio

2011-05-26T15:20:00.004+02:00

There are a ton of poker podcasts out there. And then there's Donkdown Radio...
It's a poker radio show based on free speech and uncensored content. Where other poker media are always careful to keep the sponsors happy, Donkdown Radio is the bull in the China shop. At times awesome comedy, sometimes covering breaking news in the world of poker and (that's how it goes with free speech) sometimes completely wild, crazy, insane and chaotic nonsense.
Almost always entertaining nevertheless.
Todd "Dan Druff" Witteles, Bryan "The Icon" Micon host this show every Wednesday. If you're looking for some excellent pokertainment in these post-pokerpocalypse days, Donkdown's the place to go...

Movie Night : The Tunnel

2011-05-22T00:06:00.003+02:00

When monkey tilt is lurking around the corner and there's nothing much to do, Vodo delivers with a new independent movie. This latest release was financed by fans, contributing $1 per frame to enable production. The Tunnel is a horror movie, set in the abandoned tunnels beneath Sydney.

"In 2008, chasing rumours of a government cover-up and urban legends surrounding the sudden backflip, investigative journalist Natasha Warner led a crew of four into the underground labyrinth. They went down into the tunnels looking for a story -- until the story found them.

This is the film of their harrowing ordeal. With unprecedented access to the recently declassified tapes they shot in the claustrophobic subway tunnels, as well as a series of candid interviews with the survivors, we come face to face with the terrifying truth."

The Tunnel is entirely new. This week it's being screened in Cannes, shown on Australian TV - and released through VODO. It's a cool horror flick. If you like it (or maybe even if you don't?) please consider supporting the film with a donation...

Check it out for free here

WSOP 2011 Fantasy Poker Competition

2011-05-21T14:12:00.000+02:00

We're only 10 days away from the WSOP 2011. If you don't have the bankroll or the time to go play in Vegas, there's the Fantasy WSOP competition at Full Tilt Poker. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the next best thing but, at least, it's free. Plus, you can win tons of
prizes, including freeroll tournament entries and a seat at
the 2012 WSOP Main Event...

In order to participate, you'll need a Full Tilt Poker account.
If you don't have one, head over to www.fulltiltpoker.com,
download the free game software and then sign up for an account.
Once you're all set up, go to the game Cashier, click on the
My Promotions button and then follow the Fantasy WSOP link to
register for the competition.

Once you've registered go to the Groups page at
http://contest.linkrd.com/fulltilt/wsop11/groups
and join the group called "FilthyRichFish" that I've
created. The group password is: vagabond

Good luck and see you in the game!

Poker's Not Dead: Big Tournaments In May

2011-05-07T19:10:00.000+02:00

Yeah, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker no longer operate in the US but that doesn't mean this is the end of online poker. This weekend both poker rooms launch a series of multi-table tournaments at reasonably priced buy-ins. Last chance to hit a big score before Summer!

The PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) is back for 2011. This year’s series includes 38 events and a massive guaranteed prize pool of $25,000,000. Each tournament has a low, medium and high buy in level, which makes SCOOP the series that everyone can play. Check out the full schedule here.

Full Tilt runs MiniFTOPS XX this May. Get in on the action and win your share of millions in guaranteed prize money. MiniFTOPS XX features seventeen Multi-Entry Tournaments, each allowing you to register for the same tournament numerous times, giving you multiple chances to make a big score. Additionally, eight events are scheduled as Rush Poker Tournaments.
See the full MiniFTOPS Schedule for more details on all 45 events.

Good luck at the tables!

Pioneer One "Triangular Diplomacy"

2011-04-28T21:48:00.001+02:00

Pioneer One is a serialized drama produced and distributed online through VODO. Downloaded almost 2.000.000 times and winner for Best Drama Pilot at the 2010 New York Television Festival, this show is independently produced and financed by viewer donations.

This awesome project continues in Episode 4 "Triangular Diplomacy"...

Halfway through the Calgary quarantine, the media begins to question whether the story about the crashed satellite is the real truth. Meanwhile, Secretary McClellan starts to play hardball with the Russians in pursuit of his own truth. But everything hinges on what Yuri, the frightened boy at the center of it all, might have to say...

Enjoy the new episode and don't forget to support the project!

Circles

2011-04-20T18:33:00.001+02:00

It's a beautiful and sunny Spring in Brussels but I just keep running around in circles.

A few days have passed since Black Friday. Nothing really changed here in Europe. Got a mailbox full of messages from European poker sites to offer large deposit bonuses and to assure that my money is safe with them. I think I'll just stick with Stars and Full Tilt for now. I'll keep an eye on what will be happening with these companies but I'm just to lazy to move my funds. Too much trouble to start new loyalty and bonus programs on different poker sites. I prefer to go down with the sinking ship if it ever comes to that...

It's a beautiful and sunny Spring in Brussels but I just keep running around in circles.

On Black Friday I was told by a friend that the collapse of online poker might be a good thing in my case. It is quite rare that a big fish is able to walk away from the game with a profit... I've lost a lot these last few weeks, that's a fact. A combination of bad luck, bad play and a general lack of confidence (in anything) led to a huge downfall. Now I sort of left the game of poker behind. It didn't play a single hand since last Friday. I'm not even affected by the poker ban but this is as a good a time to quit as any other. Looking for different ways to give meaning to my bleak existence I only found alcohol and smokes...

It's a beautiful and sunny Spring in Brussels but I just keep running around in circles.

Still stuck in the same old day job. Keep telling myself I can do other things if I want. Turned thirty somewhere last month, still driving around in a van. Today, as a final act of humiliation, I had to deliver a package to my ex-wife on her new address. Seven years ago we arrived together in this city. I was going to be king and she would be my queen. Now she orders shoes from China and I'm just the delivery guy...

It's a beautiful and sunny Spring in Brussels but I just keep running around in circles.

The End

2011-04-16T14:00:00.002+02:00

If you visited pokerstars.com, fulltiltpoker.com or ub.com yesterday or early this morning this was all there was to see:

PokerStars and Full Tilt (and UB, bet let's ignore that cheating site from here on) can no longer accept American players in real-money games. Outside the US these sites are still available (for now) but the action is slow (I'm currently staring at the 200NL Full Ring Rush lobby, only 30 players are seated) There are strong rumors that Full Tilt and PokerStars will shut down globally somewhere in the next 30 hours. In short, the future is highly insecure. There's only one piece of sound, reliable advice bouncing around Twitter and the forms at the moment:

If you have a significant amount of money on any online poker site it's probably best to try to cash out right now (if you still can, that is)...

Good luck!

Taking Down The Tilt Monkey

2011-04-10T13:44:00.000+02:00

Seven weeks ago I got back from Cambodia. The return to the day job and the daily poker grind quickly turned into a big cluster fuck. The first few weeks, the memories of the beach still fresh and alive, were all right. Then there were a few bumps in the road. Where running bad slowly turns into playing bad turns into feeling low and miserable...
Bleak days on endless monkey tilt.
Fuck this.
Why lose hundreds of dollars a day playing poker when Angry Birds is only €3,99 in the App store?

After Angry Birds I was still not #winning so I ended up taking a few pictures here and there. This made me feel strangely at ease.
When the shutter closes there's only now. The lens provides perspective. Framing shots requires considering different points of view. It's hard to stay stressed out while looking for the bigger picture... There's more in life than online poker after all.

Enjoy today to keep the tilt monkey away...