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I am naturally suspicious of people who use phrases like “call to action.” It’s one of those marketeer phrases that makes me cringe. That said, if you are a South Carolina poker player or one who travels here to play in some of the best home games around, you should be interested in this. Moreover, if you live in Greenville, South Carolina and don’t join me on Monday night, you don’t care about poker and your right to play it.

Monday March 30 at 5:30pm, South Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell will be holding two public hearings on a bill that would legalize home poker games and also expand charity gaming (including charity poker tournaments) in South Carolina.

I will be there and you should be, too.

Here’s why.

Every Monday night I play in the best home game I’ve ever known. The action is great, the location is perfect, and the players are great people. The game has been running for years and shows no signs of dying off. There are games like it all over the state–friendly folks who just want to play cards in a safe environment.

Under South Carolina law, local law enforcement could come in at any time and cite every player for violating the state’s gaming law. That we’ve never been raided is no great comfort. Even though this is a friendly game where the only rake goes to pay for drinks and snacks, it is still illegal. And if you think the local constabulary won’t bust a game of this sort, you are sadly mistaken.

Last month I covered the trial of five people who were playing in a $20 max-buy no-limit hold’em game in Mt. Pleasant. The max rake on the game was 50 cents and the house owner, according to several people who testified, stopped taking rake the moment he had enough to cover the pizza and beer. The players were put on trial and, despite the magistrate’s obvious distaste for the law, convicted. [See the April issue of Bluff Magazine for my article on the trial.]

A few years back, I held what was then my annual Bradoween poker tournament. It was not a huge affair. We had 43 people from around the country in town and crowded into my small house. The buy-in was insignificant and I charged no juice. People from other states laughed at me when I took the buy-in cash to my neighbor’s house and left it there. They laughed harder when I programmed my police scanner to listen for a raid and put a couple friends outside to watch the door.

If I had watched myself that day, I might have laughed, too. It was ridiculous. It was a game among friends that wasn’t even charging for the BBQ and sweet tea. Still, if the raid on a similar game in Greer (a nearby suburb) a couple months before was any indication, I stood an uncomfortable chance of getting busted. It had happened to one of my friends just weeks before. He’d been playing in a similar game and had been handcuffed in front of his wife and kids.

To people in less-antiquated states, this probably seems inconceivable. The simple fact i this: playing any game with cards or dice in South Carolina (read: Monopoly, bridge, poker, etc) is illegal.

President Pro Tempore Glenn F. McConnell, a Republican from Charleston County, wants to change that. His bill would decriminalize social gambling (including poker) in a private homes where no rake is taken. It would also allow for charity poker tournaments for churches and charities like the Lions and Elks Clubs.

Opponents of the bill suggest that opening the door to kitchen table poker is the equivalent of opening up the state border to the likes of MGM and Harrah’s casinos. Nothing could be farther from the truth. You can read the full text of the bill HERE. The language is specific, more restrictive than even I would like, and would in no way allow for casinos in the Palmetto State.

All of the above is to say nothing of the rampant hypocrisy surrounding the debate. South Carolina is a lottery state. The South Carolina Education Lottery program is lauded by many of the same people who fight against decriminalizing home poker games. It’s nearly impossible to go to a convenience store or turn on a TV without seeing an ad for South Carolina scratch-off tickets or Powerball jackpots. Make no mistake: South Carolina is, in fact, a gambling state, as long as the state is taking the rake.

McConnell held a hearing on his bill in Charleston last week. If news reports are to be believed, the pro-poker crowd outnumbered the anti-poker folks by 20-1. The Greenville hearing could be a lot different. The Upstate of South Carolina is a great deal more conservative than the Midlands and Low Country. In the past, I’ve seen giant protests over similar issues.

Even the legislators are worried about bringing the issue to Greenville. Said Senator Robert Ford to Charleston poker players, “Y’all get a couple of buses. I’m always afraid of Greenville on these kinds of issues.”

It’s my hope that we won’t need Charleston poker players to defend our rights to play in Greenville. I know there are hundreds of poker enthusiasts in the Upstate who care about this issue. The question is, do you care enough to show your support in public? You don’t have to speak. You don’t even have to give your name. You only have to show up. It won’t take but a couple hours out of your day.

I know poker is a solitary pursuit, but the battle to legalize it is not. Don’t be the kind of player who complains but does nothing to remedy the situation. If you don’t show up, don’t complain about the law. When you finally have Republicans and Democrats agreeing something needs to be done about the antiquated South Carolina gambling laws, you know it’s time to give just a little bit of yourself.

So, you coming?

Monday, March 30th
5:30-7:30 pm
Greenville County Council Chambers
301 University Ridge
Greenville, SC 29601

The South Carolina Poker Players Alliance is trying to get a good idea on who might come. If you’d like to RSVP for the hearing, you can do so HERE.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here or send them to my e-mail address: rapideyereality — @ — gmail dot com

Italian player claims top prize after 5 consecutive Maui Sit N Go Jackpot victories proving that effort and patience pays off.

Message to the whiners: Who cares if there is no Cinderella?

In fact, I’ll take it a step further. It’s a good thing there’s no Cinderella! It means the best teams are still playing. Sure, Cleveland St. and Western Kentucky were fun stories, but they’re just not the same quality as the teams we have left. Instead, we have a selection of truly outstanding matchups:

Midwest

#1 Louisville vs. #12 Arizona: Don’t let the seeding fool you. I was dead wrong about Arizona. They are for real. Perhaps it’s my west coast bias that made me discount them. The Wildcats beat both Kansas and Gonzaga this year as well as UCLA. They also have two NBA players (Wise and Hill) and four players who hit 38% or more of their 3-point shots. I ignored my own rules when I originally discounted them. Absent that late 4-game losing streak, they were probably worthy of a 6 seed. And as for Louisville? They’re very, very good. This should be an interesting game, but the Cardinals will be too much.

#3 Kansas vs. #2 Michigan St.: What’s not to like about this matchup of traditional powers? Top coaches. Great talent on both sides. But I think this is clearly MSU’s game to lose. They beat the Jayhawks by 13 at home in January. Kansas also has out of conference losses to Syracuse, UMass and Arizona. It’ll be closer than it was in January, but the Spartans will move on.

West

#1 UConn vs. #5 Purdue: The Boilermakers are the only other party-crasher in the Sweet Sixteen. I’m still not a believer in Purdue. The lost 7 conference games in a Big 10 wrought with mediocrity. A bunch of good teams, but maybe only one great one (Michigan St.). UConn has silenced those that questioned their #1 seed by soundly thumping their first two opponents. I expect more of the same in the most lopsided game of the round.

#3 Missouri vs. #2 Memphis: You want a fun game to watch? This ought to be it. Missouri loves to press the tempo and extend the defense. It’s what got them a lead over Marquette that was too much to overcome. After Memphis’ slight scare in the first round, they played very well against Maryland. The Tigers have enough to give the Tigers a scare here, but the Tigers will end up winning. (I like Memphis in a close one.)

East

#1 Pittsburgh vs. #4 Xavier: I’m not sure why, but my pick to win it all (Pittsburgh) has made the first two rounds very interesting. Xavier, on the other hand, had little trouble getting here, and they’re probably better than most people give them credit for (wins over Memphis, Missouri and LSU this year). However, it’s the Musketeers’ bad losses down the stretch (Duquesne, Dayton, Charlotte, Richmond) that make me believe they won’t have enough for the Panthers.

#3 Villanova vs. #2 Duke: Another fabulous matchup. If you’re a college basketball fan, you’re excited about this matchup. These are two very good teams with solid NCAA histories. This has all the makings of being the closest game in the round, and I think Nova will have too much for a Duke team that lacks athleticism (apart from Henderson).

South

#1 UNC vs. #4 Gonzaga: It’s everyone’s favorite little guy from the Pacific Northwest against the most talented team in college basketball. The Tarheels future in this tourney comes down to the health of Ty Lawson’s toe. I don’t think the Zags will be able to exploit this potential weakness, so expect UNC to move on.

#3 Syracuse vs. #2 Oklahoma: It’s clearly my favorite game of the round, but that’s because I’m an Orange fan. However, I think even a casual basketball fan will find this game interesting. It’s a matchup of the tourney’s best remaining guard (SU’s Johnny Flynn) vs. the best remaining big man (OU’s Blake Griffin). If Syracuse can neutralize Griffin and hold their own on the boards, they should have the firepower to eke out a win. At least that’s what I’m hoping!

Okay, so perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration in the headline. I’m guessing Johnny Cash merely rolled over in his grave when he heard Adam Lambert’s bastardization of the classic “Ring of Fire.” Had Jaoquin Phoenix not already gone crazy, maybe he would have rushed the stage to stop what millions of Americans witnessed last night.

Instead, we get one of the most horrifying performances in American Idol history. If you missed it, thank your lucky stars. If you saw it, I hope you’ve managed to block it from your mind.

I’ll keep the rest of my American Idol thoughts short going into tonight’s elimination. Looks like one of the ladies is leaving tonight. If it’s Megan Joy Corker, so long. If it’s either Alexis Grace or 16-year old Allison Iraheta, than the judges will have a difficult choice on whether to use their one save.

Matt Giraud continues as my favorite after another strong performance last night with Danny Gokey close behind. I was glad to see Anoop Desai bounce back like he did.

As you can guess, I’m fairly certain the men will extend their lead in American idol finalists. Thus far, there have been 8 male and 6 female finalists. When this season is over, it will be 10 male finalists… and the men will tie the women in total winners at 4 a piece.

The Poker Players Alliance has just sent out notice of a poker legalization hearing in Charleston and Greenville, SC this month.

From the e-mail:

Playing poker in the privacy of your own home is a crime in South Carolina thanks to a ridiculous outdated state law signed 209 years ago. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell will be holding two public hearings to discuss S535 a bill that would legalize home poker games and also expand charity gaming (including charity poker tournaments) in the state. The first public hearing will be March 23rd in North Charleston City Hall and the second on March 30th in the Greenville County Council Chambers, both start at 5:30pm.

I plan to attend the March 30 hearing in Greenville. The PPA is looking for a large turn-out of pro-poker folks.

Details:
Monday, March 30th
5:30-7:30 pm
Greenville County Council Chambers
301 University Ridge
Greenville, SC 29601

I’ll likely have more on the subject in the coming days. In the meantime, if you’d like to RSVP for the hearing, you can do so HERE.

To read the full text of the bill, click HERE.

Back by popular demand, ECOOP IV is set to re-write the history books, as the finest tournament poker players bet, check, call and bluff their way towards a piece of the mammoth $4,550,000 in prizes!

If you’re like 99% of the adult population in America, you’re working on your NCAA bracket this week (due by Noon ET on Thursday). And if you get it just right, there might even be some money in it for you. Here are five rules for picking your bracket that will give you an advantage over anyone who hasn’t read this:

Number 1: Don’t trust the SEC.

Only three SEC teams made the Big Dance this year and only two of them were even worthy (Miss. St. won the SEC tourney to “earn” an automatic bid). Expect all three SEC teams to go out in the first round. MSU is terrible and lost to just about every out of conference opponent they faced. Tennessee has a nice out of conference win against Marquette, but that’s it. They lost to Gonzaga twice, Temple, Kansas and Memphis. In conference, UT struggled against the “better” teams like Kentucky, LSU and Auburn. And LSU’s out of conference schedule was a joke. The “big” win was against a mediocre Wash. St. team. They lost to Texas A&M, Utah and Xavier. Pathetic.

The SEC is terrible. I wish there was a stronger way to state this.

Number 2: Trust the Big East

They’ve been the strongest conference in college basketball all year long. There’s a reason 9 Big East teams were ranked going into the conference schedule. It’s because the Big East generally beat up on other conferences. Georgetown and Notre Dame were top 10 teams before they started facing other Big East teams.

Here’s a look at some Big East out of conference wins:

Pittsburgh: Florida St., Siena
UCONN: Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Michigan
Syracuse: Memphis, Kansas, Florida

The Big East team I actually worry about is Louisville. Perhaps they figured out how to flip a switch because they were pretty bad early in the season with losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV. They’re hot now, though, so it’s hard to bet against them.

Number 3: The Hilltoppers are ready for an upset

They’ve already gotten a signature win over Louisville this year and have also tested themselves against teams like Georgia, Florida St. and Mississippi St. They won’t be intimidated by Illinois. And the Illini will likely be without their best perimeter defender which is good news for guard-heavy Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers three guards all average more than 12 ppg and hit more than 36% of their 3-point shots. Illinois’ only chance is to slow down the game and use their 7-footer. It won’t work.

Number 4: Utah will not be upset by Arizona

Listen to the oddsmakers and a Wildcats win in this game wouldn’t actually be an upset. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why anyone would expect the Wildcats to win. They are far and away the worst at large team in the Big Dance. It took a win over a terrible Stanford team to close the regular season just to get to .500 in a relatively weak Pac 10. They were 11-8 on Jan. 21st and closed the season losing 5 out of 6. A seven game winning streak over mostly mediocre teams saved their season. The Utes’ Luke Nevill will neutralize the Wildcats’ best weapon, Jordan Hill. And Arizona will go home.

Number 5: The four #1 seeds won’t make the Final Four, but they’ll all be close

It’s a lock. All four #1 seeds will make the Elite Eight. The bumps they’ll encounter aren’t nearly big enough to stop them. The only possible upset is Wake over Louisville. Other than that, it’s a cakewalk.

The Final Four is a different story, however. Louisville faces a tough matchup with Michigan St. (the only legitimate Big 10 threat in the tourney). Pitt faces a tough matchup with Duke or even Nova, who beat Pitt by 10 in the regular season. UConn will be the most popular pick to fail because they have a run-in with Memphis planned. And I wouldn’t want to be UNC looking at a matchup with Player of the Year Blake Griffin and Oklahoma or maybe even a strong Syracuse squad.

If you’re looking for a repeat of last year’s chalk, you’ll be disappointed. I can’t tell you which #1 (or #1s) will fail to get there (after all, I’m facing some of you in bracket challenges), but I can tell you the chalk ain’t happening!

Remember that time you four-bet pre-flop with aces, flopped your set, and got your opponent to get it all in? Remember when he shoved his chips in and then asked, “Do you have the ace?”

You probably thought, “What is this guy doing playing poker?”

We sometimes think the same thing about the search referrals we get here on the Up For Poker Blog.

Here are just a few recent questions that Google has thrown our way.

Q. Who is the High Stakes Poker guy who looks like Jabba the Hutt?

A. We here at Up For Poker are huge fans of both the Star Wars series and High Stakes Poker. So, when we saw this question come in, we wondered if we had missed a few episodes of HSP. After looking at the cast list from the past several seasons, we narrowed it down to two possibilities. The first is David Benyamine, for obvious reasons. The second is Doyle Brunson. Either way, that’s just mean, and we’d dare whoever asked the question to call either of the above players Jabba to his face. And either way, if you’re hoping to play poker and you don’t know Brunson or Benyamine, you’d best stick to watching Return of the Jedi and pleasuring yourself to your Princess Leia action figure.

Q. Is an UTG limp raise always the nuts?

Yes. We polled every poker player in three countries. The results were staggering. No player in our millions of respondents has ever limp re-raised under the gun with anything other than the nuts. Every player indicated it would be irresponsible to play a hand in such a way that it led others to believe he might have aces instead when he actually held kings, queens, or 9c-7c. We suggest that if you are ever limp re-raised by a player under the gun, fold your kings immediately. You are behind and will never catch up.

Q. (From Sweden) How does WSOP poker works?

A. This is a tricky question and one not taken lightly. It assumes that WSOP poker (translated World Series of Poker poker) actually works. We are not ready to make that assumption. If we did, we might answer that the World Series of Poker poker takes a decades old tradition of poker mastery and devalues it by creating dozens of events that award dozens of bracelets and charges millions of dollars in juice to play tournaments with dubious structures. Of course, we wouldn’t ever actually say that. We’re just saying, if we made an assumption, we might think about saying something like that. In the meantime, if you’re reading from Sweden, we like your women. How much for them?

Q. Suppose that you have played F five times but you don’t yet know your wins and losses. Would you play the gamble a sixth time?

A. You just blew our mind, sir. We love you as a reader. We’d love for you to stay. However, we think you’d be better suited reading the “Handbook of the economics of finance” by George M. Constantinides, Milton Harris, René M. Stulz.

But to answer your question, we’ve played F several times. We’ve got a lot of experience in the world of F. We may not yet know our wins and losses, but you give us a sixth shot at F and we’ll take it every day of the week. Twice on Sunday, in fact.

Would we gamble a sixth time? Silly question.

Q. Are cops allowed to bust poker games?

A. That all depends on where you live. If you live where we do, cops are allowed to bust poker games, take all the money, take all the cards, take all the chips, rummage through your house, make eyes at your girlfriend, and use your bathroom without flushing. You probably won’t ever be officially prosecuted, but you’ll sort of wish you had been. A real prosecution makes it feel less like a shakedown.

Just sayin’.

Q. Why is poker bad?

A. Poker is not inherently bad. It’s naughty sometimes. Sometimes it’s downright dirty, nasty, naughty little poker. It’s not bad, though. Look at it this way: if poker was good all the time, you’d sit around wondering if you should’ve taken your shot at the game with the tattoos, nipple rings, and questionable grasp on hygiene.

Trust us on this one.

For the third consecutive year Titan Poker has managed to capture the Gambling Online Magazine Gold Award for providing the Best Online Poker Customer Service in the year 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Why wait for the tournament selection committee? I’ve got your 65 teams right here. Joe Lunardi may be ESPN’s Bracketologist, but he’s not the best in the biz.

I now present the 65 teams headed to the Big Dance courtesy my Dad. Here is his email to me in its entirety (I’ve updated with MSU’s win):

“This may be my worst projection in the last 10 years. Why? Mediocrity! My process involves looking at data that allows me to almost compare blind resumes. So when I finish, I’m sometimes surprised at the outcome. This year I am devastated. Of the “bigs,” the Big East is the class while the Big 10 is common. My dance card – 7 Big East teams and 8 Big Ten teams.

I refuse to put San Diego St in my bracket when their signature win out of conference is CSU-Northridge. So, here we go…”

AMERICAN EAST – Binghamton (14)
ACC – UNC (1), Duke (2), Wake (3), FSU (4), Clemson (6), Maryland (10), BC (11)
ATL. SUN – E Tenn St (15)
ATL 10 – Xavier (5), Dayton (8), Temple (12)
BIG EAST – Pitt (1), L-Ville (1), UConn (2), Nova (4), Syracuse (4), WVU (6), Marq (7)
BIG SKY – Portland St (14)
BIG South – Radford (15)
BIG 10 – Mich St (2), Purdue (5), Illinois (7), Ohio St (8), Michigan (9), Wisc (10), Minn (11)
BIG 12 – Okla (2), Missouri (3), Kansas (3), Okla St (5), Texas (7), Texas AM (9)
BIG WEST – CS Northridge/Pacific (16)
COLONIAL – VCU (12)
CONF USA – Memphis (1)
HORIZON – Butler (9), Cleve St (13)
IVY – Cornell (15)
MAAC – Sienna (12)
MAC – Buffalo/Akron (13)
MEAC – Morgan St/Norfolk St (16)
MVC – Creighton (10), N. Iowa (12)
MWC – Utah (4), BYU (9)
NORTHEAST – Bob Morris (15)
OVC – Morehead St (16)
PAC 10 – Wash (3), UCLA (6), Ariz St (6), Cal (8), USC (11)
PATRIOT – American U (14)
SEC – Tenn (5), LSU (8), Miss. St. (11)
SOUTHERN – UT Chat (17)
SOUTHLAND – St F Austin/UTSA (13)
SWAC – Ala St/Jackson St (17)
SUMMIT – N Dakota St (14)
SUN BELT – W. Kentucky (13)
WCC – Gonzaga (7)
WAC – Utah St/Nevada (10)

Luckbox’s thoughts: UConn is a better #1 seed than Memphis. Who has Memphis beat this year? Coasting through Conference USA just doesn’t compare to what the Huskies did in the Big East. Should Duke beat FSU, they could get the 4th #1 seed (along with UNC, Pitt and Louisville). Mich. St. and Oklahoma both played their way out of a #1 seed.

I also think Florida played its way out of the tourney by failing to make even the semis of the SEC tourney. The SEC gets juts two teams unless Miss. St. upsets Tennessee. That said, I haven’t done enough checking myself to see who might be a better candidate. UPDATE: Miss. St. did, in fact, upset Tennessee so they’re in and Florida is out.

The man sat at the bar under a cloud of tight curly hair. It was as if the hair thunderhead had sprung a storm and the downpour produced a guy with bad pickup lines. Beside him sat a pretty woman. She wasn’t drinking for fun. Her order–shots and beer–had purpose. The drunker she got, the more she wanted to run naked in the hair storm.

I’ll be honest, Joe Reitman’s hair has always freaked me out.

Reitman looked like was wearing make-up. He threw out some line like, “If I order you one drink, I get to talk to you for ten minutes. If I order you four drinks I get you for an hour and half. If I order you more, I get you all night.”

That’s not a direct quote. It wasn’t recorded for posterity, because the next thing anyone knew Reitman’s pants were around his ankles and he was humping the girl known as Gayle in the parking lot. His bad pick-up line wasn’t as bad as it seemed. He probably didn’t notice the girl was about to cry. But, be honest. If somebody was pumping on you and letting that hair bounce all around your head and shoulders, you’d probably cry, too.

When I saw it happen, I turned to my wife.

“I think that’s Annie Duke’s boyfriend!” I said.

My wife snored.

***

I guess I don’t keep up with pop culture well enough to know the occupations of pro players’ bed buddies. That is, I didn’t know Reitman was an actor.

What I’d just seen was one of his breakout performances, this time as “Bar Customer” in the 2005/2006 Showtime series “Sleeper Cell.” You might also have seen him in such roles as “Hippie boy,” “Radio Station Manager” and “Regulator 2.”

I don’t say any of the above to poke fun at Reitman. He has been married to and presumably slept with Shannon Elizabeth. Just because he played “Freshman” on 90210 doesn’t mean he isn’t 100 times cooler than I am.

I only bring it up because I’d honestly forgotten Reitman’s name. I’d seen him around Vegas and always with Duke. As I struggled in vain to remember the guy’s real name, I wondered how Reitman would feel about me Googling him as “Annie Duke’s boyfriend.”

I had to know, though. I’ve recently been watching the new-to-me “Sleeper Cell” on DirecTv’s 101 network. In this episode, the boozy bitch was about to turn on her boyfriend. That Retiman’s “Bar Customer” sealed the deal was almost poetic. That is, he put his career on hold to make sure we would have Shannon Elizabeth as a star. He deserved a little somethin’ somethin’ for his time.

In fact, he also got Duke in the settlement and that should’ve been enough. I’ve heard no rumor of their break-up, so presumably they are happy. I think we all wish them the best.

I’m simply happy I now have Reitman’s name locked permanently in my memory. Never again will I think of him as Shannon’s ex or Annie’s boyfriend. Now, he will be Joe. Or Joseph. Or Mr. Reitman. Or, after the 2009 release of “Radio Free Albemuth,” as “Prisoner #1.”

I’m prone to hyperbole. And hyperbole in headlines helps bring readers. Was last night’s six overtime marathon between Syracuse and Connecticut the greatest college basketball game ever played? Probably not. But let’s take a closer look:

The Stakes

This is where this game is lacking. The quarterfinals of the Big East tournament just can’t match the intensity of an NCAA tournament game. In this case, each team was guaranteed a spot in the Big Dance regardless of outcome.

For these teams, however, the stakes were high. It’s a pretty intense rivalry and a prime-time game at Madison Square Garden is a big deal for these players. Also, UCONN had lost 4 straight openers in the Big East tourney and wanted this game badly. And Syracuse is working to improve its seeding.

It was big to these teams, but hardly matched the stakes of a National Championship game or even a game like Duke-Kentucky in the East Regional Finals of 1992.

Quality of Teams

UCONN is one of the top 4 teams in the country. They’ve been ranked #1 twice this year and, despite the loss, I think they’ll still be a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney. Syracuse was ranked as high as 8th this year and have already beaten Big 12 champ Kansas, Top 5-ranked Memphis and Florida out of conference.

These are two very good teams playing in the nation’s toughest conference. Again, are they Duke and Kentucky from 1992? Not quite. But they can match up with just about anyone in college basketball this season.

Historic?

That’s where this game has an advantage over most others. Only a 1981 game between Cincinnati and Bradley went longer (7 overtimes), but the final score in that game was just 75-73 because that was before the shot clock. Two games in the 1950s also went to 6 overtimes.

This game is more impressive than any of these because of the shot clock. That entire 7 OT game totaled 148 points. Syracuse and UCONN scored a combined 102 points in overtime alone (and 244 total). The shot clock changes everything. Before the shot clock, teams could rest on offense, milking the clock. Now, teams must continue moving, getting just 35 seconds per possession. This 6 OT game was significantly harder on the players than any previous college basketball game ever played.

The Numbers

Record for points scored in OT: 56 (Syracuse)
Record for total points scored in OT: 102
Minutes played by Johnny Flynn: 67 of a possible 70
Total FGs made-attempted: 82-209
Total FTs made-attempted: 64-93
Players who fould out: 8 (four for each team)

Drama

This game had it all. UCONN never lead by more than 4 points in regulation. Syracuse lead by 7 points with 4 minutes left, but UCONN came back to tie it with 4 seconds left. Syracuse then hit what appeared to be an amazing buzzer-beating 3 point shot, but after a long review, the refs waved it off.

In the first OT, UCONN lead by as many as four but Syracuse tied it on a dunk at the end. In the 2nd OT, UCONN never lead by more than 2 and just missed a half court shot at the buzzer. In the 3rd OT, lead by 6 with must 2 minutes remaining, but Syracuse hit a three pointer with 10 seconds left to tie it up. In the 4th OT, UCONN again never lead by more than 2 points. In the 5th OT, UCONN lead by three, but Syracuse again tied it.

In the 6th and final OT, Syracuse took the lead on a three pointer on the opening possession. It was their first lead since regulation. They had played 25 minutes of OT basketball without leading once. But after that three, they never looked back, winning by 10 points.

Final Thoughts

Is it greatest game ever played? Probably not. The closer you are to the game, the more likely you are to overstate it’s importance. I doubt this game is remembered 15 years from now like the Duke-Kentucky game of 1992.

In fact, I’d site two other games involving Syracuse in the last 20 years that are more memorable to me. First, the 1996 game against Georgia in the NCAA tournament that included a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to tie it and a John Wallace 3-pointer at the end of OT to win it. And second, the 2003 Finals when Carmelo Anthony lead my Orange to a title over Kansas.

It was a great, great game. One I will never forget and one that will stand in the record books for a long time. But it’s not the greatest game ever.

What’s the best number of players for a game of poker in your opinion?

Hello!

  Could smb advise a web site (or community in LJ) to view list of poker events in London next  two-three month ? I’m not looking only for major events ,  but any local tournament with buy-in >= 1000$ is enough.  

Thanks in advance.

Anyone else ever feel this way? I’ve just started playing online at poker stars even though i’ve been playing poker for a few years now, I’ve had some pretty good success at live games but online is killing me. Just as an example this is what happend to me today.

I was playing in a 3.40 one table sit-n-go, the blinds were up to 75-150, I had 2600 in chips. I get pocket Ks in middle pos. and opened to 600. Player in seat next to me calls everyone else folds. The flop comes K, Q, 4 with two spades. Player checks, I go all in for my last 2000 (he had me covered). Player calls and shows Qs, 3h, long story short came runner runner spades to give him a flush and knock me out.

Then in the next tourney I played which happend to be a 2.40 2,000 guarantee, blinds were at 100-200 25 ante, I had about 1800 chips and I got Qs in late pos..Being short stacked I pushed all in and the one person that calls me (that only has about 200 more chips than me) shows 8, 3off, long story short he flops two pair and I’m done.

I know it seems like I’m just using this to rant about my bad beats but this seems to happen all the time on poker stars, there are many more examples I could give but I’ll keep it to the two worst of the day.  Sometimes I think Poker Stars is out to get me.