Why I Am Rooting For Everyone

Psst. Guess what?

A poker blogger known to us is going to win a seat to the Aussie Millions tonight. It’s that simple. And that’s a really, really really good thing. Whoever prevails, it’s a great story, it’s a happy ending, and it is a big deal for this little pokery spot of the web. Chad’s posted some odds of success for each of us lucky happy 27, but I’m going to take a different tactic. I’d like to explain for which reasons I’m rooting for each and every one of us.

I’m going to base this on a few factors, including:

a) How likely are they to actually be a factor in the Aussie Millions?

b) How entertaining will their posts from Australia be?

c) Do they have a blog? Do I know about it?

d) How well do I “know” them? Sorry, but face it, this is obviously a factor in rooting for somebody.

e) BBT Regular? This matters. You haunt the BBT tournies in good times and bad? That’s a check in the plus column for you.

f) What is their super power?

g) The elusive ‘X’ factor. This is best described as “would this be epic and/or legendary to send [BLOGGER X] to a major tournament?

So here we go, why I’m rooting for each of you to take it down (and make no mistake, I think any outcome will be brilliant), in reverse order of preference. Other people would make other lists. This is mine.

The Little-Knowns

These are the folks that are little known to me, so there’s not quite the same incentive to root for them. I’ve not played with them much, nor have I read much of them if they are out there, nor have I interacted with them much. This may be my negligence, or their reticence, or just random chance.

Twoblackaces, ricky424, actyper, whiskigrl, -o-LuckTruck-o, huntsvegas , dnasty13. The reason I am rooting for you is that hopefully we’ll get to know an awesome new (to me at least) blogger and poker mind on one of the biggest stages possible. If you wind up in Oz, we’ll all be looking to you. Do us all proud, I’ll be pulling for you.

Aussie Success Factor: Varies, but there is some skill here.

Entertaining Posts?: Unknown to not so much.

Blog: Yes, but mainly no.

Know Them: Little to none. Forgive me if it’s my fault (and for at least some of you , I know it is).

BBT Regular?: During the BBT the answer is ‘yes’ for most. When BBT is off, it’s spotty.

Super Power: Can collectively be viewed from space with the proper equipment.

X Factor: Untested, assume low.

The Sorta-Knowns

Emptyman, Budohorseman, Jamyhawk, VinNay, PirateLawyer, I’m a talkin’ to you. The reason I’m rooting for you is you’re like me. You’re kind of fringe, you’ve been around a while, you’re a fairly regular presence around the table. You have a blog, so I know you won’t just disappear into the ether of Oz. The only reason I don’t know you (or, more accurately, know ‘of’ you) is definitely my fault. There’s only so many blogs you can read in a day. We’ll know your story. You’ve been waiting for this big break. I hope you get it, dammit. You only get one shot do not let it slip or blow this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo!

Aussie Success Factor: Varies.

Entertaining Posts?: Fo shizzle, my blizzle.

Blog: Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes!.

Know Them: I’ve been to all your blogs. Occasional comments.

BBT Regular?: Yep.

Super Power: Capable of forming the letters “YMCA” with their bodies.

X Factor: Not sure, assume medium.

The Talented Interlopers

OK, let’s deal with Team LuckoFriends. Loretta and Magician are both very talented players who have been a factor throughout the BBT2. They’ve got game, they’ve got blogs, they’re pretty much new to us, but they are not to be dismissed. I guess the fear is they’d take the seat and run, and the bloggers would be all . . . aw, damn. But I say welcome aboard, and the more the merrier, and I sure wish my path to success didn’t lead through you. You guys earned your way in, and if you find yourself in Australia you certainly deserve it. The reason I am rooting for you guys is simple. I think you have the game to go far, and that would be exciting for all of us to watch. Just stick around after BBT, y’all. I would like to learn from you.

Aussie Success Factor: Fairly high.

Entertaining: No idea, but I have hope.

Blog: Survey says . . . ding! ding! ding! ding!

Know Them: Just their game.

BBT Regular?: BBT2? Yes. We’ll see whassup now that it’s done.

Super Power: These guys can merge together to form Gobboboy.

X Factor: Pretty low, sorry guys. For Lucko the X Factor for you is through the roof, I’m sure.

These Are the Donks I Know*, I Know, These Are The Donks I Know . . .

Kajagugu, AKA The Chimp With The Helmet

Aussie Success Factor: Above Goat -level.

Entertaining: I believe that Kaja will be entertaining. At the very least, hearing stories about how he figures on explaining the trip to his doesn’t-know-about-the-blog wife should be GOLD.

Blog: Sho ‘nuff.

Know Them: Kaja’s a comment-poster all over the place. I am a fan of his body of work.

BBT Regular?: Totally.

Super Power: He can project his memories onto a movie screen.

X Factor: Solid, baby.

jjok, AKA jjok

Aussie Success Factor: About Goat-level.

Entertaining: There is no doubt that jjok will entertain us.

Blog: You had best believe it, bubba.

Know Them: Little story about me and jjok. We went to boarding school together back in middle school. He was always getting into trouble, setting the Oompa Loompas free, rampaging with hot mops down into the girls dormitory . . . oh the stories I could tell you! Eventually he and I got expelled for inventing a time machine and causing an unpopular math teacher’s father to be killed by a gorilla back in 1942. Good times, good times . . .

In more recent news, this is the guy who cracked my Kings by flopping quads with Jacks, beginning my month-long cooler and total lack of domination in BBT2. JJ OK indeed.

BBT Regular?: Semi-regular is my perception.

Super Power: Prehensile tongue.

X Factor: Solid with gusts of magnificent.

Mike_Maloney, AKA The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Aussie Success Factor: Above Goat-level.

Entertaining: I think this is a guy who’ll give us good solid poker analysis and tournament reports.

Blog: Of course, of course, of course.

Know Them: Mike was seated at every one of my starting tables for a stretch of BBT1. I know he’s a tough competitor. Whatever don’t kill him, only make him stronger.

BBT Regular?: Regular as a monk with a lifetime supply of bran.

Super Power: He absorbs all kinetic energy and turns it into bolts of lightning.

X Factor: Not horribly high, but he’d be a good blogger to send.

RecessRampage, AKA The Man With Two Left Knees

Aussie Success Factor: Pretty goshdarned good if my perception doesn’t fail me.

Entertaining: If he isn’t, we know he’s capable of apologizing for it.

Blog: With a new banner and everything.

Know Them: RR is best known for his recurring role as “Wilson’s Hat” in the popular middlebrow sitcom “Home Improvement”

BBT Regular?: The regular-est.

Super Power: Able to juggle anything at all.

X Factor: Moderate. Solid player and X Factor don’t always sip from the same soda.

SnailTrax: AKA Daddy C R U S H E S

Aussie Success Factor: Not a clue what his chances would be.

Entertaining: Yes, and also disturbing.

Blog: His blogs are many, and there are probably some even he doesn’t know about.

Know Them: I have read this crazy dude, just like the rest of you.

BBT Regular?: Random. Also, bacon. Also, sorbet.

Super Power: Super sick.

X Factor: Unparalleled.

cmitch, AKA Cash Donk Extrodinaire

Aussie Success Factor: I like his chances to make some noise.

Entertaining: Absolutely, with fine tournament reports.

Blog: OPoker? O Yes.

Know Them: Not so well personally, but he’s respected and respectable. He’d be a great representative from BBT.

BBT Regular?: Most certainly.

Super Power: Can hold his breath indefinitely.

X Factor: Milage varies, for me about medium.

Cracknaces – AKA Tony Soprano AKA Blog Deleter

Aussie Success Factor: Pretty high if he avoids tilt.

Entertaining: 100% rolled steel lock to be entertaining to read about this guy’s trip to Australia.

Blog: Yes, no, no yes, yes, no, and finally . . . yes.

Know Them: Know his blog, know his stuff, some girly chat during a tournament.

BBT Regular?: He can’t stay away. Just when he thinks he’s out . . . we pull him back IN.

Super Power: Can stir hundreds of pots simultaneously. Also can play infinite simultaneous SNGs.

X Factor: Pretty high, really. I think Chad loose down in Australia with a big stack would be epic.

lucko21 – AKA It’s Not All Luck

Aussie Success Factor: Probably the highest of the group. If I recall, he was a bad beat away from the cash in the 2007 WSOP ME. Experienced live, plenty of game.

Entertaining: Yes, though he’s not a loon, I think he’d give a very solid analysis of the game.

Blog: Yes, he has one. I’ve seen it with my own two eye-bones.

Know Them: Just his game and various comments. Seems like a good guy.

BBT Regular?: Yes, he’s usually in the mix.

Super Power: Able to leap chip stacks with a single bound.

X Factor: Fairly high simply for his very decent chances of going deep.

jeciimd, AKA WHO Just Folds To The Points?

Aussie Success Factor: Better than Goat levels, I think. This guy has pwned throughout BBT2 and was a leaderboard magnet in BBT1. Solid playa.

Entertaining: If he posts more than 5 times a year (hint hint), then sure dinkum, mate.

Blog: Survey says . . . ding! ding! ding! ding!

Know Them: Yeah, Jec is a familiar and friendly face at the tables. Not only that, but at the Donkament recently he complimented me so thoroughly I think I am still embarrassed. Compliment a writer on their writing and there is no end to it. You all have jec to blame for future posts.

BBT Regular?: All day, every day.

Super Power: When exposed to the Big Game, he is invulnerable to suckouts.

X Factor: Medium strong.

Fuel55: AKA I Don’t ALWAYS Have Presto, You Know.

Success Factor: Well, here’s a guy who just came a race away from the final table of a 10K buyin tourney. You tell me. He’ll go deep or he’ll go home quickly. It’s the Fuel way!

Entertaining: Yes, I think Fuel will lay it all out of the line, especially if he finds himself alive on Day 3 and beyond.

Blog: Creativity breeds hand histories. You gotta love his stuff.

Know Them: Fuel is I think the very first person to communicate with me outside of the software chat box. I sucked out on him calling with a flush draw and overs. We had words (they were pleasant ones). Fuel’s a genuine fake internet friend, and like me he couldn’t get in this thing for poker play, so I’d love to see this get heads up, him vs. me . . . provided I have a 20 – 1 chip lead.

BBT Regular?: You know it, he’s in it, he’s just like, he’s just like, a mini mall, hey hey.

Super Power: Is Canadian.

X Factor: Over under on variants of ‘fawk’ for the week set at 700 billion.

Astin: AKA I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing While Being Dealt Pocket Pairs!

Success Factor: Are you kidding? This is the Luckbox of 2007 I’m told. He’s not just a favorite to win tonight, he’s a 2:1 favorite to win the whole Aussie Millions, be elected to Australia’s Parliament, parlay that into a post as UN Secretary General, win the Nobel Peace Prize, marry Jessica Alba, and have all his fingernail clippings turn to gold! Viva la horseshoe!

In all seriousness, he’s a good player. And by ‘good’, I mean ‘not as much of a donkey as me.’

Entertaining: I think Astin would entertain each and every one of us. You know what I mean.

Blog: Totally.

Know Them: Astin’s one of the first dudes to be a regular reader on TGS. Very encouraging voice early on, he’s part of the reason I’m still around and kicking in this crazy neck of the woods.

BBT Regular?: Hardly misses a one.

Super Power: Everything Astin touches turns to platinum.

X Factor: He’s not a loony, so this isn’t stratospheric, but I personally think it would be hawesome.

summer_babe AKA The Hub. The Blogfather. Meadowlark Lemon himself.

Success Factor: Pretty high. It’s generally known and accepted that Iggy’s got game.

Entertaining: Uber-tainment at it’s finest. And if he goes deep it will be interesting to see him try to maintaing the burka-like shroud of secrecy that he’s kept around about himself.

Blog: Um . . . I believe he has a blog.

Know Them: Well, I don’t know Iggy personally, but tell me if you don’t feel like you know the little guy over the last 5 years of ubers, links, and photos. Iggy has posted that he will be drunk for this. I think that’s bad news for the rest of us.

BBT Regular?: Sir! Yes, sir!

Super Power: Super blog-pimping.

X Factor: Off the charts. He’s the one and only Blogfather! If anything, sending Iggy to Oz will get us a few more posts over at G&P than we’ve been seeing this year, thanks-for-nothing-UFC.

Julius_Goat AKA Dead Money

I will leave you to determine the stats for this donkey for yourself. Suffice it to say I’m naturally my own top preference to win, and I promise that my posts will be regular and also entertaining as long as you are drunk.

Giddyup.

* In a fake internet way, natch.