Stan is the Man.
November 1st, 2023 Newsletter
Cold Deck Quote:
"Omaha is a game that was invented by a Sadist and is played by Masochists." - Shane Smith
The News... Stan is the Man
*He is smiling because he will soon have your chips.
Stan Blazyk
- Weatherman, Poker Teacher, UNT Mean Green Alumnus, all around great guy -
Me: How did you find the game of poker?
Stan: Well I first started playing when I was young in college for nickels and dimes. None of us knew what we were doing but we had fun. Decades later, when we moved to Galveston (just before Moneymaker) I started playing stud and 5 card draw. Around 2007, I started playing with you and Adrienne with your weekly Hold'em tournament group.
Me: Do you like games in general?
Stan: Yes. I still love playing spades online. If you get a good partner and are on the same page. It can make you feel collectively good when you are on the same page and making good bids.
Me: What are your favorite poker variants?
Stan: I really like Omaha 8 Hi-Lo. But I also like a well structured Hold'em tournament. Either way, tournament play is it for me. I play an Omaha 8 tournament once a month. I feel like I have more of an edge in that game. I have read the books and studied up on the strategy. The edge I have in Omaha 8 is because my opponents lack the correct preflop strategy that gives me a bigger edge than I have in hold'em.
Me: You're a Hold'em teacher. How did you get into that?
Stan: I was teaching a weather class at UTMB (OLIE) that was doing well but I was getting a little bored with it. I have always believed that if you really want to dive deep on some subject, that you should try teaching what you know. So I asked the program director if I could teach a poker class and I really expected her to say no. Well she surprised me by enthusiastically agreeing and it has been one of the more successful OLIE classes!
Me: What are the pros and cons of teaching?
Stan: The upside is I get to talk and teach something that I really enjoy to other interested people. I have students all over town. The downside is frustration as you could imagine! We start with the basics and go from there. There are some quick learners that will soon be helping me coordinate the class in a way. When we are playing on our mock tables, I will make sure to get one of these quicker learners at each table to keep the flow and rules.
Me: What's next for Stan in the world of poker?
Stan: This spring I will be teaching my first tournament class. I think this will be a more advanced class as tournament poker has an inherent factor of increasing blinds that has to be considered. This concept is difficult to explain but is essential to tournament strategy.
Stan's classes max out at 16 people. So if you're interested, check it out here: https://www.utmb.edu/OLLI
This week's Tip of the Cap goes to Steve Hidalgo. Steve, playing under the handle Dawgie1010 is new to our game and already found the winner's circle last night. Happy Halloween Steve!
Next Meetup Live Game 11.6.23. 6:30 at the VFW
Zoom with Joe! Joe hosts a free zoom meetup during our Tuesday Freezeout games. Give it a try if that sounds like fun.
The ZOOM password is 432777
2023-2024 Points Leaders
- Michael Culpepper 23
- Marty Kunz 15
- Adrienne Culpepper 14
- Rey Martinez 10
- Stan Blazyk 10
- Joe Schwenk 10
- Efren Hinojosa 9
- Tommy Harken 9
- Brenda Ayala 7
Recent Results
- October 24th, 2023
- 1st - Mikie C.
- 2nd - Adrienne C.
- 3rd - Jeff J.
- October 31st, 2023
- 1st - Steve H.
- 2nd - Mikie C.
- 3rd - Brian G.
Coach's Corner
While I have personally never tried a bluff, I have heard that it is an important component of the game. ;)
So I wanted to share with you this content from Jonathan Little. This matter really comes down to your opponent and finding good bluffing hand candidates. Lots to soak up here.
- beginner to advanced - This video runs the full spectrum of difficulty level. If you are new to the subject matter, pick up what you can (and there is plenty) and mark the page to come back to it next time this year. You'll be surprised what you can pick up on next time!
Recent Results
2023-2024 Points Leaders
- Michael Culpepper 23
- Marty Kunz 15
- Adrienne Culpepper 14
- Rey Martinez 10
- Stan Blazyk 10
- Joe Schwenk 10
- Efren Hinojosa 9
- Tommy Harken 9
- Brenda Ayala 7
Recent Tuesday Freezeout Results
- October 24th, 2023
- 1st - Mikie C.
- 2nd - Adrienne C.
- 3rd - Jeff J.
- October 31st, 2023
- 1st - Steve H.
- 2nd - Mikie C.
- 3rd - Brian G.
Coach's Corner
While I have personally never tried a bluff, I have heard that it is an important component of the game. ;)
So I wanted to share with you this content from Jonathan Little. This matter really comes down to your opponent and finding good bluffing hand candidates. Lots to soak up here.
- beginner to advanced - This video runs the full spectrum of difficulty level. If you are new to the subject matter, pick up what you can (and there is plenty) and mark the page to come back to it next time this year. You'll be surprised what you can pick up on next time!
Venmo Addresses
Michael Culpepper - @Michael-Culpepper-14
Joe Schwenk - @Joseph-Schwenk
Jonathan Ayala - @Jonathan-Ayala-55
Have any questions or feedback for this newsletter? If so, please email me
Comments
Post a Comment