photo from Top Rank/Rafael Soto
Summertime, summertime! Well, it doesn't really look like summertime here in Southern California, but nevertheless the mentality is still there. What better way to relax today than with a Sunday special JM's BBM. As I mentioned last week, I'll give a quick snapshot of my time at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and a crash course into the world of poker, but let's see what the past week has brought to the table in the world of sports.
-Yesterday, a couple of Pilipino pugilists 
photo from Top Rank/Rafael Sotoentered the ring in Puerto Rico, in search of another victory and in the process further cementing their presence in the world of boxing. Bernabe Concepcion squared off against Juan Manuel Lopez for the WBO Featherweight championship, and although Concepcion scored a knockdown in the first round, he was TKO'd in the 2nd by Lopez. Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire co-headlined the night with his bout against Herman "Tyson" Marquez to defend his interim WBA Super Flyweight belt. Although Marquez landed more punches throughout the fight, Donaire was able to knock him out in the 8th round, thereby improving his stellar record to 24-1, with 16 knockouts.
-Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants continues to regain his form as the back-to-back Cy Young winner with a dominant performance on Wednesday. Over 7 innings, Lincecum garnered 10 strikeouts and held the Brewers to 1 run in a 15-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. “The Freak” was named to his 3rd All-Star team and will play on Tuesday at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, California.
-Unless you were hiding in the closet for the past week, the nation “witnessed” LeBron James' decision that would revolutionize the landscape of the NBA for years 
Spoelstra and the Three Kingsto come. On Thursday, James announced that he would take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat, and team up with stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh along with Pilipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra at the helm. With all three Free Agents taking much less money than they could potentially have made, the “Miami Thrice” have shown that winning is more important than money. What is your opinion of the spectacle, and what do you think are the chances of the Heat overthrowing the Los Angeles Lakers as the NBA champs?
-after a month of full of global unity and excitement, the 2010 FIFA World Cup draws to a close with the Netherlands and Spain being the last two remaining contenders for the title. Spain is the clear favorite between the two, but representatives from the Netherlands have other plans in mind. Whoever wins will claim their first title in the tournament, ending an impressive run to the title. Oddly enough, the symbol that represented this year's Cup was not just the action, but the introduction of the vuvuzuela. Annoying or not, the cultural symbol of South Africa will forever be associated with this year's tournament.
Now, on to the part I could talk about for days and days!
For the past month, I was out dividing my time between work on the weekdays and Las Vegas on the weekends for the World Series of Poker. The WSOP is more than one tournament, the $10,000 tournament that is plastered all across the airwaves of ESPN. There are actually more than 50 smaller tournaments that take place over the duration of the event, ranging among different buy-ins and various types of poker games. The main event ($10,000 tournament) is currently taking place right now and will conclude in November after a 4 month break that begins on July 16. I took part in a tournament every weekend from the end of May until last week. Although I only cashed in one tournament out of five, the experience I gained was invaluable, and will definitely help me to improve and become a better player. I will defend to the end that poker is just as much a game of skill as it is luck, and would like to hear your opinion on whether it is luck or skill. Just leave a comment below!
If you don't know how the game works, let me take you through a brief synopsis of the game in the most recognizable form, which is No Limit Hold ‘Em.
In poker, the overall goal is to get the best 5-card hand available. To start, the appropriate players post their blinds, which are mandatory chips needed to create a pot. Each player is then dealt two cards face down, referred to as pocket cards. Starting clockwise from the player who posts the 2nd blind, players must either match or raise the blinds to stay in the hand. After all bets have been matched, the dealer then deals three community cards face up; these are available to all the players still in to help make their hand. Another round of betting begins, similar to the last round. After that is completed, a 4th card is dealt face up, with a subsequent betting round, and a 5th and final card is then dealt, with one more final round of betting. Players may use any combination of their pocket cards and the community cards to make their hand. The best five-card hand takes the pot.
The types of hands made from lowest to highest range in the following:
- High Card: no two cards match (ex: A-J-7-6-2)
- One Pair: two cards of similar rank match (ex: K-K-8-5-3)
- Two Pair: two sets of two cards of similar rank match (ex: J-J-7-7-4)
- Three of a Kind: three cards of similar rank match (ex: Q-Q-Q-6-2)
- Straight: five cards in consecutive order (ex: 2-3-4-5-6)
- Flush: five cards of the same suit (ex. A-Q-10-9-4 all in diamonds)
- Full House: three of a kind and a pair (ex: A-A-A-10-10)
- Straight Flush: five cards in consecutive order and of the same suit (ex: 5-6-7-8-9 all in clubs)
- Royal Flush: highest straight possible of the same suit (ex: A-K-Q-J-10 all in spades)
Royal Flush
Personally, I feel that there is a lot of strategy, math skills, and psychology involved in the activity and an excellent brain game for those who want to work on their problem solving skills. I have been playing since 2003 back in high school, and am still learning new ways to approach the game. If you have any questions about this, I would be more than happy to answer.
Summertime, summertime. Sun shining in certain states, raining in others. Regardless of where you are, enjoy every single moment of it! Until next time, stay classy BakitWhy!
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