Curves

I have had a fondness for curves as far back as I can remember (Yikes! What's that white goo?!). A curve can be defined thus :


In topology, a curve is a one-dimensional continuum.

In analytic geometry, a curve is continuous map from a one-dimensional space to an n-dimensional space. Loosely speaking, the word "curve" is often used to mean the function graph of a two- or three-dimensional curve.

There is nothing more exhilarating than matching a naturally occurring phenomenom with a one-line mathematical function. And, dear readers, it is in the spirit of sharing that I present some recent revelations I have had.

The is the bean curve, a variant of the quartic curve. Or a poker table.




A whirl is constructed by nesting a sequence of polygons (each having the same number of sides), each slightly smaller and rotated relative to the previous one. It also resembles my sphincter after an all-in bluff raise.

A butterfly curve is a sextic plane curve. Think all-in bluff raise.

The division of the Fresnel integrals of a Cornu spiral yields the above, or my bankroll as a function of time.

The elliptic logarithm is a generalization of integrals of the form (t²+at)^-½. Also a good depiction of my sphincter after opponent folds to my all-in bluff raise.




And finally, the curve that needs no introduction :

The fish curve is a special case of the ellipse negative pedal curve.




Glue Factory

The temptation to aggressively parlay my $25 Empire Poker bonus into either $200 or the ground by playing $25 NL was offset by a less rational desire to play for more than 2 minutes, and so it was that I decided to try my hand at $0.50-1 limit hold'em. The swings were great, with my $25 first dropping down to $2, then back up to $44, and finally down to zero. The play was fishy and following is the hand which sealed my fate:

Empire Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Qc, Td.

Hero calls, 5 folds, Button raises, SB calls, 1 fold, Hero calls.

Flop: (7 SB) Tc, 5h, 4d (3 players)

SB checks, Hero checks, Button bets, SB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (5 BB) Qs (3 players)

SB checks, Hero checks, Button bets, SB folds, Hero raises, Button 3-bets, Hero caps, Button calls.

River: (13 BB) Jd (2 players)

Hero bets, Button raises, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 17 BB

Results:

Hero has Qc Td (two pair, queens and tens).
Button has As Kc (straight, ace high).
Outcome: Button wins 17 BB.

If and when Empire Poker are generous enough to send me another $25 bonus, I'll be going all-in on my first hand of $25 NL (as I should have done this time). Till then, it's B&M NL for moi.

For the times, they are a changing

Las Vegas Review Journal, April 10, 2005

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth

My views on online poker have, rightly or wrongly, been shaped by an unfortunate encounter I had with a $15-30 colluding pack late last year. I haven't played online since then except for February, when I quickly blew through a $25 bonus at, where else, a $25 NL table. Well, guess what arrived in my mailbox today?

Dear noyfb,

You have been awarded a bonus amount of 25.00 and the money has been added into your account. You are free to use this bonus amount to play at Empire Poker. However, if you wish to cashout the 25.00, you will need to play 300 raked hands before 25-APR-2005 EST.

If the above conditions are not met, your bonus will expire.

Almost identical to February's offer except then it was 175 raked hands. This time I'll start off with $0.50-1 limit HE, which effectively lowers my risk of ruin from 90% to 80%.

Yet Another Limerick

As she looks down to see pocket aces,
Her smile reveals ill-fitting braces,
So it comes as no shock,
When she calls for a clock
On the slow-playing dentist she faces.

New show in town

New Vegas poker rooms are sprouting up faster than they can hire dealers. I spent a session at the recently opened MGM last Saturday night. The joint was packed, the waiting lists long and the music from the adjoining bar deafeningly loud. The place is tastefully decorated, the tables fully equipped with automatic shufflers, plus other electronic gadgetry aimed at making the management of lists and the tracking of player comps easier for the floor personnel. If you don't feel like waiting around for a seat, they supply you with a pager so that you can wander off into the huge maze that is the MGM. And what would a new room be without the local sharks. Regulars from Bellagio, Palms and Mirage were among the many vultures I spotted.

There are still many kinks to be ironed out but this is to be expected. I enjoyed the room and plan on returning.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Exciting developments in the blogging community. Pauly will be writing for Poker Player Online and covering the 2005 WSOP for the Las Vegas and Poker Blog, the latter having media status at the event. Pauly, a self-avowed celibate and teetotaller, will offer a refreshing perspective with his unique writing style.

Now I've never met Pauly or the Poker Prof, yet I respect them for 2 reasons. The first is the high quality output of their work. The second and more important reason is because they recognize the new, unknown bloggers and are always happy to plug them. Iggy is another selfless soul who falls in this category.

Congratulations to Pauly, Poker Prof and Flip Chip.