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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Dec 8, 2013 in Blog, General Poker | 0 comments

Click Your Mouse and Win a House

Excuse me. I have a big favor to ask. Can someone stop by the bank and grab me another stack of deposit slips? I seem to be out at the moment.

I’m burning through deposit slips like postage stamps.

It’s gotten so ridiculous, that the bank teller knows me on a first-name basis. Our conversation usually goes something like this:

Teller: Hello, Mr. Dalla. It’s so nice to see you again.

Me: I’m here to make another deposit.

Teller: Another one, Mr. Dalla? My, oh my. You sure are successful at whatever you do. All I ever see you doing is depositing loads of cash.

Me: I know. It gets to be quite a chore. Having to leave my home several times a week just to make a trip to the bank to make a big fat deposit. It’s not easy being me.

Teller: Oh, you poor thing. You must be famished. It must be exhausting.

Me: Yes, it is.

Teller: Well, you know the usual drill, Mr. Dalla. You’ll need to do another CTR. We’ll have to order another bundle of Currency Transaction Reports if you continue doing your banking with us.

Me: You better order a box. There are two months left in football season.

Here’s the best part about winning. I’m giving away my picks for free. Such amazing generosity. Hey, where else can you click your mouse and win a house?

Try and digest these numbers: Twenty-one games over .500. 21! Sixty percent return on the starting bankroll. 60 percent! And we haven’t even hit the playoffs yet! At this rate, they should be working on the blueprints for a monument to me.

Meanwhile, let’s check out how all the touts are doing. Robbers and thieves. Are any of their bankrolls up 60 percent at this point in the season? Plus, how much are those jackals charging for their picks? Anyone who pays for picks deserves to be taken to the cleaners. DO NOT EVER PAY ANYONE FOR PICKS!

What about all the “experts” in the Hilton handicapping contest? Let’s talk about them for a minute. Isn’t the overall consensus hitting something like 40 percent? They are the best fade tool in Las Vegas. Shame!

And what about the handicappers in the Las Vegas Review-Journal? One of them is picking 43 percent winners. AND HE’S BEING PAID TO WRITE A COLUMN! Where’s my freakin’ column?

Think about it. There really should be a movement to put me in charge of the national treasury. Make me the Secretary of the Treasury or Federal Reserve Chairman, or whatever. Let me handle our national dept. I’d “teaser wheel” the national economy into a surplus. The Chinese would be begging to eat peanuts out of my hand.

But enough about me. Let’s move on to NFL Week 13.

(SEE PLAYS BELOW)

NOLAN DALLA: 2013 NFL SEASON RECORD

79 WINS — 58 LOSSES — 1 PUSHES

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS — 17 WINS 6 LOSSES 1 PUSH (+$4,482)

STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000.

CURRENT BANKROLL: $16,067.

NET GAIN/LOSS: plus $6,067.

BEST BETS: 13–15–1

THIS WEEK’S PLAYS: ($1,910 in action)

Detroit at Philadelphia UNDER 54 ($550 to win $500) <<<BEST BET>>>

Teaser: Baltimore -.5 / Oakland +8.5 ($550 to win $500)

Teaser: Baltimore -.5 / NY Jets +3.5 ($550 to win $500)

Team Total: Tennessee OVER 17.5 -120 ($360 to win $300)

Eagles have allowed 21 points or less in eight straight games. They’ve very quietly become one of the better defenses in the NFC. Meanwhile, these are the kinds of games where Detroit often has trouble. Recall the Lions visit to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago when the offense was stifled and they lost. Add in colder winter conditions and a very high total, and this appears to be a solid UNDER play.

Meanwhile, I’m doing a teaser middle on the Oakland-NY Jets game. I don’t expect a lot of points to be scored, especially with both teams suffering serious quarterback problems. We also pick up lots of key numbers — from NY Jets winning by 8 all the way to Oakland winning by 3. Anything in between is a win for both sides, when combined with what should be sure home win for the Ravens, who are now playing with some intensity. Ravens are in playoff mode playing a must win, versus Viking team that is switching quarterbacks yet again. Tease Baltimore down from 6.5 to a half point and try and freeroll the middle on the Oakland-NY Jets game.

Titans should be in good position to put up points in Denver. Bronco homes games tend to fly over the total, due to the best offense in football combined with some complacency on defense. Tennessee playing well at the moment as a playoff contender and certainly capable of hitting 20+.

More deposit slips please!

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: (1-2 on Thanksgiving Day games)

New England -1.5 with Tennessee +10 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Indianapolis -2 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Denver (pick) — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Kansas City +12 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Tampa +13 — $473 to win $430 — loser

New England -1.5 with Carolina -1 — $473 to win $430 <<<BEST BET>>> — winner

New England -1.5 with Chicago +6 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Minnesota + 6 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Jacksonville +13 — $473 to win $430 <<<BEST BET>>> — winner

New England -1.5 with Cleveland -1 — $473 to win $430 — loser

New England -1.5 with Arizona +9 — $473 to win $430 <<<BEST BET>>> — winner

New England -1.5 with Philadelphia +3 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Miami +8.5 — $473 to win $430 <<<BEST BET>>> — winner

New England -1.5 with NY Jets +3.5 — $473 to win $430 — loser

New England -1.5 with Atlanta +9.5 — $473 to win $430 (bad number) — winner

New England -1.5 with Buffalo +2.5 — $473 to win $430 (bad number) — loser

New England -1.5 with St. Louis +13 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with San Francisco -1 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Cincinnati +6 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with San Diego +6 — $473 to win $430 — loser

New England -1.5 with NY Giants +5 — $473 to win $430 — winner

New England -1.5 with Washington +7 — $473 to win $430 — push

New England -1.5 with New Orleans +12 — $473 to win $430 — loser

New England -1.5 with Seattle (pick) — $473 to win $430 — winner

………………..

PENDING NFL FUTURES WAGERS

DALLAS COWBOYS UNDER 8.5 WINS (-125) —– Wagering $750 to win $600 in serious trouble

NEW YORK GIANTS OVER 9 WINS (-105) —– Wagering $1,050 to win $1,000 almost certainly dead, best we can do is push

GREEN BAY PACKERS UNDER 10.5 WINS (-115) —– Wagering $575 to win $500 winner!

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS UNDER 7.5 WINS (+105) *BEST BET* —– Wagering $1,500 to win $1,575 winner!

NEW ORLEANS OVER 9 WINS (-165) —– Wagering $1,650 to win $1,000 almost certain to win, just need one more win

ST. LOUIS RAMS OVER 7.5 WINS (-110) —– Wagering $440 to win $400 in serious trouble

BALTIMORE RAVENS OVER 8.5 WINS (-110) —– Wagering $1,100 to win $1,000 needs help, but possible

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS OVER 8.5 WINS (-110) —– Wagering $880 to win $800 almost certain to win, need one more win

OAKLAND RAIDERS UNDER 5.5 (-180) — Wagering $1,800 to win $1,000 could go either way

……………..

NOLAN DALLA: 2012 FINAL NFL SEASON RECORD

98 WINS – 87 LOSSES – 6 PUSHES —– (+ 34.6 units / 1 unit = $100)

STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000.

ENDING BANKROLL: $13,460.

NET GAIN: +$3,460

BEST BETS OF THE WEEK: 14-7-0

Posted by Nolan Dalla on Dec 1, 2013 in Blog, General Poker, Personal | 1 comment

An Epic Day in the Steel City

Steve Dannenmann (Republican-Maryland) with Nolan Dalla (Socialist-Nevada) in Pittsburgh

I almost never watch NFL games in public. Too much drama.

But today was an exception.

On assignment for the latest “Poker Night in America” event taking at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, we football fans couldn’t help ourselves. We had to find a bank of televisions in order to watch all the games that were played on Sunday.

Lucky us. We found the perfect spot at Jerome Bettis’ sports bar, which just so happens to be across the street from the west end zone of the Pittsburgh Steelers stadium.

The guest list started off small, and then grew steadily as the day lengthened and the winners started rolling in. Cha-ching! I don’t want to crow. Let’s just say it was a good day.

Todd Anderson, who founded Poker Night in American (and the Heartland Poker Tour, before that) anchored our get-together. We also had Joe Sartori, also affiliated with Poker Night in America, following his previous stint at the Palms in Las Vegas. We also welcomed guests from Maryland Live (casino) near the Baltimore-Washington Airport, who joined the fun. Chris Hansen, the on-air host of Poker Night in America as well as a popular drive-time radio personality also showed up. Then, there was Steve Dannenmann, the carefree runner-up in the 2005 WSOP Main Event. Later, Darvin Moon, runner-up in the 2009 WSOP Main Event came in, along with his wife Wendy. The bar tab came to $610, not counting tip. After the bill was paid at Jerome Bettis’, we all went next door and started another round. Yeah, it was that kind of day.

Towards the end of the day, we all noticed a long line forming outside across the street. It looked like a bunch of homeless people. We figured it was a shelter, and they were giving out food.

But upon closer inspection, we discovered the line was mostly young girls.

What the hell? Are times really that tough?

As it turns out, tickets to some concert were going on sale and the kids were lining up in advance. By the time I got there, at least 300-400 kids must have been in line. Curious about what was going on, I walked across the street. The following conversation took place:

ME: What’s going on here? Why is there such a long line?

YOUNG GIRL: It’s for twenty-one pilots.

ME: Huh? What are you saying? Twenty-one what?

YOUNG GIRL: Twenty-one pilots.

ME: Okay, I’ll raise you 43 giraffes and a lion. What are you talking about? (thinking she must be stoned)

YOUNG GIRL: Don’t you know twenty-one pilots?

ME: Not unless I’m at an airport.

YOUNG GIRL: (confused look, speechless) Whatever.

By this time, I’ve finally figured out Twenty One Pilots must be a musical group. I mean, what else could it be?

Anyway, here’s the line (see photo above).

Unfortunately, I’ll have to miss the show.

Coming Next: Getting Thrown Out of the Pittsburgh Steelers Stadium

Posted by Nolan Dalla on Nov 30, 2013 in Blog, General Poker | 1 comment

Bridge to Omaha: Remembering Michael Cappelletti

This part of the calendar hasn’t been kind to poker writers in recent years.

Two years ago, we lost Barry Tanenbaum. He was best-known as a Limit Hold’em specialist who not only wrote authoritatively about the game but also played full-time for a living, mostly at the Bellagio, winning consistently over many years.

SEE MY VIDEO TRIBUTE TO BARRY HERE

Then, last year at about this same time, Lou Kreiger passed away. Lou wrote a total of seven books on poker strategy and was one of Card Player magazine’s most prolific contributors for nearly two decades.

READ A REMEMBRANCE OF LOU HERE

Only yesterday did I learn of the very recent death of another fine writer and friend — Michael Cappelletti. He passed away on November 14th.

Mike was probably most familiar to many readers for his groundbreaking strategy work on Omaha High-Low Split. However, prior to winning money and respect in poker, Mike was equally revered as a master bridge player. In short, whatever Mike set out to do, he usually accomplished it — albeit in his own way and with an original flair that became a lifelong Cappelletti trademark.

I knew Mike for nearly twenty years. We both lived for a time in Washington, D.C., which meant our paths crossed quite often, mostly at the poker tables in suburban Maryland. Mike was always instantly recognizable. He was the one who sat quietly with folded arms, chomping on an unlit cigar the size of a torpedo.

During all the time I knew and saw Mike, I don’t think I ever saw him once raise his voice, get out of line, or go on tilt. He was the consummate low-stakes cash game pro who seemed to enjoy the game more as a mental exercise and challenge than a profit center.

I’ll tell you a little story. Once, I played in a private game with Mike where everyone was straddling, except Mike, of course. He didn’t believe in that. Finally, after several hours someone finally convinced him to post a live straddle, which for him must have been like swallowing his cigar. Sure enough, Mike won the huge pot, raked in a huge pile of chips, and immediately announced he was cashing out. He booked a win and was out the door within minutes. That was classic Cappelletti.

During these occasions of remembrance, my heart especially goes out to Betty Tanenbaum. She was not only married to husband Barry for many years, long before that she was also a close friend to Mike, linked together as partners within the gin world.

Any parting words seem woefully inadequate given the recurrent losses of those who spent a great portion of their lives working towards a greater understanding of strategy and gamesmanship. Knowing as I do the immeasurable number of hours spent plying the writing trade for what amounts to minimal compensation, I’ve become acutely aware that such toil must merit recognition, even more so among those of us who survive these three poker masters, and who shall profit immeasurably from their contributions and friendships.

A special note of thanks goes to Washington, D.C. attorney Ken Adams, who brought this sad news to my attention. A special tribute to Cappelletti can be read HERE.