Jim Mansfield CEO Intela, Internet Marketer and Lead Generation Entrepreneur

LA Poker Classic and trip to LA

Jim — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:22:33 +0000

Sorry for the late update, but at the end of February I played in the LAPC $10k main event as a result of my Ad Tech poker tourney win. While fun was had I once again did not get past the first day. Even though it was my 3rd such major tournament I think I played a bit too tentative early and got in a big pot early where the other guy got lucky and I couldn’t get away from my King high straight on the river (He has broadway). I started to play better on the short stack and lasted late into the evening but I did not get the cards when I needed them to get through the day. I went out after spiking an Ace on the turn with A-8 with an opened straight draw and going all in thinking my Ace was good (I only had about 7k in chips left after starting with 20k so I had to make a move). Turns out the player to my right had Aces Up and I did not hit my straight on the river. Oh well, I hope to be back at a major again soon because I think I have the potential to do well and I do love the structures and the challenge.
One positive of the trip was I got to visit and play at the Commerce Casino in LA. If there is a finer venue for poker, I have not seen one. They had more poker tables and games going on then anywhere I have ever seen, including any Vegas casino. All levels, stakes and mix of games. The also seemed to run the floor very well and had food service, massage therapists, and cocktail waitresses running around to serve you. When I am back in LA I will be certain to visit there again.

Bellagio $500 Buy In Score

Jim — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 20:50:43 +0000

While in Las Vegas this week for the Affiliate Summit I had some time to play in the daily $500 + $40 buy in. The tournament started with 52 players and I chopped the remaining prize pool with the last 2 players for $5700. I was tempted to play for the win, but I was facing a chip leader with double the chips and I didn’t want to be the dick that wouldn’t deal and have them gunning to knock me out 3rd for only $3700. I liked this tournament since it has a good structure for a small buy in starting with 3,000 chips and 40 min rounds. I have played a few others below or close to that buy in and you usually start with 1,500 chips and 25-50 blinds. Which makes for lots of quick action and less skill involved. Anyway it was a good warm up for the L.A. Poker classic 10k buy in I will be entering in next month. I won that entry at Ad Tech as I bogged about before. Doing well in this tournament gives me some needed confidence going into the big buy in as I beat out some good players at the Bellagio and not just some drunk internet marketers. I also feel my game has evolved since my first major tournament at the Bellegio in 2005. The play was real tight as most players folded to my raises and I was only all-in once early when I was short stacked. It was a coin flip and I won it of course. I had one piece of luck when I committed about 1/3 my chips at the final table to suck out with KQ vs QQ. Otherwise it seems, I never committed more then 2-3 Big Blinds to a pot before folding. When I pushed more out people folded. On the negative side I felt I didn’t always get good value from my trips or Aces, but I won with all of them and took decent small to medium sized pots. I also made 2-3 gutzy calls with when I had ridiculous draws (13+ outs on the flop) and hit them. Like I had a big call on a 9sTsAx board holding KsQs. A J hit the turn. I took down the pot on the turn wishing I value bet a little more to get a call on the straight, but I got a decent pot out of it.

Holiday Blizzard 2006

Jim — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 05:50:25 +0000

We had a major blizzard today that is still raging. We have probably got over 15 inches or so in Boulder and its still dumping at 10:45pm and is supposed to keep going through tomorrow. Ericka is stuck out at a DIA hotel covering the story there and can’t get home. Josh, Zoe, and I are here at home waiting it out. Getting the Audi into the garage took some work because I got stuck in the snow that was much higher then the clearance of the Audi. Below is my son Josh (28 months) playing in the the snow bank which is deeper then he is tall.

BoulderReport.com a great place for Boulder Reviews

Jim — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 06:21:40 +0000

BoulderReport.com has soft launched as a blog about reviews and reports of businesses and things to do in and around Boulder. We think it will be an interesting blog for reporting on things around town and we have several Boulder residents participating in it. Please visit the site and leave comments on the reviews to further the experience for the users trying to get information about a particular business or place in Boulder.

Intela 2006

Jim — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:12:30 +0000

Here is the Intela team on a November snowy day. Jurgen and Nate are absent.

Pictured standing from left to right, Nick, Won, Me, Mcadory, Colleen, Maureen, Jen M, Paul, David, and Jen H. Ryan and Kody (the dog) are squatting.
It was a great first year in business. Thank you team! Happy Holidays.

Ohio State vs Boise State?

jim — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 01:24:37 +0000

A commenter on my rematch post has a different take on the BCS that no one else seems to follow so I thought I would promote it to a full post

No rematch!! Take the two teams that haven’t lost a game as of yet Ohio State and Boise State and put the teams head to head. Boise State beat Oregon State soundly and Oregon State beat USC. Michigan lost (period) why do it again? Is this a second chance? If Michigan was to win are they the best team? NO!!! They had a shot, they blew it. (Thanks for play’in) You are now off the board!!! Boise State with what some call an easy schedule beat alot of teams that are pretty good and beat teams nationally ranked. Bottom line, they have yet to lose a game. GO whatever Boise States football team is called!!! Lets see a DAVID VS GOLIATH!!! I think the so called big schools are scared of this and in NO WAY want this game for one reason….if they lose small schools get recruits maybe once thinking to attend their schools. If Boise even stays close they are scared. I say Boise wins 40-30. Vegas odds I win millions!!!

Happy Cyber Monday! Cyber Monday and Affiliate Marketing

jim — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:53:05 +0000

Today is the big day for internet retailers and traffic for us affiliate marketers. I love the big media push we get on TV and online pushing people to shop. In reality it will be good till Mid December just like most of the stories say, but now is the time for all of us to push and milk the holiday internet traffic.

I wish all my fellow marketers a good cyber Monday and holiday season.

Bryant Gumbel’s play-by-play on the NFL Network telecast

jim — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 18:23:45 +0000

UPDATE: I Originally posted about Gumbel after last years debacle. However, while out of the country last week, my previous rip on Bryant Gumbel got a lot of hit and a ton of comments on his poor (too put it mildly) NFL commentary. I am surprised that the NFL is keeping him around or that he didn’t put some effort into improving his skills over the off season. There is a lively discussion below in the comments regarding the Dallas-Green Bay NFL broadcast. I urge you to read it and contribute! - JM
I watched the Denver vs KC game last night, which was the first telecast of the NFL Network. The first thought that came to mind is that I wish the NFL would leave the telecasts to the networks that know what they are doing because the production quality and play by play were terrible. They brought in Byrant Gumbel, the OJ apologist, as the play by play guy and he was so off it wasn’t even funny. He couldn’t figure out the basics like what down it was. He was constantly saying something like, “Mike Bell ran almost to the 5 yard line”, and the spot would be on the 4 because the runner clearly passed the 5. On one key play Rod Smith dived for a first down on a 3rd down play that wasn’t quite into the end zone and Bryant kept speculating if the Broncos would go for the TD on 4th even after the graphics on the TV showed 1st and goal. Wasn’t anyone in the control room updating him or telling him to shut up its 1st down? I kept thinking, “Dude, it wasn’t 3rd and goal! Cant you see the first down marker on the 1 or read your own graphics that say its 3rd and 5?” One of my favorites was when Gumbel commented a injured players return was “debatable”. Hmm, isn’t the football term questionable? Why would you debate the return?
Chris Collingsworth, the color guy, seemed a little slow to constantly correct him because he probably didn’t want to make him look like a fool. However, for someone that was only casually watching the game as I drifted in and out of a post turkey slumber the mistakes were glaring. According to an article in the Kansas City Star it was Gumbel’s first broadcast since 1982. That is a long time. I like Gumbel on his HBO show, but he needs to work off some rust before the next NFL telecast.
The Kansas City Star pointed out some of the more glaring problems in their article:

Mike Bell makes the catch, and it looks like he’s got the first down.”

| Gumbel, NFL Network

JF: Gumbel showed his rust early on. The Broncos actually got the first down on the previous play, and Gumbel remained completely unaware of it the rest of the series.

•••

……•••

“Larry Johnson goes up the middle, and he goes nowhere.”

| Gumbel

JF: Actually, it was second and short on the play, and LJ got the first down by about 2 yards. Gumbel was off all night trying to figure out down and distance.

•••

I guess the good news for Gumbel is that it seems not many people were getting the game outside of KC and Denver or the cable systems that carry the NFL network. They were constantly plugging this site, iwantnflnetwork.com, during the game so my guess is not everyone has this channel. Luckily I get it on DirecTV and they had it in HD on the HDTV Channel.

I did a search and found someone else talking about the horrible broadcast by the NFL.

Rematch?

Jim — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 01:09:42 +0000

I know my prediction was off. Troy Smith was awesome, but Michigan hung close. If not for a marginal personal foul on 3rd and long Michigan might have been going for the win with their late TD.

However, there seems to be momentum for a rematch based on how both teams played the game. its hard to think anyone else could go into Columbus and play OSU that way. However, I think USC can spoil that if that win out. Its hard to argue they dont deserve the BCS if they beat Cal, ND, and UCLA.

Theories?

GO BLUE!

jim — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 04:29:36 +0000

Michigan 24 Ohio State 10. An inspired Michigan team rolls over the Buckeyes lead by a crushing defense and adequate offense with a solid running game. A tribute to a great coach and a true Michigan Man.