Kobe Bryant? What'cha gonna do???

How do you call a $40 bet ($20 no limit) with K-9 offsuit, when you and your opponent have each only contributed $2.50 to the pot? When you know you're going to make a king-high straight!

I don't have the hand history, but here's the hand, to the best of my knowledge:

Blinds $0.10 and $0.20.
Psycho raises to $0.60.
Victim raises to $1.50.
Psycho raises to $2.40.
Victim raises all-in to $40.
Psycho calls for $40.

Psycho shows K-9 offsuit; victim shows a pair of eights (the victim will win this hand about 55% of the time).

Board: QJTxx

Psycho ends up with a King-high straight (KQJT9); victim ends up with just his pair of eights.

Online poker...it's FAN-tastic!

(By the way, if Dirk Nowitzki ends up winning the MVP award, can the award be taken away from him for a piss poor playoff performance? By the way, cool alliteration, no?)

- Sorry, IMBCers, but I just have to give my thoughts about this story on the Los Angeles Lakers. It appears that Kobe finally snapped, demanding changes to the Lakers for next season. This quote sums up Kobe's feelings quite succinctly:

"Do something," Bryant told reporters in Phoenix, "and do it now."

Clearly Kobe is sick of playing with the likes of Smush Parker, Mo Evans, Jordan Farmar, and Andrew Bynum. No disrespect to any of these guys--well, maybe to Smush--but these role players don't exactly resemble Horry, Fox, and Fisher.

(Tangent: Would anyone have a problem with my lumping Mark Cuban in with the likes of players such as Malone, Stockton, Barkley, et al., and coaches such as Jerry Sloan, in the "won't ever win one [a championship]" Hall of Shame? To think, the Mavs were six minutes away from winning a championship last year, and now they're about to be kicked to the curb by former Mav coach Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors [!!!!!!])

Three marquee names are floating around with regards to the Lakers and trade possibilities in the offseason: Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, and Jason Kidd would all make the Lakers better immediately. But at what cost? And would any of the three even make the Lakers contenders?

(Tangent #1: I hope the Warriors play Houston in the next round. I think the Warriors have a good shot at beating the Rockets, and I really want to see a Suns-Warriors Western Conference Finals!)

(Tangent #2: If a sportsbook gave 10:1 odds on Golden State winning the West, I'd have to seriously consider making that bet...that is, if online gambling were legal.)

Kevin Garnett, eh? Despite what T-Wolves GM Kevin McHale says--that he's not trading KG--could he resist a first round pick or two, Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom, and a bunch of garbage (Kwame Brown, e.g.)? While we're at it, McHale could toss Mike James into the mix. Chances of this deal happening? Not much; it's not likely that Minnesota would give up KG for that package. However, Minnesota has to think about it this way: they get a draft pick or two, expiring contracts, an established star, AND the good publicity that comes with finally allowing KG to leave Minnesota.

I'm sleepy, so next time, I'll talk about Jermaine and Kidd. Until next time!