ChevyBanginStyle wrote on 05/31/13 at 03:57:46:

which sharp drawing lines do you have in mind?

ChevyBanginStyle wrote on 05/31/13 at 03:57:46:

As White I would be happy to play the latter - it gives White much better chances than 5.Nxc4 Bb4 6.Bc4 d6 (iso Nf6, to which your line transposes).

ChevyBanginStyle wrote on 05/31/13 at 03:57:46:

The exclam is misplaced. 4.d4 g5 5.Nc3 gives White what he/she wants. Who plays 3...g5 4.d4 d6 5.Nc3 and now h6 voluntarily? Still this is exactly your line.
You might check White's chances here:

http://tws27.weebly.com/index.html

Regarding 8...Bc5, aside from 9. Qe2+ Qe6 10. Bc4, another old book bit is 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Bxd7 Rd8 11. Qh5 =.

I have faith in the Rubinstein, but not as an aggressive weapon, because of the 5.Nxd4 line. Of course, if Short can lose as White in that line, then all our opponents can, but to my taste, the resulting positions are too dull unless I am in the mood for an early handshake. Short did a fair bit of cooperation by allowing his pawn structure to be damaged on both wings.

I share your confidence in the 3...d5 line against the Ponziani, but I have never been able to play it myself; having played 1...e5 for 13 years, I have still never faced the Ponziani.

I have taken up the Rubinstein (4...Nd4) against the Four Knights recently with good results.  
In Short-Kramnik, London Chess Classic 2011, after 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 Qxf6 (I cannot recommend 7...cxd2+ as White gets too much compensation for the pawn) 8.dxc3, Black tried 8...Bc5 (rather than the usual 8...Qe5+) and went on to win:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1649093

I am also attracted to Caro's counter-gambit in the Ponziani (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3 d5 4.Qa4 Bd7), as recommended by John Emms in "Play the Open Games as Black", but have never been able to get into that line so far.  A fair number of opponents have played 3.c3 but after 3...d5 they have generally played 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.d4- not that this continuation is anything to worry about (5...exd4 leads to a Danish/Goring Gambit Declined and 5...Bf5, 5...Bg4 and 5...e4 6.Nfd2 Nf6 are also good).  Also worth noting is the fact that 4.Bb5 is dubious after 4...dxe4 5.Nxe5 Qg5 when the complications favour Black.

Another reason to favor the 2 Knights (as if more were needed) when really needing a win is 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Na4.  Granted, in all of these variations things can heat up but it seems easier to do with the Two Knights variation.  (or even the ...g6 variations mentioned earlier)

First I admire you for taking up the 1.....e5 banner.  It is the best way to unbalance the position after white plays 1. e4.   

Second you need to check out the Book "200 Open Games" by Bronstein.  It will give you a good idea about all of the openings mentioned here.   

For myself I only play super aggressive openings so in order of importantance here are the openings I have seen in around 50 games as black playing 1....e5.

1.  Spanish starts.  This is where the majority of your prep will be.    This makes up probably 45%. 
2.  Two Knight Defense where black gambits a pawn, white play d3 or white gambits a pawn. 25%
3. Max Lange, Scotch Gambit, Danish Gambit ( a breeze once you learn it), and Goering Gambit.  10%
4.  King's Gambit Fischer's Defense-  there really is not other way to play against it.  Just take the pawn and win, its pretty simple.  All that about the Falkbeer and Modern is rubbish against prepared KG players.  10%
5.  Ponz, 4 Knights, Glek, Belgrade Gambit, Vienna, Bishops opening. 10%

Figuring out lines against all of those is nearly impossible.  And that to me is the best part of playing 1....e5.  You can adhere to basic opening principles and survive everything after the first 2, and if you wanted you dont even need to worry about those 2.    You will not find this in another black opening system.  As Lasker says "Remove the obstructions from your forces and direct your pieces at vulnerable targets"

In the sequence 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 (which can also arise via 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5, or 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5) White definitely has nothing better than 5.c3.  5.0-0 is met by 5...d6 intending 6...Bg4 (the main line is 5...d6 6.c3 Bg4 7.Qb3 Bxf3 8.Bxf7+ Kf8 9.gxf3 Nf6, where Black allows f7 to drop off in return for shattering White's kingside, and White is left struggling to equalise) and 5.Ng5 is ineffective: 5...Nh6.

After 5.c3 Nf6 White has three fairly tricky sidelines: 6.0-0, 6.e5, and 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nbd2, though Black should be able to reach equality against them all with accurate play.  The Møller Attack (6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.0-0 Bxc3 9.d5) is quite dubious but tricky to meet if you don't know much theory.  Both 9...Bf6 and 9...Ne5 are good replies.  7.Bd2 is neutralised by 7...Nxe4 (8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ and Black chooses between the safe 10...Kf8 11.Qxb4+ Qe7 and the riskier but more ambitious 10...d5).

If Black plays 4...Nf6 then a transposition into the Max Lange Attack is not forced as 5.0-0 can be met by 5...Nxe4.  Black gets equality after 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 (7.Nc3 is met by 7...dxc3 8.Bxd5 Be6 9.Bxe4 Qxd1 10.Rxd1 cxb2 11.Bxb2 f6 and I don't think White has enough for the pawn) 7...Qxd5 8.Nc3 and now either 8...Qa5 or 8...Qh5.  There are ways for White to unbalance the play in this variation (especially in the case of 8...Qa5), but no ways to get a theoretical advantage.
Alternatively White has 5.e5, whereupon I prefer the fully adequate 5...Ne4 (and 5...Ng4 is also interesting and probably good enough for equality) although 5...d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 Bc5 remains the most popular line.

In the Goring Gambit White can avoid Capablanca's line with (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 d5, or 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.c3 d5) the rare 5.Bd3, or 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.cxd4 Bg4 7.Nc3 (instead of 7.Be2 Bb4+ 8.Nc3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4) 7...Bb4 (7...Bxf3 8.Nxd5 Bxd1 9.Nxc7+ leads to a sharp and unbalanced endgame) 8.Be3 (suggested originally by MNb; instead 8.Be2 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Qc4).  White gets an isolated d-pawn but active piece play.  With this move-order White's options are narrowed a bit, and thus Black should get equality without too much trouble, but Black has no prospect of reaching a sterile endgame.