Adjusting to Tight Play

Let's face it: the wide open, aggressive style of poker has been a dominant topic in the current poker climate. This is much of the style that dominates internet play. Fortunes are quickly won, lost, and won again as players throw big bets at each other like a couple of nations who have decided to test the theory of mutually assured destruction. Quietly playing in the background though, are the uber-conservative players who are still going to dominate some of the tables.

The Internet Player of the Year Is...

We are now into that time of the year when the world's most pampered people get dressed and gather for the purpose of congratulating each other for another successful year of getting the most out of what amounts to a part time job. For those who are confused about what we are referring to, this is the season when the entertainment industry award shows become a monument to the celebration of mediocrity. So who says that Hollywood stars and recording artists should have all the fun?

Poker Experts and Poker Pros Find Work

In the world of online poker becoming a poker site's resident poker pro is considered a badge of honor, but sometimes the poker players don't find themselves at poker rooms at all. In the case of the Royal Flush Club, which recently announced they had tapped online poker pro Brett Gank Jungblut, they have got a poker expert on staff to answer questions, provide videos and hold poker clinics for members. This is different than if Gank had gotten a role at a poker room, where he would represent the room at live poker events. Related Articles: Great Dane and new poker room Online poker room snags Elizabeth...

Local Pros Compete in the National Poker League Vegas Open

When you hold a poker tournament in Las Vegas, poker pros are going to play. It may not be the biggest event, or the most advertised, or boast the largest cash prizes, but as long as it is worth the effort of driving down the street to play a game you love and possibly add to your bankroll, the pros are going to be there. Such was the case with the recently held National Poker League Vegas Open.

Of Charity and Oppression

Last night Philadelphia Phillies slugger Geoff Jenkins helped raise over $60,000 for a charity that benefits kids in his community. During the upcoming Superbowl weekend Pamela Anderson will be hosting a charity poker tournament that benefits an entire menu of good causes. Even Nancy Cartwright uses the game of poker, and the culture that surrounds it to raise money for the purpose of making life better for people who need help. These are a few examples of literally hundreds of charity tournaments that are played every year.

Chinese Poker Players Target of Online Poker Room

While the People's Republic of China has not officially allowed online poker to take hold there have been a few cracks in their armor, and online poker room Bodog Poker intends to make much of them. On their web site there is a Chinese language page that will surely appeal to those who read the language, and the site has announced a Chinese ad campaign to draw in the players. China is a largely untapped market for the poker industry, and Bodog looks to be one of the first players in the game. Related Articles: New loyalty shop for Mansion Poker Top Canadian player at Titan Poker...

Nuts Poker League Goes on Vacation

The UK pub poker league known as the Nuts Poker League has been building a head of steam over the last couple of years and founder Steve Bellis has taken a vacation with his business, so to speak. Bellis, who hails from Wrexham, has joined forces with a Holywell travel company to put up poker players on holiday, doing what they love to do most - play poker. The Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise will be the location for the first such official poker holiday this summer, although Bellis took a crowd to that location last year as well. Related Articles: UK poker league goes online Alaska festivities to include poker...

Dressing for Success, Or Something Like That

Despite the fact that Erica Schoenberg can do more for a Cleveland Cavaliers Jersey than Oprah could ever hope to do for a designer gown, it still qualifies as "slacker wear". This seems to be a plague in the sport of professional poker. Finally someone has decided it is time to do something about this. WNK Wear of Southern California will be aggressively working poker into the launch of their new line that includes 20 brand new designs.

Dealerless Table Concept Attacked by Dealers

The latest trend in live poker is a device called a dealerless table, a table fitted with touch screen computers that run a poker game without the need for a physical dealer, cards or chips. The Quebec area casinos have 25 of these machines installed and now the unions that represent nearly 1,500 dealers in the area are lodging a complaint, calling the tables illegal. The request was lodged with the Quebec Superior Court, which has yet to make a decision on the matter...

Facebook Online Poker

The social networking site Facebook boasts a version of Texas Holdem that gives more chips when you invite your friends - the fact that does illustrate the popularity of Holdem in particular and poker in general. Now online poker site Ujogo is setting up a poker room on Facebook, which, according to their press, is a perfectly legal version of the game which is a hot topic politically and legally in the United States. Ujogo commissioned TNS, a research firm, to conduct a study on poker playing habits before making their move...

Swedish Player Wins Online Poker Leaderboard Race

The winner of online poker room Bet365 Poker's Leaderboard Challenge was a 22 year-old from Sweden. Cecilia Borg won not only the respect of her fellow players - all of whom put in grueling hours and played countless games to try and win the challenge, which was based on overall points for a year â€Â" she also won guaranteed seats to land based EPT and WPT poker tournaments. This alone will give her an opportunity to start a poker career; many poker pros say the most daunting part of turning pro is having to deal with the buy ins, which can run up to $10,000 each or more. Related Articles: Winner of first leg of GUK poker tour 2008 Aussie Millions poker champion...

Double Deuces

Double deuces is like a double edged sword. On one side, you have yourself a pair, and that's always decent. On the other side, you have the worst pair possible, and pairs aren't really strong hands to win with. Getting double deuces almost feels like an insult. Couldn't it have been fours at least, or threes? The question is: can you win with double deuces? The answer is: yes, you can and no, it's not likely.

Golden Nugget Movie Poker a Reality

The Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada was the setting for a fictitious poker tournament called The Grand which was the focal point of a poker movie of the same name. In the film six comedians play poker players at the final table of a major event, something which could come true now that the Golden Nugget has launched a poker tournament with a similar name. Perhaps inspired by the "mockumentary" the casino will host the event with poker stars rather than Hollywood stars...

PKR to Hit Record Numbers

The first ever virtual reality poker room online is going strong according to a recent press release. Online poker room PKR.com has experienced fast growth and is expected to hit 1.5 million registered users at some point in February of 2008. This is great news for the room, which has reached an average of 10,000 players logged on at the same time during peak hours, numbers that put it on par with many of the popular poker room giants that have been online a lot longer than PKR...

Poker, Charity, and Dyslexia

There are a number of worthy charities out there. There are also many unworthy ones along with others that are the darlings of the same politically correct circles that think dodgeball is bad for the self esteem and personal growth of grade school students. So when trying to choose between the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in regards to where a charitable fund raiser should put their money, a phialthropic organization can either include intense research into the equation, or simply decide to give money to everyone.

Snowmobile Poker Runs Canceled

The Maine Snowmobile Association was all set to support as many as 30 snowmobile clubs to host fundraising poker runs this winter, but those plans have changed. The events had to be canceled when the clubs got the word that they would have to buy a gambling license to run them. What was to be a fun event became bogged down with paperwork and regulations, and these non profit events would have to shell out money to take place...

Poker All Day Long

In Canada, the Century Casino & Hotel in Edmonton has recently reported via press release that their new non-stop, 24-hour poker room has been a success. With more people coming to play and more money flowing into the casino's coffers it looks like the all poker, all day, every day concept is a good one that will continue. Texas Holdem poker tournaments are held weekly on Thursdays and Sundays while cash games â€Â" sometimes called ring games â€Â" run all the time...

WSOP Circuit Winner in Tunica

The World Series of Poker Circuit brings the WSOP brand all across the USA, and the most recent event closed down in Tunica with one player taking a $415,595 victory. Bart Tichelman was the winner, outlasting over 170 other players. The other top winners were Donald Nicholson ($229,309), Giovanni Marcacci ($126,000), John Devia ($100,925), Benjamin Sabrin ($75,751), Mark Garner ( $63,165), Ryan Young ($50,578), Tom Schneider ($37,991) and Jordan Rich who took $25,404 for ninth place...

Beating the Spread

When you gamble on sports games, you are often trying to beat the spread, the points difference your bookie has established as the most likely outcome of the game. Often, beating the spread will reward you just as much as winning outright, and it's a pleasant outcome no matter what your winnings are. In poker, you can also look at a sort of spread that exists.

NBC Heads Up Poker Gets Their 60

There will be thirty tables to start off play at the 2008 NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship, which means they need 60 poker pros to agree to play, but the problem with the NBC show was not in getting enough players but narrowing the list down. Plenty of big names will be on hand to play, including many of those that have won the World Series of Poker over the last twenty years. The most recent champ, Jerry Yang, will be on hand, one of his few appearances since winning the 2007 WSOP...

Florida Inmates Play Poker with Cold Case Cards

Decks of cards were handed out last year to Florida prison inmates with wanted felons printed on them in hopes of dredging up new leads, and now a new deck is being unveiled with cold case info. The 52 card deck has local cold cases profiled on each card, and police are hoping that the people that might know the most will be forthcoming with information if they see something that jogs their memory while they play poker. Ten thousand decks of cards will be deployed to the Tomoka Correctional Institution and local jails. Related Articles: Retired Arizona poker judge bucks poker law Poker player robbed of $30,000...

Poker After Dark - Half the Chips for Cunningham

When Poker After Dark, the late night NBC poker show hosted by Shana Hiatt, brought Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Allen Cunningham, Jen Harman, David Benyamine and Phil Ivey together for a special high roller match, they got a lot of action. When the table was down to three players (Phil, Eli and Allen) Cunningham had half the chips in play, and was eyeing the other half.

Bill Blanda Wins Poker Open

He's done it twice before; the experience served him well as Bill Blanda took down his third Borgata Poker Open. The main event, Event #5, got underway yesterday as the remaining players - less than forty - tried their best to get the first place prize of over $200k. In the end the prize and the champions Tag Heuer watch went to the man who has been there before, Bill Blanda...

Finnish Minister wants to Limit Poker by Giving Poker

There are a lot of people in Finland who want to play online poker in the country, and there are a lot of people who want to limit or ban it. One Finnish Minister wants to do both. Minister of Culture and Sport Stefan Wallin says that the best way to limit online poker, in his opinion, is to offer it via a state run online poker room...

Washington Pundit Hoping to Overturn Poker Law

The state of Washington is the only place in the USA where playing online poker could land you in the same class as someone who tortures a cat. The law passed in 2006 makes playing online poker a Class C felony, something that Lee Rousso finds excessively punitive. Rousso is going to run for the August primary against current Governor Christine Gregoire in hopes that he could win on poker fan votes...

Austria Online with Boss Media

The news that Austria was looking for a solution for state run online poker room has turned to popular online poker provider and a leader in the field Boss Media. The new Win2Day online poker site will be supported by the network of Boss Media, which also supports many of the more popular online poker rooms today. The poker room in Austria will be limited in that players can only put up one thousand dollars per week in wagers...

Dueling Strip Clubs

Most people who take poker playing seriously will eventually wind up in the city of Las Vegas. This is something that is way beyond their rational control. Even if they have a personal aversion to neon or Elvis, sooner or later they will come to Sin City like a salmon driven instinctively upstream. Most men who come to Vegas to play poker will celebrate a dramatic loss at the tables in the same manner that they commemorate a stunning financial victory against the house: they will visit one the city's many strip clubs.

2008 Aussie Millions Poker Champion

The 2008 Aussie Millions Poker Championship is over, and the winner is one Alexander Kostritsyn. Kostritsyn is a poker player from Russia who will return home with a check for $1,650,000 AUD, taking the victory away from a man who was famously in second place once, Erik Seidel. Seidel took second to Johnny Chan in the 1988 World Series of Poker main event, a moment captured for the poker film Rounders...

Protecting a Strong Pair

Very rarely do we think of poker when it comes to the topic of protection, especially when we are dealing with hole cards that are a pair of Aces or Kings. These are generally perceived as the type of cards that can take care of themselves. The truth is that a flop can take the steam out of these cards very quickly and put the holder of the powerful hole cards on the defensive.

WSOP Radio

A long time ago Howard Stern declared himself the King of All Media. Now with all due respect to Mr. Stern, he could declare himself Grand Poobah of the Eloi or Emperor of the Mason Dixon line and it still wouldn't be true. If all it takes to be the King of All Media is appearances in movies, on television, and the radio, with a book deal thrown in for good measure, then Hulk Hogan or Danny Bonaduce would also have a claim to the thrown. Regardless of who currently wears the crown, the WSOP is making a run as the monarch of the media industry.

Iowa Stars and Poker Stars

Poker fans got to hang out with the Iowa Stars on Wednesday when the hockey club hosted a Texas Holdem Poker Tournament at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. There were eleven tables set up, each with its very own Iowa Star. The players were wearing hockey jerseys that had been signed by the entire team and offered up those prizes to whatever player knocked them out of the tournament...

Playing a Mid-Sized Pair

Let's say your hole cards are a pair of 9s. This is not a hand that does very well in a multi-way pot; there are just too many ways to beat your duet of mid-sized cards. You can either play tight and fold, or you can play your hand. If you are going to play the 9s, you're going to want to isolate yourself against one or two other players.

Annette Obrestad Wins Tournament Performance of the Year

Poker is a game that typically awards for outstanding efforts with big piles of cash, but sometimes there are other kinds of rewards that go along with it. A bracelet from the World Series of Poker, a trophy from the WPT, winning the Player of the Year race are all fine examples. People behind the European Poker Awards also strive to recognize outstanding poker play, and they recently honored Annette Obrestad with the Tournament Performance of the Year award.

Statistically Speaking

The WPT seems to like to think of itself on the same level with leagues like the NFL, NHL, MLB, and the NBA. This may or may not be true. Let's face it, all the poker players who participate in the WPT combined don't have the arrest record to match the Cincinnati Bengals, or even the impressive one put up by the NBA's Ron Artest. On the other side of the coin though, they do have better television ratings than the NHL and a large percentage of televised baseball games, so maybe they can be mentioned in the same breath with the big boys.

Stats Boost World Poker Tour Online

The World Poker Tour is a trend setter in the world of poker yet they were behind the curve in getting an online poker room up and running on the internet. They hope to catch up and surpass their competition with a new feature thanks to a partnership with Stats LLC, a company that provides analysis of data and data collection for the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and 83 other leagues. The benefit of such stats reporting will be to quantify a victory in the past with a victory today, with different buy ins and different amounts of players. Related Articles: Online poker room offers two million tourney New store for VC Poker...

World Poker Tour World Poker Open Underway

The Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi will once again host the World Poker Tour during their 2008 World Poker Open, the sixth year in a row that the casino has done so. There will be plenty of poker for everyone with the ubiquitous Texas Holdem games and Stud and Omaha as well. The prelims got started at the beginning of the month, but now the main event is underway...

What the Gray Mouser Can Teach You About Holdem

Never as popular as Tolkien or Howard, Fritz Leiber nonetheless created one of the most memorable pairs of fantasy adventurers to ever cross the pages of literature. Fafhrd, the tall barbarian we'll leave alone for now and instead focus on his smaller, darker companion, the Gray Mouser. The Gray Mouser is the most successful independent thief in all of Lankhmar. But the Gray Mouser isn't the strong half of the pair, instead, he relies on skills, wits, and cunning. The very things one must rely on when playing Holdem.

Pay Attention!

Strategy is a funny thing. The worst part about coming up with a strategy is that it is often rendered obsolete thirty seconds after you sit down to play poker. Before playing you may have mapped out a number of scenarios in your mind about how to play various types of hands, and how to get people to fold. These are all for naught if you wind up playing at a table or at an online poker room dominated by maniacs who are going to follow you all the way to the river.

Borgata Winter Open Has Record Numbers

Whoever thinks that poker is on the decline only has to look at the players signing up to play in the Borgata Winter Open to see they are mistaken. The event, taking place in Atlantic City, NJ, often called the "Las Vegas of the East Coast", put up record numbers with 482 players signing up to play in event number five, a $1,500 buy in tourney with over $2.2 million in the accumulated prize pool. Hevad "Rainkhan" Khan was on hand amid local pros, such as New Jersey's Robert "Action Bob" Hwang. Related Articles: World Poker Tour World Poker Open underway 2008 Borgata Winter Poker Open begins...

Playing an Open Ended Straight

We all know that a straight is a pretty powerful hand. If you flop an open ended straight draw, and two of the cards that give you a chance at a straight are clutched in your hand and you have no idea where to go from there, the game of poker is probably not for you. When the open ended straight draw you just flopped only uses one card from your hand, the options are not as obvious.

Necessities

You can never overlook the necessities of life. Well you can, but if you do, you're probably going to miss out on the rest of things that life has to offer. If you don't eat, don't drink, don't find shelter, and don't breathe, you're not going to last for long, especially if you live somewhere particularly cold or wet. Poker obviously isn't one of the necessities of life, but just like in the rest of life, if you ignore the necessities of poker, you're not going to play it for long.

2008 Aussie Millions Poker Going Strong

With only 80 players left in the main event of the 2008 Aussie Millions poker championship fans are starting to look close to see who the next champ will be. Big names have busted out left and right, such as Mike "The Mouth" Matusow and Jeff Lisandro, and two players busted on the bubble at the same time - which wound up with them both splitting the $15,000 for 80th place, which meant that neither really bubbled. Left in the race are locals and international starts, including Peter Mobbs, Max Pescatori, and more. Related Articles: Professor wins big payoff in Aussie Millions Tilly made an appearance at the Aussie Millions...

No Power Puts Hurt on Online Poker Players

A series of rolling blackouts in South Africa have wreaked havoc with online poker players and their profits. When playing poker online, especially in a tournament, poker players need to be in constant contact with the game server of their respective online poker room. When an opponent makes a move to bring you profit, you lose your chance if you are not logged on, and power outages in South Africa have been causing poker players to lose connections at the worst possible times...

Poker Tourney on the High Seas

Carnival Cruise Lines has announced that in addition to the regular offerings of their "Fun Ship" cruise trips gamblers will have something a little extra to look forward to, namely the 2008 "Wild Winners" tournament series. This series will consist of ten preliminary tournaments taking place on different cruises from January through October of this year. There will be slots, backgammon and poker tournaments to be played, with the winners getting a cruise trip for the final event at the end of November, to be held on the newest Carnival ship, the Carnival Splendor...

Online Poker Room Touts Poker Crusher

Poker rooms are always looking for an edge over the competition, and software developer Mutatum Solutions says it has it, according to a recent press release. The addition of Poker Crusher puts the power of real time statistics on other players at the finger tips of online poker players, giving them precious information that could help them make the right decisions when playing the game. The feature offers up betting patterns and strengths and weaknesses in a database supported tool, which will be offered to the affiliates of Mutatum Solutions as part of their Super Poker Affiliates Program. Related Articles: Poker bot fears rising Voice added to poker manager software...

Retired Arizona Poker Judge Bucks Poker Law

He used to be known as the Rock and Roll judge, famous for unusual rulings and love for Rock and Roll music, and now he is prepared to rumble with the state of Arizona if they come for him and his poker room. Judge Lee's Arizona Card Room & Social Club is the name of the place, and that is where Harold S. Lee, a former judge in Maricopa County, holds court...

Top Canadian Player at Titan Poker

Online poker room Titan Poker recently wrapped up a six month run looking for the best online player Canada had to offer, and at a January 13th tournament, the decision was made. James Galvin, of Halifax, Nova Scotia won the event, beating out 28 other players for the title and the first place prize. The 23 year old picked up a $500 cash prize and the pride of being recognized as the best Canadian player at the virtual tables of Titan Poker...

The Power of Pausing

Most women can tell of the horrors of how overexcitement can result in a promising evening blowing up on the launch pad. This is one of two situations where they will pull out the phrase "It happens to everyone" as they console their partner. Becoming overexcited during a poker hand can result in a situation almost as disappointing as the one previously mentioned.

Shane Warne Doesn't Waste Any Time

Well this didn't take long. Yesterday we talked about the entrance of Cricket legend Shane Warne into the sport of professional poker. His skills at the game of cricket have often taken a backseat to what most would consider a highly dysfunctional personal life. Both his teammates and spouse learned that they were often collateral damage when Shane decided it was time to indulge in his more base appetites. This is a painful lesson that www.888.com has just learned as well.

World Series of Poker Radio

Poker fans who long to speak with some of the biggest names in the business will get their chance if they tune in to "World Series of Poker Radio". The radio program has been picked up and is available on a coast to coast signal in the United States for over 200 stations. It is part of the Sports Byline Radio network, and featured guests are chosen from the cream of the crop, such as World Series of Poker past champions and the new players...

New Store for VC Poker

A new loyalty point redemption store will be created for VC Poker according to a recent announcement and thanks to a deal with Initial Poker. The software platform of Initial Poker was developed for the gaming industry, and has as a strength a seamless blend of player database and e-commerce tools. Many gifts that take players from chips and cards up through Plasma TV's are going to be available from a dedicated warehouse in Europe, and can be redeemed through VC Poker by those players who have earned enough loyalty points. Related Articles: Online poker room offers two million tourney Online poker room snags Elizabeth...

No Online Poker in Finland?

Finnish poker players are among the most skillfull in the world, but given the direction the Finnish government is going with online poker, that may change in a decade or so. The Finnish Newspaper "Helsingin Sanomat" reported that the government is taking a look at amending current Finnish Gambling laws. Playing poker online used to mean that one could claim losses from the activity, but that may change...

From Cricket to Poker

Those who think that a wicket is an innocuous object that is inexplicably sticky, probably also believe that "cricket" is a six legged creature that should be stepped on when found within the confines of the home. These people should open their minds to other sports beyond Hockey, Football, Baseball, and Basketball. For those who are familiar with the international sport of poker, they will appreciate the significance of the entrance of Shane Warne into the ranks of professional poker.

Late Night Poker Has First Winner

The show that many say is the forerunner of all TV poker has returned amidst fanfare, and has its first winner of the new season. The show, Late Night Poker, was the first to introduce hole cams - although they just pointed cameras up through a transparent table â€Â" and is responsible for the fame of players like David "Devilfish" Ulliott and Simon "Aces" Trumper. Trumper came in second in this new season's first show, behind Ian Frazer who won it all...

2008 Borgata Winter Poker Open Begins

Sixteen events are on tap for the 2008 Borgata Winter Poker Open, which began recently with a $300 buy in event. The No Limit Texas Holdem event is the first leading up to the $10,000 buy in No Limit Holdem main event, which will begin at the end of January. The World Poker Tour is famous for making poker millionaires, each main event typically awarding a first place prize of a million dollars or more...

Poker Raid in San Mateo

Poker players may sometimes expect a police raid if they are in a locale that has iffy legal poker standings, but the 20 players in a home in San Mateo County were likely surprised when police raided the event. Sherrifs and agents with the California Department of Justice halted the game at a house where an illegal gambling operation had been under surveillance for some time, according to authorities. $1,300 in cash was taken along with chips and cards and the tables used to play on...

Online Poker Room Snags Elizabeth

If anyone had any questions left as to whether or not actress Shannon Elizabeth was considered a poker pro, her recent sponsorship by online poker room Mansion Poker puts those questions to rest. During the 2008 Aussie Millions, at which Elizabeth was offered a free ride if she promoted the tournament but chose to pay her own way, she got the offer of being on the Mansion Poker team. The sponsorship likely included a free seat at the event, which sheds some light as to why she turned down the offer from the tourney managers in the first place. Related Articles: Tilly made an appearance at the Aussie Millions Vartan playing poker and looking for love Down Under...

He Said, She Said, Vol. 4: Terrence Chan at APPT Sydney

Hand History: Both Terrence and the villain in this hand have been the two most aggressive and active players at the table, tangling numerous times. It's late on Day 1 of the APPT Sydney Grand Final Main Event...

Caught in the Middle

The middle position is tough because it lacks the cut and dried decisions that people in the early and late positions have. By comparison those positions are much easier to play. There are still ways to play from the middle though.

On Fire

When you're rocking it, you feel good. You feel like you're on fire and nothing can stop you from your rise to the top. Feeling like you're on fire is one of the best feelings, especially in poker. Feeling like you're on fire gives you the confidence to take risks.

Raising in Early Position

One of the biggest mistakes new players make is not realizing that the seats around a poker table actually mean something. Laboring under the impression that all chairs are created equal, newbies will play out of position and find themselves treated like somebody who is taking their first shower in a maximum security prison.

Mansion Poker

Mansion Poker is part of a larger Mansion gaming concern that includes a full online casino. Unlike other such sites that have glommed on to poker after cutting their teeth on blackjack and craps, Mansion Poker started off as a poker site and expanded from there. Poker is what they did first, and is still what they do best.

Poker After Dark - Why, Eli?

By all reports Eli Elezra is a nice guy. He is also a lights out poker player, and he shows this consistently wherever he plays. But sometimes even the best poker players can get tempted to do something they so obviously shouldn't, bucking against the very instinct that made them successful in the first place.

Playing a Winner Take All Tournament

As we get closer to the 2008 World Series of Poker, there will be more and more satellite tournaments that award seats to the sport's most famous event. While many tournaments give away a number of seats, the winner take all tournaments have only one seat available to the person who manages to win all the chips.

What Gandalf Can Teach You About Holdem

You know who Gandalf is - the character from "The Lord of the Rings" played by Ian Mckellen. Gandalf pulls a lot of neat tricks out of his hat and spouts a lot of profound and deep wisdoms. Gandalf is just the sort of imaginary magical master that can teach you a thing or two about playing Holdem.

New Record for Online Poker Room

The poker room that set the standard for graphic interaction is PKR, the room that adds a video game like feel to playing poker online, and they have recently announced a new record in terms of concurrent players. On January 6th the site hit 10,007 users playing simultaneously. This number puts them in the top 20 sites in the world...

Online Poker Room Available in 15 Languages

Not a native speaker of English and wishing your poker room supported your language? Odds are good that online poker room Ultimate Bet now does, thanks to a recent translation conversion that put the site into 14 other languages. This puts the site into the native tongue of anyone who speaks Spanish, Italian, Czech, Japanese, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, French Canadian, Polish, Portuguese, Chinese and German. As said by one of the spokesmen for the site, poker is a universal language...

100 Players Make Everest Poker Live the Dream Tournament

There are to be 200 spots for the pre qualification rounds for the online poker room Everest Poker Live the Dream Tournament, and they are half way through filling the list. Once the list is full, the players will compete to see who will be attending casting sessions to make it to the finals. This is one of the few times a poker player would wind up representing an online poker room via a combination of poker playing skills and casting, rather than skill alone...

Poker After Dark - Quad Cowboys

Usually when a player is said to have Cowboys, they have two kings. Trip kings (or a set of kings) may be called Trip Cowboys, but mostly not. Having four kings? Quad Cowboys? Whatever you call them, the are likely to win the hand, so the only real question is how much can you get them to earn for you.

Great Dane and New Poker Room

Gus Hansen is a busy fellow. This Danish backgammon pro turned poker pro is in Australia preparing to defend his title at the Aussie Millions, and has recently announced that he is launching an online poker site called ThePlayer.com. The site is designed to bring players together from around the globe and give them the tools to play like the pros...

Poker After Dark - The Hammer Falls

There are poker names for just about every starting hand in Texas Holdem poker, like Cowboys for pocket kings, Big Slick for ace, king, and the Doyle Brunson for ten, deuce, but most of the time when people get seven, deuce off suit they don't have a clever name for it, they just groan about their bad luck and muck the hand.

Poker Cards That Teach You

It would be hard to imagine Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth playing with these cards, but new poker players will enjoy the Poker Prima Divas Texas Hold 'em 101 Playing Cards. The idea behind the cards is a great one, and one that seems to have been executed quite well. Each and every card in this set has poker tips printed right on them.

Poker After Dark - Bottom Pair Is Good

Three grand might sound like a lot of money, but in this episode of Poker After Dark, the hit poker show on NBC hosted by Shana Hiatt, it was just the big blind. It was Mega Match week, and each player had put up fifty large of their own money to try and take the same from five other players, the winner walking with $300k.

What Han Solo Can Teach You About Poker

Han Solo was obviously a good enough card player in his own right. He won the Millenium Falcon in a card game, and that thing is a spaceship. We are pretty sure there's no one on the face of the Earth who has ever won a spaceship playing poker, so Han Solo is already pretty impressive right there. But that's not where Han can help you.

World Poker Tour Announces Women's Tour

If anyone had any doubt left that women poker players were on the rise the recent press release from the World Poker Tour should lay those doubts to rest. The WPT, known for hosting a "Ladies Night" event for women only each season, recently announced the launch of an entire tour for the women players. The WPT Ladies events will have buy ins ranging from $300 to $1,500...

Heartland Poker Tour Arizona

Arizona recently joined the ranks of those US States that got a visit from the Heartland Poker Tour. Six of the final table players in this event were from Arizona, and the winner as well. It was Andreas Foulias, fifty-three years old from Gilbert, Arizona, who won the No Limit Texas Holdem freezeout event. Foulias picked up nearly $60,000 with this victory, for which he has a few interesting plans.

WPT Women's League: Exploitation, Insult, or Fair Play?

The politics of gender is a rather uncomfy subject for men, and a topic they can rarely win with. Let's face it, we live in a world where the media either portrays men as brainless baboons who wouldn't be able to successfully open a pickle jar without help from their intellectually and physically superior wife (think "King of Queens") or sexual predators whose biggest decision is to figure out which drink goes best with GHB.

Arizona Casino Draws Poker Players

Traditionally people go to casinos in part to the glamour and bright lights associated with big time Las Vegas gambling houses, and the latest casino opening in Arizona has its fair share of the glitz, but the real reason so many are attending is the poker being spread. The Desert Diamond Casino Hotel has opened to the public with 20 poker tables available, along with blackjack and slot machines. The rooms boast whirlpools and wet bars as well...

Late Night Poker Trumper

Simon Trumper, also known at the poker tables as "Aces", will be one of the first players to kick off the PartyPoker Late Night Poker season, which beings next week. The online poker room recently announced the line up for their season, where heat winners work to qualify for the final event. Each heat has a number of pro poker players there by invitation, as well as one online qualifier who is typically not a pro poker player...

Professor Wins Big Payoff in Aussie Millions

There is a huge event at the Aussie Millions that only a relative handful of poker pros play, thanks to the $100,000 buy in required to take a seat. The $100,000 No Limit Holdem event drew 25 players, creating a $2.5 million prize pool, and included such big name players as Tony G, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and more. The big winner was to be Howard "The Professor" Lederer, who beat out the field of his peers to win a $1.2 million first prize check...

Star Pays Own Way to Aussie Millions

There is something to be said about star power. In the world of poker being a celebrity might get you an invitation to a closed event, for example, or you might find the tab picked up when traveling to tourney out of the country, as long as you mention how much you like the casino. That was the chance offered to movie star turned poker pro Shannon Elizabeth recently when she arrived at the Aussie Millions poker event...

888.com Poker Pro for a Year Picked

Online poker rooms often hold tournaments where the winner gets the buy in to a main event of tournaments like the World Poker Tour or European Poker Tour. The latest trend is to offer buy ins to multiple events, and Pacific Poker and parent company 888.com have gone so far to offer buy ins to four major events during 2008. Their Poker Pro for a Year contest recently came to a close with Englishman Luke "Resteal" Abolins as the winner...

WPT Boot Camp

When many of us think of boot camp, old memories of Jim Nabors singing his way through the Marine Corps comes to mind. These are the sort of recollections that seemingly can only be removed with a shotgun, so unless somebody has the "Kevorkian" state of mind, they will have to live with the memory of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Of course real boot camp is probably much different than the classic television show based around the Mayberry citizens' military adventures.

Lucky Ace Poker

LuckyAcePoker.com came into being in January of 2008. While they can't boast the history that some sites have, Lucky Ace is far from being a fly-by-night outfit or a novice in the genre of online poker. Lucky Ace not only has some rather impressive software, graphics that are a breath of fresh air, as well as creative promotions, but they have added a new wrinkle to the equation. They offer a Pokerbility poker pot odds calculator to anyone who makes a real money deposit to the site.

Online Poker Scandal Wrapping Up

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission was conducting an investigation into the cheating scandal surrounding online poker room Absolute Poker, in which an employee participated and won an online poker event on the site where he could see all of his opponents' cards. The results of their investigation were announced on January 11th and while they did hold AP blameless as far as knowledge and complicity in the cheating are concerned, they did hold them to their failure to report to the KGC within 24 hours of the incident, and fined them a half million dollars. Related Articles: Online poker cheat report done Poker editor fired for cheating. ...

Montel Williams to Host Charity Poker

New York City will be the site of the Montel Williams MS Foundation Gala & Pro-Celebrity Poker Challenge, yet another charity poker event for the new year. This is the first such event for Montel Williams, a celebrity talk show host who showed his poker chops by attaining chip leader status for a day during the 2007 World Series of Poker main event championship. The event will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2008 and will begin with cocktails at six, followed by a dinner and a party with poker and "surprise entertainment." Related Articles: Van Patten charity poker event to go to the dogs Sports star to host charity poker event...

2008 Starts Strong for Online Poker Rooms

There are traffic sites that watch online poker rooms traffic and make reports, which in turn are used to gauge the strength of the industry at various times during the year. One such site, PokerSiteScout, reported that on January 7th real money traffic combined of all the online poker rooms they monitor passed the 95,000 mark, which was the previous record set only a few days before. This week is breaking records across the industry, showing a good strong start both for the industry as a whole and for a few specific poker rooms. Related Articles: Online poker room offers two million tourney Online poker room sets cash game record...

Van Patten Charity Poker Event to Go to the Dogs

Father of WPT announcer Vince Van Patten actor Dick Van Patten will be hosting a charity poker event to benefit a number of California animal care organizations. The annual Dick Van Patten Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament will be sponsored by his own pet food company, Natural Balance, and will take place on the same day that Van Patten is being honored for his acting career. Best known for his role as the father on "Eight is Enough", Van Paten will be the recipient of the 301st star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. Related Articles: Sports star to host charity poker event Russell Crowe to play poker for charity...

Poker Tourney Stops Shane Warne

Shane Warne may be retired from international cricket, but some thought he was to attend his club's Twenty20 Cup campaign; they are to be disappointed as the former Australian cricket star will instead by catching cards in Las Vegas. Warne, who has expressed interest in putting his retirement time into poker, will be attending the famous World Series of Poker this summer, hoping to make his name in the growing popularity of poker. This isn't Warne's first foray into poker, however, as in 2006 he teamed up with Zac Goldsmith to host a high stakes charity poker tournament. Related Articles: Tilly made an appearance at the Aussie Millions Sports star to host charity poker event...

Aussie Millions, Event #10, Pot-Limit Flop Games, Day 1: Dag Martin Mikkelsen Leads

Neatly bookending the 'mixed stud' style of Event #3 was Event #10, a $2,200 mixed 'Pot-Limit Flop Games' tournament. The event rotated through Pot-Limit Hold'Em, Pot-Limit Omaha and Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo. The game changed with every...

Aussie Millions, Event #9, $100,000 Hold 'Em: Lederer Lands Big Payday

The biggest names in poker took their seats around three tables as the largest-buyin event of the 2008 Aussie Millions kicked off, the $100,000 No-Limit Hold'Em event. Last year's winner, Erick Lindgren, joined 2007 Aussie Millions...

Absolute Poker Situation: Kahnawake Gaming Commission Releases Final Audit Results

The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) on Friday released its long-awaited final report on the audit it ordered conducted into the operations of Absolute Poker (AP) and insider cheating allegations that surfaced late last year...

Aussie Millions, Event #6, $1,650 'Bounty' NLHE: Marlon Goonawardne Claims Last Bounty

Michael Binger took the chip lead into the final table of Event #6 of the Aussie Millions, but it was local low-stakes player Marlon Goonawardne who took home the trophy in the $1,650 Bounty Tournament and the $155,400 first-place...

Aussie Millions, Event #7, $3,000 PLO w/ Rebuys: Watkinson Debuts with Win

A star-studded field took to the felt at the Crown Casino in Melbourne for Event #7 of the Aussie Millions, $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha with rebuys. Among the famous international players present were Steve Zolotow, Andy Black, Lee Watkinson...

Aussie Millions, Event #8, $3,250 2-Card Manila w/ Rebuys: Kambouroglou Tops Elite Field

The field was smaller than last year, with only ten runners plunking down $3,250 each for a seat in the 2-card Manila Championship. That field, though, was stacked with some of Australia's toughest players, including several with deep...

Aussie Millions, Event #11, PokerPro No-Limit Hold 'Em: 'Timex' Takes It

97 players, including a former World Champion, an Oscar-nominated WSOP bracelet winner and a former WPT Player of the Year, took the field in the PokerPro No-Limit Hold 'Em Championship in Event #11 of the 2008 Aussie Millions. This year's...