2008 WSOP Diary: Eli Elezra Ends Day 1 with the First Lead of the Season

Athletes in most sports generally agree that the night before a big game it is best to abstain from alcohol or the type of activities with the opposite sex that could result in child support payments. Poker players don't seem to have figured out this aspect of competing yet, and the night before the World Series of Poker can make Mardi Gras look like a Mary Kay party. So seeing as many of the competitors (and the media for that part) are hung over, over tired, with somebody occasionally curled up in the fetal position on the floor of the Amazon room whispering "Can't sleep... clowns will eat me" over and over again, is it any surprise that at the end of Day 1 it is a cool headed former Israeli commando who is in the chip lead?

Police Check Out Poker Room, No Arrests

In Muncie, Indiana, the police stopped by the Bypass Bar and Grill Thursday night to check out a Texas Holdem tournament but, despite some anxiety, no arrests, warnings, or citations occurred. A sergeant said they responded to a complaint that was issued about the tournament, but after they checked it out it was determined that the complaint was not valid, it wasn't even a gaming issue. The tourney was for fun, not for profit, and the 100 people playing at the bar were not in any violation of the law. Related Articles: Poker games impounded High stakes poker game raided...

Shannon Elizabeth Joins Team Brunson

When most guys find themselves looking at Ms. Elizabeth sitting across from them at the poker table, they generally get lost in the sort of fantasies that involve a wet t-shirt, chocolate, and perhaps a few cans of Silly String. While they are dreaming of how this combination of items can be incorporated into a letter to Penthouse Forum, Shannon is usually busy killing their stack of chips, and helping to eliminate the awestruck opponent from the tourney. This ability to be both alluring and deadly makes her a tough opponent, but an excellent team member.

Shock and Awe

More than one big named poker player has won a hand based on nothing more than their reputation. Annie Duke is a very good player, and it will never hurt someone to respect her talent with the game, but to be in awe of someone like her at the table will often translate into playing scared, or being too aggressive in an attempt to get an edge on them. Thousands of people, including more than a few reading this, will be playing at this year's WSOP. They will suddenly find themselves at the same table with people that they have probably watched on television for years.

2008 WSOP Forecast, Day One: First Championship Event Starts

Today the 39th annual World Series of Poker will begin with a $10,000 event, something that used to be reserved for the very last game of the series, the Main Event. With the poker boom hitting its stride, with fewer ups and downs, the dust has settled a bit and revealed that more poker players are wanting to play the WSOP than ever, with various abilities to buy in. The result is a wider range of buy ins, going all the way up to the massive $50k H.O.R.S.E. event later on, and more $10k events, those that the pros really consider the "real" events.

March of Dimes Poker on Saturday

On Saturday, May 31st the Farmers Insurance Group will be helping out the March of Dimes with a poker event that will feature a lunch and live music. The event, a charity Texas Holdem event, is called "Bettin on Babies" and will run at the Cantina Los Tres Hombres in Nevada, with an entry fee of $30. Farmers Insurance has all the details and can be reached at 775-826-3500, and is counting on the hype from the 39th annual World Series of Poker, running now through mid-July, to bring in the players for this benefit event. Related Artciles: Kentucky Derby Poker wins big for charity Blind grateful to poker runners...

The WSOP Begins Again

At this point in the year the football season is long gone, hockey and basketball are wrapping up, and God knows baseball is completely unwatchable; so what do we have left? Our narrow recreational options will either result in creating more people, or involve actually getting out of our recliners and getting some sunlight and exercise (shudder). What we do have is option number three, and that is huddling around the computer and checking the updates regarding the World Series of Poker. Yes, it's that time again. The Superbowl of the poker industry is starting today, and like any good competitive event, there are a number of story lines we should be keeping our eyes on.

Online Poker Room Mirrors the WSOP

Gene Wilder once starred in a movie based on the Roald Dahl book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". In this film he played the eccentric Willy Wonka: a genius who not only had a soft spot for tiny people, but also invented the Everlasting Gob Stopper. Apparently this was a confection that someone could suck on forever without getting tired of it. Bodog doesn't make candy, and nothing lasts forever, but they have created a form of the World Series of Poker for people with very little money to invest in a tournament.

How Good Are You Really?

There was once a very experienced female poker player who described to us her opinion of a lot of the competition out there. While praising the prowess of a lot of people in the sport, she did mention that there is a whole population of players out there that reminded her of a number of guys she met in bars, specifically the ones under the age of 25. Apparently they all seem to think they are Don Juan while also being under the impression that they are sporting a Howitizer in their jockey shorts and know how to use it.

Subscription Based Poker Room

Following the lead of the World Poker Tour Online, which opened up an online room for American players that is subscription based (as opposed to players betting money on their own) Bluff Magazine has launched what they call Club Bluff, a "risk free" online poker room. Over $100k in prizes will be offered up in monthly poker and blackjack tourneys; players only need to pay the monthly $19.95 subscription fee to participate. The first two weeks are free for new members to give them the chance to try out the new poker room, found at ClubBluff.com. Related Articles: New poker upgrades at online poker room One million poker guarantee...

Playing Free Online Poker - All in

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Options for Pocket Aces

There was once an old song of the sea that begged the question "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" Well the obvious answer is to put him to bed in the hopes that he sleeps it off and make sure there are no firearms available. Locking the liquor cabinet is probably a pretty good idea as well. You could do the obvious here, but you could hand him sword, a bottle of vodka and point him toward the nearest National Rifle Association meeting. Chances are the NRA will solve your problem with the drunken sailor faster and more decisively than letting him sober up on his own. Of course they could hand him a membership card and an uzi and send him back toward you, so there is also a risk.

Class Is in Session

As part of the WSOP experience players can participate in a number of events that are geared to helping them survive in the brutal tournament environment. On June 6 and 7 the World Series of Poker Academy introduces a Ladies Only event, taking place at Caesars Palace. Annie Duke will be teaching the women the finer points of the game along with Alex "The Insider" Outhred and retired FBI agent Joe Navarro. Participants will be eligible for four WSOP event seats along with the knowledge they take away with them.

Poker Behind the Iron Curtain

Many people are surprised that not only has capitalism flourished in the Eastern European countries most associated with the days of Stalin, but that poker is a fairly big concern in that part of the world today. Russia currently has a very healthy population of Holdem players. People visiting Moscow can find some tournament action as easily as they can in New York or London. As more and more players learn about touraments like the "White Night Millions", they may eventually have the same prestige as the events like the Aussie Millions.

The Lost Art of Sportsmanship

Most poker players will find themselves playing most of their hands at the casino and during home games. Trash talking and tantrums are generally not considered acceptable behavior at these places, and making accusations that things at the table are somehow not fair is a good way to find yourself out on your ear. Chances are that even Mr. Hellmuth would be tossed from the casino if he threw one of his trademark fits at a normal gaming table where there is a pit boss keeping an eye on him instead of a television camera.

Using a Human Shield

If you are in a tournament, and you are a medium sized stack at a table with a really big stack, you are definitely playing from behind. The big stack has the advantage of getting to be the bully at the table while you have to pick and choose your spots to fight. So what do you do in the interim while waiting for a playable hand? You can fold a whole lot of times, or if you are playing at a particularly aggressive table, you could use some of your fellow players as human shields to help knock the big stack down to size.

Where to Stay During the WSOP

There are a lot of things that Vegas has no shortage of: Elvis impersonators, buffets, and people willing to trade their physical affection for a few hundred dollars seems to top the list. Normally there also seems to be an endless supply of hotel rooms in this particular city. With this said, rooms can get a little more scarce during the World Series of Poker months so it is always good for those registering for World Series of Poker events to know where they can get good accommodations.

WSOP Expands the Number of $10,000 Tournaments

Most of us are familiar with the WSOP Main Event. Historically this is the event that is the one most associated with the hefty ten thousand dollar buy in. While the price tag is debilitating, the intent was to not only create an impressive prize pool, but also guarantee that a certain level of players involve themselves in this tournament. What a lot of casual observers don't know is that there are a number of other high priced tournaments that share the ten thousand dollar buy in and in some cases higher.

Squeezing the Middle Like a Boa Constrictor

The middle is usually a problem. Of course in a lot of cases this applies to men in their early forties for have given up working out in favor of pie. In this case gastric bypass may be the answer. If you are dealing with a problematic middle in the game of Texas Holdem, the best way to take care of the problem is squeeze them whenever possible. In order to put pressure on the middle, you need a little help from an aggressive player in an early position. In today's poker environment, this happens much more frequently than it used to.

Tilt Happy

Anyone who has seen clips of Tom Cruise bouncing on Oprah's couch proclaiming in the most silly way possible how in love he is with Katie Holmes should also take away the lesson that feeling really good about yourself can make you do stupid things. Few people associate going tilt with feeling good, but it does happen. After a big hand or in the midst of a good run, a lot of people get this feeling of invincibility and tend to loosen their play up, or take chances they would not otherwise. The sting of losing is even blunted by extra chips sitting in your pile. This is a dangerous form of tilt because if you lose your fear of losing, you will lose your money.

Using Free Online Poker Games

By Carl Walker

If you really want to become a good player of poker games such as Texas Holdem you need to have ways in which you can actually improve your game. Certainly one of the best ways available for a person to be able to do this is by taking part in free online Texas hold em games (tournaments).



It is through these games that a person can learn how to play this particular poker game without it costing them anything. Instead when they play these games they will use play money. But the problem is that there are quite a number of players who actually play these games for too long and they can actually become worse rather than better players and will find it difficult when it comes to playing a real game of Texas hold em for real money.



The reason why this occurs is that when a person takes part in these games they are not actually having to risk their own money so for some they are not bothered if they play well or not. But instead what these players should be doing is actually using these free online games instead to teach themselves how to play the game better as well as help them to learn to control their emotions better (so that their opponents are unable to decipher what type of hand they have) and it will also help them to learn about the betting habits of the other players as well.



The whole idea of a person using free online Texas hold em games is to allow them to get to know everything about the game when first starting out. It is a great for them to learn to know which hands they should carry on playing and which hands they should fold on.



With any game of poker including Texas hold em a player does not need the ability to be able to beat the other players, but rather the ability to help them figure out what is the best way to beat them when at the table. Taking part in a free online Texas hold em game will provide you with an idea of how to beat your opponents (other players). Then after a while you can start to move on to playing in games for real money rather than play money and this will then help you to hone your skills and knowledge further all of which you have acquired whilst taking part in free online Texas hold em games and which have made you in to the player you are today.



About the Author: Find out more about free online Texas Hold'em Poker and get tips, tricks and inside information to improve your poker game



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Generation Battle at the WSOP

At the start of the World Series of Poker it was a gathering of highly skilled players getting together for the purpose of figuring out who was the best of the best. Of course this was back in the days when a microchip was the tiny broken pieces of Pringles at the bottom of the can. Today the internet kids who are not old enough to walk into a casino are actively playing poker online. By the time they come of age they have played hundreds of thousands of hands and have the sort of skill that was previously unheard of in kids so young.

Helsinki's Debt Counseling Sought by Poker Players

The number of online poker players in debt and seeking help from Helsinki's Debt Counseling Office has doubled in the last year, and the organization is on target to assist around 150 people in debt thanks to internet poker. The increase is fairly dramatic considering that the Debt Counseling Office typically helped only a handful of indebted poker players a year in the past; some of the players helped by the organization owe tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros in poker debt. Online poker in Finland is a popular pastime, with the number of poker players reaching around 200,000. Related Articles: Online poker now legal in South Africa Dutch crackdown on online poker...

Betting Early

There are a ton of clichés in this world. A lot of them sound something like this: "Don't fire till you see the whites of their eyes", "Keep your powder dry", and "Patience is a virtue". All of these speak to the benefit of holding your fire until the right time to act. In the case of poker this lesson can be applied to the act of betting and the practice of trying not to be the first person to bet. This sort of advice is meant for the basic player who is just starting out and not for the more advanced competitors who have learned this lesson by trial and error.

Interpreting the Minimum Raise in No Limit Holdem

Sometimes the communication in poker can be extremely subtle and more than a little confusing. Mixed signals abound. Yes can mean no, no can mean maybe, and maybe can mean go soak your head. So what is a player making the minimum raise in a hand of No Limit Holdem trying to say? If you don't know the player and are unfamiliar with his style and experience this sort of small raise means one of two things. It means either the player is inexperienced and has no idea what they are doing, or that the player is trying to generate some action at the table in order to get some big money for their hand.

Queen of Hearts Are Back

Referring to a woman's poker team as the Queen of Hearts is about as predictable as naming a Dalmatian "Spot". That little rant about predictability in ladies poker aside, the Queen of Hearts team will be returning with a star studded line-up to play for the benefit of the Nevada Cancer Institute. The Queens are one of the most high profile groups associated with poker philanthropy. The World Series of Poker will be hosting this DeLeon Family Care Project Limited sponsored team during the WSOP Ladies event.

Back to Back Flack to Appear at Asian Poker Tour Manila

When Layne Flack won two WSOP events back to back in 2002 his nickname was secured. Back to Back Flack is one of many top poker pros who have confirmed that they will make their presence felt at the end of this month in Manila, when the Asian Poker Tour kicks off in the Philippines. This leg of the Asian Poker Tour will have pros such as Roy Winston, Evelyn Ng and Huck Seed, all of whom will be looking for the lion's share of the million dollar prize pool...

One Million Poker Guarantee

Online poker room Poker Room is doubling a huge guarantee tournament on May 30th, but it isn't in honor of the World Series of Poker, which begins the same day. The event, which will move from a guarantee of $500,000 to one million dollars, is the 25th $1,000 + $40, and Poker Room is using that as the reason for doubling the prize pool without increasing the buy in. The event, called the Grand, is very popular with the members of the online poker room thanks to the huge guarantee and the deep starting stacks of $10,000 in tournament chips. Related Articles: Online poker room offers $20K WSOP prize package New Spanish language site for online poker...

Second Macau Poker Room

The Grand Waldo Casino in Macau will be opening a dedicated poker room with an emphasis on the super popular poker game Texas Holdem. This is the second such casino to do so, and the Grand Waldo version will have six cash tables and enough room for as many as 110 tournament players at one time. The casino will also be offering super satellites, which are qualifying tournaments that offer seats into much larger events, such as the Poker Stars sponsored Asia Pacific Poker Tour taking place in Macau in September...

The Technological Tell

Online poker rooms have done all they can to make the experience as comfortably convenient for their customers as possible. To their credit, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams on this front. What they have also done by creating a tool to speed play along was create an online tell that gives away a good hand. As part of the player interface there are generally a number of checkboxes that are available to the online player. The user can simply set up his next action by clicking in the checkbox.

Poker Pays for College

A Deer Lake college student won't have to worry about paying for college, and he has poker to thank for it. Nineteen year old Scott Janes took on all comers at the North American College Poker Championship, going on to win the online poker event that put tuition money in his bank account. In addition to paying for next year at Memorial University where he studies for his bachelor of science degree in physics, Janes has also picked up a free seat and trip to play in the next European Poker Tour...

Be Friendless

Everyone who has seen the majority of the Star Wars series of films has heard Yoda rail against how bad having attachments in your life can really be. One would think that life lessons from two and a half foot puppet would fall on deaf ears, but in England "Jedi" came in just behind Muslim and Hindu in a survey of religions in Britain. So apparently somebody was listening to that little green freak. The painful part is admitting that he was right about attachments in regards to the game of poker.

Muck You!

There are a lot of members of the animal world who effectively communicate by displaying colors or markings. Squids behave like the deep sea equivalent of a mood ring by turning colors to reflect their mood. While in the human world we can't turn a brilliant shade of puce to express ourselves, a vigorous game of "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" usually gets the message across. People at a poker table can communicate subtle messages just by displaying cards, or in many other cases, failing to show them.

Prying Money from a Passive Player

Playing against passive players is like trying to pound jell-o: they are all give. The problem with this is that it is very difficult to make anything that resembles serious money against these guys. If you are playing for pride, making them fold will be great for your self-esteem, but if you're trying to make a buck, you're going to have to figure out a way to pry the money out of their wallets. One of the best ways to make money while playing against passive players is to play more hands.

Dressing to Play

Few things are more uncomfy than sitting for long periods of time in a suit or a gown. Sitting on a puffer fish would probably qualify as something lower on the comfort meter than wearing a cummerbund. Unless you are going to the sort of alternative lifestyle party that Boy George may frequent, your chances of sitting on pointy fish is unlikely, but uncomfortable dress clothes are a way of life for some of us. The truth is that there is a definite relationship between how comfortable somebody is and how well they perform in most circumstances.

Negreanu to Offer Poker Advice to PPA Members

The man they call Kid Poker will be offering advice to members of the Poker Players Alliance thanks to a new joint effort. Poker pro Daniel Negreanu will pen a weekly poker column offering tips and tricks for free to members of the PPA, a grassroots organization based in the United States that seeks to protect the rights of poker players around the world. With the World Series of Poker starting up at the end of the month, PPA members will have a chance to glean some poker wisdom from Kid Poker before the event. Related Articles: Poker pros offer training Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to camp we go...

Relationship Poison

Relationships are tricky things. Most people involved in a long term situation or a marriage have to deal with financial issues that probably involve a chunk of the family budget spent on really cute shoes. Somebody who has chosen a "till death do we part" suicide pact also will find themselves dealing with kids, getting used to your significant other's annoying habits, and an endless parade of skanks that seem to wink at any guy with a wedding ring. Any one of these situations could result in some ugly dealings with a lawyer or a frying pan to the back of the head. Do couples really need to add competitive Holdem events to the list of potential relationship pitfalls?

Play Badly

It happens to everyone: you will be sitting at the table with somebody who seems to be telepathic. They put you on a hand correctly every time and always seem to get away with your pot. They might as well take your girlfriend, kick you in the clock weights, and steal your lunch money while they are at it. There are two ways to deal with this guy. You can either walk away and find a table where the most skilled player can only manage a monosyllabic vocabulary, or you can start playing badly.

Maniac Proxy Betting

It rarely happens this way, but let's assume your hole cards are an Ace and a King, both hearts. The flop delivers a Queen of hearts, Jack of hearts, and a 10 of hearts. In other words, you're in pretty good shape for the rest of the hand. The problem is also that you are a passive player and everyone at the table knows it. If you start betting for what your cards are worth, everyone will know you have some pretty powerful cards and back down. Passive players usually only get aggressive when they have the nuts.

Actors Play Poker Players at the WSOP

During the Show "Dancing with the Stars" Jerry Springer and Marie Osmond may have done well competing against other pampered Hollywood personalities whose most challenging moment in life involved a casting couch or a hangnail, but how would either have fared against Ginger Rogers? We think either would have looked about as graceful as the singer Meatloaf next to a real dancer like the lovely Ms. Rogers. While any gentleman with a healthy libido and an appreciation for Hollywood history would relish the opportunity to bring up the topic of Ginger, she is just an example of what happens when actors and actresses forget their place and believe their own hype.

AOL Offers Seats to the WSOP

America Online has enough people in their community of users to populate a medium sized country, and what would a country be without gambling? While AOL doesn't provide online gambling in a way that sites like LuckyAceCasino.com do, but they do offer Texas Holdem and some fairly impressive prizes. While some people in the world would consider America Online working with Harrah's an unholy alliance when it comes to moral turpitude, the reality is that the teaming up of these two giants makes the World Series of Poker more accessible to a broader range of people.

Cowboys Take On Cowboys in Poker

Two groups of cowboys will face off in a charity poker tournament to see which is the tougher, Bull Riders or Rugby Players. The charity Texas Holdem poker tournament will take place this weekend at the Townsville Entertainment center with players from the National Rugby League North Queensland Cowboys taking on members of the Professional Bull Riders. Jupiters Townsville will be putting five thousand dollars to the event, with $4,000 going to top prize - which will then be donated to local charities as decided by both teams of poker players. Related Articles: Cannes film and poker Phil Gordon, other poker pros raise money...

Flop

Today a lot of the buzz in the poker news is the fact that the new poker themed film, "Deal", made only $35,281 during its opening weekend. With an average ticket price of eight dollars, this means only about 4500 people went to see this movie. To put this in perspective, such Hollywood classics as Gigli, C.H.U.D., and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes had better opening days than Deal. Considering the fact that this film opened on fifty screens, it took some real effort to underachieve and raise the sort of money that fundamentally wouldn't pay for the movie's catering bill.

Sometimes a Cigar Is Just a Cigar

We are all aware that bluffing is a huge part of the game of poker but getting caught up in trying to sniff out players who are trying to pull a fast one on you is one of those forest/tree things that doesn't really register with a player until an elm falls on their head. A player in a European tournament was in the big blind and holding a Q/K. The player under the gun was one who historically was a rather conservative player and only loosened the purse strings when they had a legitimate hand. That player put in a raise that was four times the big blind.

WSOP Prize Packages Roll In

The World Series of Poker kicks off at the end of this month in Las Vegas, and dozens - if not hundreds - of players are going to play at the WSOP free of cost, thanks to the myriad of online and live poker qualifiers running. One example is Alabama resident Arnold Evans, who picked up a prize package worth $14,000 thanks to his play at online poker room DuplicatePoker. The prize package includes the buy in to the main event, worth $10,000, and airline tickets and stay at the Rio All Suites Casino and Hotel, where the WSOP will be held. Related Articles: Online poker room offers $20K WSOP prize package Cunningham wins WSOP Circuit event...

Poker Theory a College Course

With classes that will teach a learner how to fix a plumbing problem, change a spark plug and work as a nurse, community colleges that offer continuing education courses are on the look out for ways to help people improve their work life, and the Cleveland Community College aims to add Poker Theory to that list. The course will start on June 2nd and run through July 21st, for three hours a week. Concepts and math of poker are the key concepts of the course, along with the concepts of No limit Holdem and Limit Holdem, as well as other variants such as Omaha. Related Articles: Ladies WSOP Academy class returns Poker pros offer training...

Dating at the Table

Kimberly Lansing has been serenaded at the poker table and asked out before and after interviews by guys who make millions of dollars playing poker. From what we understand she usually politely rebuffs them, and goes on with her life. This is a celebrity example of an issue that is becoming more and more common: dating behavior at the poker table. Any guy who has ever been slapped silly at a bar while staring down the blouse of some anonymous yet attractive female while she reached for lemons should know that they will not get a warmer reaction when taking a peek while a woman is pushing her chips into the middle of a table during a poker game.

Who Do You Listen To?

Some people look really good in Capri pants and four inch heels. Others look like they charge by the hour in an outfit like that. There are some dressed in those clothes who have more in common with a sausage or some other form of meat that is stuffed unattractively into tube. The point is that Capri pants and four inch heels don't work for everyone, and neither does poker strategy. Not every strategy works for every player, and not every strategy works against every player. First of all, if you are naturally a passive person and try to change gears and take the advice that is meant for somebody who plays maniac poker, you will probably fail miserably.

A Plea for Kimberly

There are a few sure signs that spring has sprung. First of all, those of us who can't drag ourselves out of bed before eleven in the morning have to cover our ears with a pillow to muffle the sounds of all the happy robins. Second, families can't take their kids to the zoo without having to explain why the male giraffe looks like he is trying to jump over the female giraffe. Lastly, you know it is spring when the World Poker Tour is suddenly looking for a new hostess. Kimberly Lansing has done a hell of a job for the WPT this year an not only do a lot of people believe she has earned the main hostess spot, but that she would also be the perfect choice.

NBC Heads-Up Final Today

This is the day that the final four will compete at NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship, with Andy Bloch, Huck Seed, Chris Ferguson and Phil Ivey being the last 4 of a field of 64 players seeking the title and half a million in cash. That is the prize for the winner of the Heads-Up Poker Championship, taking place in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. All four are big time pro players, with two of them, Seed and Ferguson, also being former World Series of Poker main event champions...

New Poker Magazine

A quarterly poker magazine is on the horizon, to be published by Dennis Publishing and to service a very specific poker community: the members of online poker room PKR. PKR.com is a poker room unlike any other, with a computer or video game style experience, with 3D avatars that are controllable to an extent beyond any other poker room. Now an "international selection" of PKR customers will get the poker magazine free of charge...

Poker-Based WSOG Coming to CBS

Golf is a favorite pass time among many pro poker players, so it should come as no surprise to find them playing golf like it is poker. In this case that is exactly what they are supposed to do at the World Series of Golf, a golf tournament based on the World Series of Poker. The event allows anyone who can buy in a chance to win and rub elbows with pro players, just like at the WSOP...

Poker Pros Offer Training

Michael Binger and Roy Winston know a thing or two about playing poker: between them they have nearly $8 million in tournament earnings. Now they will offer their secrets to the people who take a course from Oracle Poker Consulting, the new company the two have founded. As soon as the World Series of Poker kicks off at the end of the month Oracle Poker Consulting will be up and running, offering players the chance to learn from those who have made it happen...

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Camp We Go

Today you can't swing a dead ferret without hitting a poker camp. Everyone from players like Daniel Negreanu to Playboy has set up poker camps in order to educate people on the finer points of the game. The price tags on these events can go from reasonable to crippling depending upon where you want to do your camping. Usually these gatherings include celebrities from the poker world, some one on one instruction with professionals, some tournament play, and more than a few drinks.

Soft Body and Bad Poker

On the surface it would appear that somebody with a large, soft posterior is naturally built for sitting. Nature (or the Hostess Snack Cake company) it seems has provided them with a natural pillow. Theoretically this would be an advantage in any competition that involves a lot of sitting. Like many topics that seem logical when two dimensional thinking is applied, somebody whose diet and exercise program consists of fudge and watching Celebrity Fit Club on VH1 is actually at a huge disadvantage at the poker table.

Raise a Glass of H2O

According to most eggheads, discovery channel shows, and the cartoon "Dexter's Lab" the human body is seventy-five percent water. Considering how many cocktail waitresses are stalking the floors of casinos and dispensing free drinks one would think that the casino believed that people were made mostly of scotch. Of course from the standpoint of the people who run a gaming floor, sobriety and gambling don't go well together. Even at the poker tables, a place where the house has no vested interest in who wins, the drinks still flow freely.

Liv Boeree Takes Down the Ladbrokes European Ladies Championship

There are countless articles in cyberspace and on the printed pages that while extolling the beauty of the complex subtleties in the game of Texas Holdem, also remind us that this isn't rocket science. Somebody probably forgot to mention this to Liv Boeree, who along with being the new Ladbrokes European Ladies Champion is also a University trained Astrophysicist. While having this sort of intellect isn't mandatory when it comes to the game of poker, an IQ big enough to have its own gravitational field probably isn't a bad thing either.

Listen to the Short Stack

It happens to all of us, somebody bets into you out of left field, or raises your bet. If you are holding a hand that you believe may only be the second best hand at the table, most players' natural inclination is to fold. Before you surrender the hand to your opponent take a good look at his stack. This will often be able to tell you more about whether or not they are bluffing than any facial tick or profuse sweating. If this is a cash game, and you see somebody with a small stack displaying this sudden flash of aggression, you can believe you are now facing a legit, formidable hand.

New WSOP Merchandise Dealer

With the World Series of Poker on the horizon, set to play this summer in Las Vegas, those who can are investigating ways to make money from the biggest poker event in the world, and not just from playing in it. A new deal with XP Events has been announced recently by the WSOP to distribute WSOP swag across various venues, including an online store, retail shops, and a new WSOP store in Vegas. The Denver, Colorado based XP Events is now the official brand merchandise provider for the World Series of Poker...

Going Pro

During a conversation we recently had with Team PokerStars member Vanessa Rousso, we discussed her law degree and the probability that she will never see the inside of a courtroom on a professional basis. Very few people will get the option to either be a very good lawyer or an excellent professional poker player. We love Vanessa, but she is an absolute freak of nature: one of those annoying people who are good at whatever they do. For most people being able to choose between a conventional career and a life as a professional poker player is simply not a luxury available to us.

Diminishing Returns

Those who make it their business to be familiar with obscure, theoretical laws not only need to get out more and find a nice girl, but they will also be aware of the law of diminishing returns. Basically this concept supports the idea that there can be too much of a good thing and that eventually the whole thing will eventually blow up in your face. A lot of players who see a pair of Aces or two Kings show up as their hole cards immediately start slowplaying in order to keep as many people as possible in the hand in order to help the pot grow.

Keeping a Player Honest

There is a certain logical absurdity about the trying to keep a poker player honest. The sport of poker has lying to your opponents built right into the culture of the game, so trying to keep someone honest is at best a futile act. So why do so many players waste money at the end of a hand trying to do just that? Let's say you are at the river and in a position where you are trying to decide whether or not to call someone's bet or raise. There is a percentage of players out there who know they are beat at that point, but will still make the call in order to force their opponent to show their hand.

What to Study

Studying matters whether you are going for your master's degree or starring in a Hollywood film. Very often that is the difference between overachieving and just getting by. This same standard works for those who want to get better playing poker. Trial and error can only get you so far. A player can dramatically speed up their development by making use of the wealth of books that are available. Why waste time and money learning from your own mistakes when you can simply learn from somebody else's?

Selling It

Usually when the term "faking it" is tossed around there is an unsatisfied wife and a marriage counselor involved in the mix somewhere. Besides this rather uncomfortable reality, faking it is also a way to make money when playing poker. As we all know, faking it is called bluffing in poker, and it is something everyone of us do: some better than others. There is an art to carrying off a bluff, and you see it employed by professionals time and again on national television and in some of the sport's biggest tournaments.

Online Poker Room Joins Ethoca

Online poker room Mansion Poker has joined the Ethoca, the company that is said to be an industry leader when it comes to "collaborate fraud management." The announcement came from Ethoca, stating that Mansion has joined their worldwide community of companies that focus on increasing income while decreasing fraud. Part of Ethoca's role in helping to reduce fraud and increase revenue involves helping their partner companies identify financial transactions that could be fraudulent - the online poker community has been the target of various groups and individuals trying to gain funds through fraudulent tactics. Related Articles: New online poker deal with CryptoLogic New Spanish language site for online poker. ...

"Every Hand Revealed" by Gus Hansen

Gus Hansen's new book "Every Hand Revealed" completely validates the old adage that you can't judge a book by its cover. Looking at his photo on the front of his newest literary work reminds of Max Schreck from the 1921 vampire horror classic, Nosferatu. If you can get past the photo though, you will find this book is an absolute gem. "Every Hand Revealed" helps the reader get into the head of one of poker's most accomplished players. This book provides in depth analysis of over 300 hands he played during his run at the Aussie Millions as well as mind set that drives the mechanics of his game.

Dutch Crackdown on Online Poker

In a move very much like the United States' Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act the Dutch Ministry of Justice recently put in a request to banks to stop providing transactions to online poker rooms. Should banks stop transacting cash for deposits and withdrawals it could put a hurt on the online poker industry, much like the one that occurred when the UIGEA went through. A list of fifty online poker rooms was passed to Dutch banks along with the request to aid them in enacting the ban...

When to Commit

For years people have been asking the question what the threshold for commitment is. To be honest that question is usually associated with dating and when it is a right time to ask your significant other to either invest in a ring or find someone with a tramp stamp who is only interested in having a good time. For the sake of this conversation, "committed" means when you are pot committed during tournament play. When you are unfortunate enough to have a short stack, and the number of chips you have relative to what is in pot creates a situation where the pot odds demand that you call with the remainder of your chips, you are technically pot committed.

Can Jamie Gold Keep Up with a Kardashian?

When the E! network created a show called "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" the implication built into the title was that this was a family that it would be difficult to keep pace with. We have seen Khloe Kardashian: most people could keep up with her in the 40 yard dash if their shoe laces were tied together. She is a lovely girl, but obviously doesn't spend much time in the gym. Considering the fact that her stepfather has a collection of Olympic medals, this is probably a major disappointment for the family. Of course if the event is shopping, she can beat the stuffing out of most of us. While most of us don't have the bankroll to keep up with her at Tiffany's, Jamie Gold probably has enough in his bank account to give her a run for her money.

Dreams of College Fill Canadian's Poker Victory

When Jack Hinchey of Ontario made it deep in the Barcelona poker tournament known as the World Poker Crown, his main goal was to win enough money to pay for a university education, but not for himself: Jack wanted to put his granddaughter Victoria through college with his winnings. In the end Hinchey managed to get the funds he needed and more, taking home a $1 million payday with his World Poker Crown victory. Hinchey has been playing poker for more than three decades, but his full time job is as a plumbing repair man. Related Articles: New Aussie poker champ in New Zealand European ladies poker champ Liv Boeree...

The World Series of Golf

Considering how high tempers can run during a game of Texas Holdem, it is probably not a good idea to add blunt instruments like baseball bats and golf clubs into the potentially viable mix. Imagine what would happen if somebody inflicted a really bad beat on Phil Hellmuth at some point in a game. Despite the fact that combining poker with golf clubs is a good recipe for an assault charge, the World Series of Golf has decided to merge the two games into one event.

Ladies WSOP Academy Class Returns

One of the most highly anticipated events of the World Series of Poker season is the Ladies Event, and that is the focus of a special World Series of Poker Academy camp coming in June. This camp will focus on the ladies and how to win the event in a two day women only WSOP Academy session. The event will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on June 6 and 7, with the intent to groom participants to take on all comers at the WSOP $1,000 No Limit Holdem championship event. Related Articles: WSOP announces change confirmation WSOP Academy brings online players in...

The Benefits of Memory Loss

Most people don't find themselves dreaming about a case of amnesia. This is usually because memory loss is generally the result of blunt force trauma to the head or the sort of pharmaceutical combinations that would have made Gerry Garcia nervous. Unfortunately, amnesia is a vital trait for any poker player. During a Holdem tournament or a ring game it doesn't benefit a player to live in the past. Whether you have just won the biggest pot of your life, or lost your shirt as the result of a bitter bad beat, good poker players must learn to just let it go and forget it happened.

Let Your Bankroll Be Your Guide

During one of Walt Disney's more iconic films, a cartoon character sang about the wonders of letting your conscious be your guide. Well most poker players don't have the sort of consciousness that would give Jiminy Cricket a warm, fuzzy feelings in the cockles of his little insect heart. So if the conscious cannot be the guide, how can a player objectively gauge their progress? The answer to this question is their bankroll can be their guide. There are some general rules of thumb that will help you judge whether or not your game is where it should be, or if you are playing at the correct limit level.

Ladbrokes Poker Gets Kalmar as Pro

Online poker room Ladbrokes Poker has signed on a new poker pro to represent the site, online pro Jon Kalmar. Kalmar, who plays online under the name of "skalie" and was part of Team Ladbrokes in 2006, is excited to make his relationship with the UK poker room official. The 34 year old English pro has cashed for over $1.6 million in tournament events, including the World Series of Poker and the European Poker Tour events...

World Poker Tour Foxwoods Kicks Off

This latest season of the World Poker Tour had a few new stops, a new hostess, and new poker millionaires, and there is a chance for one more of the latter as the final stop of the season kicks off at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. The Foxwoods Poker Classic is the name of the event, and big name players have been spotted in the field. Erick Lindgren, Hoyt Corkins, Raj Patel, T.J...

European Ladies Poker Champ Liv Boeree

The latest champ in European poker is one Liv Boeree, representing online poker room Absolute Poker, who won the $2,000 buy in Ladbrokes Poker European Ladies Championship. She was up against some tough female competition, including the first ever World Series of Poker Europe champion Annette Obrestad among others. The European Ladies Championship took place in London and offered Liv a thirty thousand dollar first prize as well as a seat in the 2008 World Series of Poker main event this summer in Las Vegas...

New Spanish Language Site for Online Poker

Popular online poker room Mansion Poker has recently announced that Spanish speaking poker players will have a new home at their site, as they launched the Spanish language version of Mansion Poker. Mansion Poker is well known for their European influence, which will gain even more ground for the players from Spain, as well as everywhere else the Spanish language is spoken. The site offers all the same promotions and opportunities as the English language version, but now Spanish speaking players can call, raise or fold in their native tongue. Related Articles: Ladbrokes Poker gets Kalmar as pro Online poker room offers $20K WSOP prize package...

WSOPE Champ Bounty in Online Freeroll

The current and only World Series of Poker Europe champion Annette Obrestad will be playing poker with a price on her head. Online poker room, and Obrestad's online home for poker, Betfair Poker is hosting a special freeroll tournament that has bounties on both Annette and online poker champ Sorel Mizzi, better known as Imper1um. Knocking out either player will win the victor $250, and of course there is the $1,500 prize pool to consider...

Chiu Trumps Hansen at World Poker Tour Event

It looked like it was going to be Gus Hansen's game, and his fourth World Poker Tour title - but it wasn't to be so. World Series of Poker bracelet holder David Chiu, starting out as a big underdog on chips in heads up play, came back to take the win from the Great Dane. The WPT victory looked like it was going in Gus's pocket as he systematically eliminated the rest of the players...

Free Poker Tournament for Club Fans

City and Crystal Palace are heading for a Championship play off semi final showdown, and the fans from both clubs are being offered an opportunity to show their support and take out some healthy aggression in a free poker tournament. Monday, May 12 is the day of the event where City and Palace supporters will be granted exclusive access to the tournament on Party Gaming's online platform. The winner will get a signed shirt and bragging rights for their club...

Poker President Shot in Hand

A recent report disclosed that the president of a group of Philippine poker players dodged an abduction attempt, but did result in a gunshot wound to his hand. According to Chinese Filipino digest Hermie Philipson Chua, 34, a resident of Makati City and also a president of the Philippine branch of the Poker Players Association, was abducted while he was driving in his Ford Escape. He stopped for an old man in the road, but three men plus the man jumped in his car and took over...

Cunningham Wins WSOP Circuit Event

The latest World Series of Poker Circuit has ended, and the main event was won by someone who is no stranger to WSOP glory, Allen Cunningham. Down by four to one in chips on Thursday at Caesars Cunningham overcame the deficit to beat Ben Fineman for the win and nearly half a million dollars. In third place was Kelly Samson, followed by Moto Mobuchi, Justin Bonomo, Blair Hinkle, Thomas Hover, Ralph Perry, and Doug Lee...

Kentucky Derby Poker Wins Big for Charity

The man they call Back to Back because of his consecutive victories at a past World Series of Poker event has won the first ever Kentucky Derby Poker Championship, but the big winner was the charity. Layne Flack won first prize, $13k in cash and a seat in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, and three charities will split the proceeds from the tournament, which totaled $60k. The three charities are the Health and Climate Foundation, the Robby Albarado Foundation and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre...

Under Age Poker Players Now Legal

In Tama, Iowa, poker players who have yet to hit their twenty first birthday won't be in violation of the law if they are playing poker at the nearby Meskwaki Casino. A plan has been put forth and approved by the Tribal Council to allow players from as young as 18 to play poker on site. Larry Lasley, a spokesman for the tribe, says this is possible because the casino does not provide the prize pool when poker is played: it is generated by the player's buy ins, and the Tribe will not earn money from these games. Related Articles: Online poker site cleared of charges New York poker game shut down...

Doyle Brunson Gets Real

Doyle Brunson doesn't look like the type who spends a lot of time watching MTV. He looks more like the sort that will spend his limited television time watching old re-runs of Rawhide or Maverick. Like most reasonable people on the planet we are guessing Mr. Brunson would rather have nasal polyps removed with a belt sander and lighter fluid than watch an episode of "The Real World". So why are these kids showing up on his website?

Julien Nuijten Works Magic and Wins Latin Poker

The Latin American Poker Tour recently concluded their first ever event and the winner was Julien Nuijten, a young poker player from Holland. Nuitjen has a thing or two in common with some other big time poker pros: he is also a pro at another game played with cards called "Magic: the Gathering". Magic: the Gathering is a fantasy card game that involves spells and mythical creatures, where players construct decks from a huge library and try to outplay and outwit their opponents, skills Nuitjen used to win $223,000...

Gaming at Work

A lot of things that are being done at the office are probably not in anything that resembles a proper job description. Not only do we have people spending huge chunks of their day surfing the net and playing World of Warcraft, but assistants and interns are often treated like the personal harems of frisky, oversexed managers. Not only does this violate all sorts of unwritten laws of professional conduct, but most reasonable labor departments probably have rules against some of the office shenanigans that have become commonplace.

When to Check

First of all, if a maniac is playing behind you, that is a perfect opportunity to check. These people generally bluff with the same precision and focus as somebody trying to kill a mouse with a hand grenade. In short, they bluff for the sake of bluffing. If you bet, they are simply going to call and probably raise anyway, so why should you do the heavy lifting? Let them do the betting. Your check also lends further anonymity to your hand, and helps make it more difficult for them to put you on a hand.

The Smell of Victory?

We think it is embarrassing that this article even has to be written, but while the internet has given us wonderful advancements in communication, social interaction, and research, it has also encouraged many people to sit alone in their rooms typing for hours: an activity where showering is not mandatory. While looking up obscure details on the English victory over the Zulu at Rorke's Drift or hitting on people who are thousands of miles away are all interesting things to do online, eventually you are going to have to rejoin the rest of your carbon based brethren in the real world, and we prefer you don't smell.

The Weak Lead

In some circles a weak lead could be any guy who had the unfortunate pleasure of being Ginger Rogers' dance partner. With her own prodigious skill coupled with the fact that she was used to doing her dancing with Fred Astaire, anyone else taking the lovely Ms. Rogers out for an evening of high stepping would have seemed like trying to replace Napoleon with "Urkel". In the poker world a weak lead is when a player makes an opening bet out of position in the face of somebody at the table who generally raises before the flop.

Your Bluff Is Only as Good as Your Opponent

While Joe Montana from the San Francisco 49ers would have made a great poker player - he seems like the type who could put other people on a hand with ease - Ronnie Lott is completely different. Instead of poker, he would have made a great demolition derby driver. We have repeated an observation that was made about Mr. Lott several years ago. It was referenced by a reporter whose name is now lost to history, "If he doesn't care about his own body, what do you think he is going to do to yours". This is not the sort of person you are going to scare off with a bluff.

Sheriff Poker Problems

The southern state of North Carolina has had a long, rough relationship with video poker, and recent testimony seems to indict the Sheriff of Haywood County in a bribery operation to allow illegal video poker to operate. Jerry Pennington, a Henderson Amusement Inc employee, has testified that Haywood County Sheriff Tom Alexander took thousands of dollars every month to not bust the company running the poker games. The testimony came during the trial of former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford, who also is accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in poker related criminal bribes. Related Articles: New York poker game shut down Poker room bust leads to indictments...

Darfur Charity Poker Tournaments Continue

At the last two World Series of Poker events a special tournament has been held to raise money for the problems in Darfur, Africa, and yet another tournament is going to be held soon. This time the host is not the WSOP but the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino, which is joining forces with the celebrity backed charity organization Not On Our Watch, founded by stars Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jerry Weintraub, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle, who is the most vocal in supporting Darfur. Annie Duke is also an instrumental part of the tournaments for Darfur. Related Articles: Celebrities play poker for a cure GA poker run fundraiser...

WSOP Announces Change Confirmation

The rumors were out that the World Series of Poker this year won't end till November, and the confirmation given by WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack on May 1st settles the matter. In an attempt to make the final table of the WSOP more dramatic, the organizers have decided to delay the game until November 9 and 10. While the main event will get started in July, the game will pause once the final nine players are determined...

Big Stack, Small Pair

You have a huge chip lead at the table during a tournament, you're sitting in the middle to late position, and you have just been dealt a mediocre pair of 4s. You also have a small stack showing some aggression and raising from an early position. What do you do? Well, you could play the table bully and force your short stacked opponents to make a decision about whether or not they want to go all in, but the problem is that you simply don't have the cards to justify that sort of gambit.

Playing for Free Is Not Great Training

There is absolutely nothing wrong with playing poker for free online. Depending upon where you are standing on the planet, this may be the only way you can experience the joys of internet poker. It is important to realize that this is a good way to get introduced to the nuts and bolts of the game, but is a very poor way to prepare for a life of real money games. In a game where no real money is on the line, people will not behave the same as if their hard earned cash is sitting on the table.

Should They Stay or Should They Go?

We like Courtney Friel. Not did she score the requisite 10 on the attractiveness meter that lands someone a position like Hostess of the World Poker Tour, but she was also bright, funny, and approachable during her time on the show. Of course we are biased. Courtney has always been gracious enough to suffer our questions with good humor and is still an enthusiastic source of information. In short, we will always think that it was a mistake for the WPT to let her escape. Their loss is Fox News's gain. With that said, Kimberly Lansing and Layla Kayleigh have just finished their first stint with the World Poker Tour. Should they stay or should they go?

Online Poker Room at Pro Footballer's Awards

Online poker room PKR got in the mix to throw an after party as part of the Professional Footballer's Awards celebrations. The players involved in the awards got a chance to hit Albannach restaurant in Trafalgar Square, London, and there were players form the Fulham first team, as well as Carlton Cole, Micah Richards and Jermain Defoe. Poker games were the theme of the night, in addition to other casino games such as blackjack and roulette...

Neutering the Late Position

The late position is the Avalon of poker table positions. Generally a player sitting in this position will go into a hand, acting aggressive in order to take full advantage of their place at the table. This also means that they may enter the hand with lower quality cards, knowing just how much power the late position gives them. This advantage can be blunted when you are sitting in the big blind. You can test whether they are working with truly legit cards or just playing the position game.

WSOP Fallout

By now most people are aware that the World Series of Poker has moved the Final Table of the Main Event to November. While many of us question the wisdom of this move, you just have to shrug your shoulders and assume that these folks know what they are doing. Because of the controversial nature of the topic, most of the pros that we have spoken to about this have asked that their comments not go on record, but it would seem there is a divide between the players over whether or not this is a good thing. After some brief discussions, it is the younger, less experienced players who love the move, and the seasoned veterans of poker who seem opposed to it.

Latin American Poker Tour Underway

Yesterday the Latin American Poker Tour kicked off in Brazil, with professional poker players and amateurs alike taking their seats. Players can expect to see a few poker stars in the field, such as Chad Brown, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, and of course Costa Rican poker pro Humberto Brenes. Rio de Janeiro is the first stop of the very first Latin American Poker Tour, followed by a stop in San Jose and then Punta del Este...

Tournament Adjustment When Getting to the Final Table

What does it take to get through the early and middle rounds of a tournament? Well to thrive, it means winning hands on a regular basis and occasionally doubling up, but let's begin with the basics for tournament survival. For a player to tread water in a tournament, they must win the blinds at least once every round. Anything on top of this simply improves your position. Of course if you don't win the equivalent of the blinds every round, you enter minus territory, and your time in the tournament will be short.

Zip It

A lesson that we can learn from Don Imus and the now infamous Reverend Wright is that our mouths can get us into a lot of trouble. What newer poker players don't often realize is that how they control their tongues can determine whether or not they will be welcome at a poker table. First of all, we have all seen movies where somebody dramatically calls a bet, then after a theatrical pause, they declare that they are raising. At a casino not only will nobody be shocked at your theatrics, but the dealer will not allow your raise.

Nancy Todd Tyner Wins the WPT Ladies Championship

Generally the best way to tell if a politician is lying is to check and see if their mouth is moving. If their jaw is going up and down and words are coming out of it, chances are what you are hearing is a deception. Add to the ever present "misstatements" the fact that politics is a blood sport where even your teammates might drive a knife between your shoulder blades and you have a pretty harsh environment. Political consultant Nancy Todd Tyner has called this caustic environment home sweet home for most of her career. So after navigating through the strange web of half truths, distraction techniques, and scapegoating that goes with her day job, sniffing out bluffs at the poker table would be almost second nature.

Celebrities Play Poker for a Cure

As an occasional spy Kevin Weisman's character on the TV show Alias had to have a good poker face, but can the actor pull off the same at the poker table? He and other celebrities will soon find it out when they play in the first Celebrity Dealing for Duchenne Charity Poker Tournament & Auction. Sponsored by Prosum Technology Services, Inc and CureDuchenne, the tournament will have Josh Malina from the West Wing, Willie Garson from Sex and the City, and Anne Heche from TV and Film. The event will raise money to help find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Related Articles: GA poker run fundraiser Poker players to raise money for army relief...

World Poker Tour Financials Out Soon

The World Poker Tour's parent company, WPT Enterprises, Inc, has announced that they will release their financial numbers for the first quarter of 2008 after the close of trading on Tuesday, May 6. The WPT is traded on the Nasdaq (WPTE) and has had ups and downs since they first went public. An investor conference call will be hosted the day the numbers are released at 4:30pm ET by the CEO and President of WPTE, Steve Lipscomb...

Kentucky Derby Poker Championship Plays Today

The Kentucky Derby Poker Championship will kick off tonight at 8:30 PM at Caesars Indiana, and this will be a charity Texas Holdem tournament with the purpose of raising awareness of climate change and its impact. The event will have a $2,500 buy in to pull in the funds that will be donated to a number of charities, including the Robby Albarado Foundation, the international Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and the Health and Climate Foundation. The winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby Poker Championship will get a 2008 Aruba Poker Classic prize package. Related Articles: Biggest poker event in Florida history GA poker run fundraiser...

Poker Man Versus Machine

Once again an artificial intelligence program will be put to the test in a poker battle versus professional poker player to see who is best at the popular card game of Texas Holdem: man or machine. The first Man vs Machine Poker Challenge was played by Phil "The Unabomber" Laak and Ali Eslami, who narrowly defeated the Polaris poker program. This time the second Man vs Machine Poker Challenge will be held at the Gaming Life Expo in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in July, and will have a human representative in Nick "Stoxtrader" Grudzien. Related Articles: Liar liar circuits on fire WSOPE champ bounty in online freeroll...

Deal!

It would seem the summer months will be lousy with superheroes, digitized monsters (some of us still long for the old "stop motion" days), and lots of really big explosions. So how does a movie without a budget that would make Warren Buffett cry compete with films where guys in advanced armor uphold the rule of law by laying the smack down on evil doers without the benefit of a trial? You get Burt Reynolds and Shannon Elizabeth to headline and throw in the game of poker.

A Mistake by Any Other Name Is Still a Mistake

Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke had a hell of a coming out party during the 2007 Aussie Millions. Basically he hung around in hands he had no business winning and got luckier on the river than Moses did the day an Egyptian princess found him floating in the Nile and decided to call him sonny boy. On the plus side he came in second, won a boatload of money, and started to make a name for himself outside of cyberspace. The downside is that very little of his success had anything to do with skill.

Distract Yourself

Casinos are loud, over the top places by design. Theoretically it will make people more excited and help separate them from the contents of their wallets. K-Mart tried this with a flashing blue light. They would put it in the aisle where they have cut the prices on small consumer goods, and people were supposed to flock to the blue light and spend their hard earned cash like Pavlov's dog salivating at the sound of a bell. While you are seated at a poker table in your favorite casino, the sounds going on around you may not be all you have to block out.

The WSOP Moves the Main Event Final Table to November

USA Today broke the news that that the World Series of Poker is going to move the final table of this year Main Event to November. For many of us this was a baffling move. On the one hand, it was confusing because this news was floating around on a number of blogs over a month ago and officials from the WSOP kept denying that there was any truth to the rumor. Secondly, it is a bewildering move because on the surface it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. Reaction by the players has been mixed. Victor Ramdin and Greg Raymer both told us what they thought of the idea.

Preemptive War on Maniacs

Maniacs like to be the person who drives the action in a hand. This gives them a feeling of control, lets them believe that they are the bully at the table. They rarely know what to do when somebody stands up and punches them in the nose. Now, we don't mean you should physically assault your particular maniac, but take control of the hand before the flop. If the maniac raises, re-raise. This will confuse them because they rarely have to react to somebody else's overt aggression at the table.

The Dangers of Dumb Players

Stupid people at a poker table can be a lot of hassle. They bet out of turn, try to go all in with their whole stack during table limit games, and think that good play involves tantrums. It would be funny if these players didn't have such potential to screw up the game of somebody who knows what they are doing. First of all, dumb players don't know they are dumb. They learned to play by watching television and think that the edited snippets they see are representative to how the game is really played.

Poker Pro Can't Dance

Shannon Elizabeth started her career with a bit part in the comedy movie American Pie, and soon there after started a second career as a pro poker player. It seemed like she was interested in a third career when she signed up to partake in the popular dance show "Dancing with the Stars," but could she make it all the way? It appears not as the "Poker Princess" was voted out on the last show. This Texan was in good spirits, however, has she called the show "amazing" and said that she learned a lot.Related Articles:WSOPE champ bounty in online freerollAnnie Duke hired to figure poker schedule...

"Ms. Poker: I'm Not Bluffing - Book One" Susie Isaacs

Susie Isaacs loves poker and it shows in the vibrance of her work. She is a regular contributor to a number of major poker publications and is highly respected among her peers. And like an emboldened Mercedes convertible behind a stalled 1977 Pacer in rush hour traffic - Isaacs does not hesitate to toot her own horn - boldly proclaiming her status as having written more books dealing with poker than any other women in the biz.

Radio Station Challenges Listeners in Poker

A California radio station sent their crew to the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Poker Room to test their might against their listeners in what they were calling the Poker Pro Showdown Throwdown. Jace Edwards and co-host Tank from KCLB-FM were joined by fellow DJ's Jenn Brewski, Patrick Tish, and Mike Trash, who faced 45 players in a single elimination No Limit Texas Holdem tournament. DJ's had prize bounties on their heads, which players fought for after paying a $50 buy in...

Smoking Ban Hurts Poker Machines

According to numbers from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing turnover on poker machines dropped by around 20 percent in March in hotels, and some are pointing their fingers at the ban on smoking indoors as the culprit. Some are predicting "catastrophic consequences" for the poker machine industry thanks to the ban. The figures further show a steady drop in poker machine play during the time from July of 2007 (when the poker ban was kicked off at 100%) through February...