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Improve and Fold strategy Stud Poker

2008-01-27T16:46:00.000+03:00

Seven-card stud is a complicated game, significantly more so than hold'em. Successful stud and hold'em players both must attend to the betting actions of their opponents to figure out their likely holdings. Stud and hold'em players both must have a good understanding of how their starting hands are likely to develop into profitable or unprofitable final hands. Both must be able to calculate 'outs' and understand pot odds and implied odds. But in stud alone, the good player must also keep track of his opponent's exposed cards. Knowledge of these exposed cards, both the ones in play and the ones that have been folded, allows the good stud player extra insight into the chances that his hand will improve. Knowing, for example, that three hearts have been folded during the play of a stud hand may convince the good stud player that drawing for that flush doesn't make sense.

These exposed cards are extra pieces of information available to stud players. But, counterintuitively, this extra information may hinder stud players from properly evaluating their hands.

In hold'em, players' hands develop simultaneously and identically as the board progresses from the flop to the turn and the river. All players share the same board. All watch it as it is turned. Accordingly, all but the least experienced and worst hold'em players are aware that a third card of one suit on the river, for example, may mean a flush for an opponent. Players with two pair are correspondingly careful about betting when that happens. Players on the turn drawing for a straight, when there are three suited cards on the board, are similarly cautious –- aware that they may be drawing dead.

But in stud, players are sometimes so absorbed in their own hands, and how they are developing, that they may not be paying attention to how their hand is stacking up against the hands that their opponents are likely to hold.

This is especially true of the beginning and intermediate player who has learned which starting hands to play and which to discard. He waits for one of few powerful starting hands, gets one, and then if the hand improves as hoped, he continues to play until the river, bound to ride the horse he jumped on at the beginning of the ride. What he's failed to recognize is that absolute improvement is not nearly as important as relative improvement.

Here's an example from a recent home game I was in. The lineup was pretty soft –- primarily recreational players who liked to call. One player was more serious, though not necessarily more skilled. He understood the importance of folding poor starting hands, but didn't appreciate the importance of looking around and evaluating his hand relative to the rest of the hands that were out.

He started with a three-flush on third street. He called, as did four other players. On fourth street he hit a fourth suited card. Two of his opponents paired their door cards. The higher of the two pairs made a double bet. The other player raised. The player with the four-flush called.

This was a terrible call. True, he had a four-flush and, with his flush cards all live, had about a 50% chance of making his flush. But he was against at least one and maybe two sets of trips right off the bat on fourth street. They also have about a 50% chance of making a full house. He should have folded his flush draw.

Here's another example. A player with a split pair of jacks raised the bring-in. Two players with overcards called. The first held a king, the second a queen. On fourth street the player with the split jacks caught a blank. The player with the king caught an ace. The next player caught a six:

(J 4) J 2
(x x) K A
(x x) Q 6

The second and third player checked and the first player, with his pair of jacks, bet. The next two players called.

On fifth street the player with the jacks caught another deuce; the second player caught a blank and the third player caught a jack. None were suited.

(J 4) J 2 2
(x x) K A 4
(x x) Q 6 J

The first player, now with two pair, bet. The second player raised. The third player re-raised. The first player called, as did the second player.

The first player made a terrible call. Unless each of his opponents is a maniac, logic and observation require a fold here.

True, the first player improved. Improving is good in a vacuum. But the betting action and exposed cards of his opponents demonstrates that he is very, very far behind. The second player must have either kings or aces up or trips. The third player almost surely has trip queens or trip sixes. In any case, jacks up, with one dead jack, is a huge underdog and very unlikely to improve to a winning hand. He should fold to the double bet rather than continue to draw for one of three cards that will give him a full house (and quite possibly a losing full house even if he makes it).

The problem for stud players is that they, like all poker players, begin their poker lessons by learning hand values. This is how poker is taught. We're all taught that a full house is a strong hand and a pair is a weak hand. In hold'em, since all hands are derived from a common board, players immediately recognize that all hands are relative. A flush is a good hand –- but only if the board can't make a full house. Trips are a good hand, but only if the board can't make a straight or a flush.

But in stud, players are inundated with data –- up to eight exposed cards on third street and then more on each successive street, plus their own hands. It's easy for them to put blinders on and just think about their own hand and its chances of improvement – neglecting their opponents' hands and their opponents' chances of improvement as well.

The good stud player pays attention to all of the data and weighs his hand's chances of improvement relative to the likely improvement of his opponents' hands. Sometimes, though his hand may improve –- but when weighed against the likely superior improvement of his opponent's hand, the best move is still to fold.

Source: pokernews.com

Women's Poker Hall of Fame

2008-01-17T14:34:00.000+03:00

The Women's Poker Hall of Fame is a dream that founder Lupe Soto has had for many many years. It only seems logical to any person who knows this driven supporter of women's poker, to realize that she would be the one to start such an institution.

Soto began both the first online women's poker forum, pokerchix.com, and the leading ladies poker tour, the LIPSTour. Soto also brought the first $1,000 buy-in to a women's-only event, outside of the WSOP, over five years ago. The fruition of a dream that will become the Women's Poker Hall of Fame this February is the most rewarding and thrilling project to ever come true for this entrepreneur. Lupe says, "This is an institution that will recognize the many outstanding women who have accomplished so much and have reached the pinnacle of their poker careers. We've only begun to scratch the surface in the many venues available today in which to find these women in the poker industry. This organization will exemplify those women and their respective poker industry achievements and titles."

When Lupe first started creating the WPHoF, she knew the most important elements would be the devotion and passion that the committee would bring to the project. In doing so, she drew on some of the most prominent women in poker and invited the to sit on the committee for its first three years. The committee includes Soto, Allyn Jaffrey Shulman, Karina Jett, Suzanne Carter and Maureen Feduniak, and they eagerly set out to choose the first year's four inductees. Subsequent years will see two women elected each year. The qualifying criteria for the WPHoF were determined by the committee to include:

1. Must have been active as a player or industry leader at some time during a period beginning at least 15 years prior to election.

2. Must have contributed to the world of poker in some significant way, either by wins/cashes in major tournaments or by making significant contributions to the poker industry.

3. Must be a proponent of women's poker. Though not required to play in women-only events, she must support their existence.

The first four ladies to be inducted into the Women's Poker Hall of Fame will be:

● Linda Johnson, the 'First Lady of Poker';
● Marsha Waggoner, accomplished poker pro;
● Barbara Enright, poker pro and winner of three WSOP bracelets;
● Susie Isaacs, two-time WSOP winner and author of many poker books.

These ladies will be honored at a ceremony on February 2, 2008 at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas. Mike Sexton is slated to be Master of Ceremonies with Jan Fisher as a special guest speaker for the inaugural luncheon, with an open tournament for a buy-in of $500 at 2 p.m. The members of the WPHoF are invited back on the third to play in a freeroll where a $1,000 prize pool is guaranteed and many gifts provided by sponsors will surely please the players. Among the prizes to be given away will be a pass to a WPT Boot Camp.

Membership to the WPHoF is open to both women and men and costs $75 for one year. 20% of the membership fee is donated to the Halls' favored charity, Breast Cancer Angels Foundation; the organization is supported by its members, donations and sponsors. To become a member or a sponsor of this tremendous effort to build on women's poker, please visit their website at www.womenspokerhalloffame.com.

In the following weeks I will be profiling these honored ladies who are to be inducted in the first ceremony of the Women's Poker Hall of Fame.

Source: pokernew.com

Professional Poker Career

2008-01-16T15:33:00.000+03:00

The opportunity to launch a career in professional poker has never been greater than now, thanks to the emergence and explosive growth of online casino gambling. That being said, the opportunity is counter balanced by the fact that millions of other poker playing gamblers have the very same idea, which is to “go pro” with a professional poker career.

Professional poker has exploded right in line with online casino gambling and, in fact, multitudes of professional poker players align themselves with various online casino poker rooms ranging from roles as consultants, owners, to simply allowing their names and images to be used as a front to lure in business.

But to actually BECOME a professional poker player, experience and dedication are of paramount importance. With millions of online casino poker junkies playing every waking moment of their existence with the hope of being good enough to make a living at it, the dedication required to succeed at online casino poker has never been greater. But dedication is not enough.

The successful professional poker player absorbs card knowledge like a sponge, and every hand is like a text book example that is studied and mentally devoured. The best poker players, the ones that end up making a living at online casino poker, are so completely focused that they improve after playing every hand because of their ability to shut out all negativity and distractions.

Online casino poker offers the best chance to make for a professional poker career because you can get your start at free or low limit tables to gain experience without going broke in the process.

(c) Tom Wilkinson, source: professional-poker.com

Top Poker Players Without Any Cash

2008-01-15T10:14:00.000+03:00

Joe Saumarez-Smith is chief executive officer of Sports Gaming, a U.K. management consulting firm to the gaming industry. He also owns European online bingo companies and odds comparison Web sites. The opinions expressed are his own.

The last time I was in Las Vegas, I stood outside the card room at the Bellagio casino, waiting for a friend to arrive. Along with a few other tourists I watched a poker game just to pass the time.

After a few minutes, one of the biggest names in the game, someone whose name you would recognize if you watched even a small amount of televised poker, came and greeted me like a long-lost friend.

This was somewhat odd. I had been introduced to him once, a couple of years earlier. He asked if he could borrow $200 because he was running short. This is someone who runs through tens of millions of dollars a year at the tables and for whom $200 is pretty much a rounding error. I politely declined and he went off to do a bit more "nipping,'' as borrowing from fellow players is commonly termed.

The other people standing around were astounded. Could this player really have been asking for as little as $200? Surely it was some kind of a joke. To spare the player's blushes I assured them it was all done in jest but it set me pondering about how little the general public understands the poker economy.

When watching "High Stakes Poker'' or the World Series of Poker on television it's easy to assume that all these people with mountains of chips in front of them are millionaires and living the American poker dream. The sad reality is that a reasonable number of them are broke or, even worse, deep in debt to their fellow players, banks and loan sharks.

Financial Backers

It is something poker players do not like to advertise. There are two good reasons for this. The first is that people are less likely to lend you money if they already know you are in hock.

The second is that the less money you have, the less likely you are to play a confident game. If people know their opponents are playing with their last dollars, they will be able to exert far more pressure on them at the tables.

Des Wilson, the author of two books on poker, says players privately admit that they have bad runs. "If you're sitting having a drink with them, most of them will acknowledge that at some point they have gone broke and had to borrow money. But a hell of a lot is not seen by anyone apart from the top players.''

Many of the top players have financial backers or sell off a share in their action each tournament, Wilson says. "Then there are players who will offer insurance deals to other players, so they won't lose all their cash if they finish out of the money.''

It is common for the household names of poker to find outside backers, if only to reduce the volatility caused by playing for tens of thousands of dollars a hand. When a bad run for a couple of months can cost a couple of million dollars, it is best to be playing partly with someone else's cash.

Sponsorships

The other most common form of funding is sponsorship by the major online poker companies. They pay entry fees to the major tournaments, flights and hotel accommodation. Without this backing, several of the big players would have annual losses in excess of $200,000 each.

Nolan Dalla, media director of the World Series of Poker, and a former semiprofessional poker player and sports gambler, says nobody should be surprised if the top players lose everything. "It is almost inevitable that if you play poker for many years, then variance will catch up with you,'' Dalla says.

"The scale of players being backed to play is now much bigger than it ever used to be,'' Dalla said. "But you also have to think that poker economy is only so big, and it does not have enough money in it to sustain the number of players who aspire to be professionals.''

Poor Discipline

Don't feel too sorry for the big-name players. Wilson says most are highly skilled but lack discipline. "What they tend to be bad at is either money management or other forms of gambling, so they lose all the money they have won at poker at the craps table or betting on sports.''

Of course not every top player is broke. Players such as Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson and Howard Lederer earn seven-figure totals each year from playing poker. The very best will always be able to make a living from the game.

But the ones who tend to shout the loudest about how well they are doing tend, in my experience, to be the ones who disappear from the poker circuit after a couple of years when their funds run dry.

(c) Joe Saumarez-Smith

Online Versus Real Casino

2008-01-14T17:34:00.000+03:00

It has often been questioned which one of is better, if online poker or the brick and mortar poker arena? While this is not my decision to make I am going to review some pros and cons of both, so that you the poker player can decide which is right for you.

The most obvious difference is the locale or setting of the two poker arenas. One must travel to a casino or poker room often far distances often out of state or region. Online casinos are anywhere you need them to be have access to the internet and pc and you are ready to download a poker site and play. Another difference that is a negative about brick and mortar casinos is the sign up. In online play you merely search for the game and limits you want to play and can usually get in quickly with no wait due to such a variety of games and so many players at any given time. In a brick and mortar casino you may have to wait for long periods of time for the table you want to get in on has a position open for you.

Playing poker itself also has a huge difference in playing online or standard casinos. The most obvious being real live people on a physical table rather than avatars of other players in a computer generated poker site. In a live casino situation you can use physical tells and physical habits to help or hurt you. Online the main tells you can gather are betting patterns and a few posted comments or notes you’ve saved on a player.

Cashing out is also a major difference between online and traditional casino play. In a brick and mortar casino at the end of your session you go to the cashier cage and cash your chips in for physical cash. Whereas in an online poker room you utilize an account on that site and most sites have certain minimums at which you can cash out.

These are a few ways in which brick and mortar casinos differ from playing online. I hope this article has helped you in deciding which arena best fits you’re playing goals and style. Either way play your own game and good luck on the felt whether real or computer generated.

(c) Paul Morse

How Yellow Light Helps to Win in Poker

2008-01-12T18:04:00.000+03:00

I was teaching my daughter how to drive — but she's learning in the city, Boston to be exact. People tend to pick up bad habits of driving in this city, and my daughter is no exception. We were approaching a green light and it turned yellow. So, naturally, growing up in Boston, she did what every driver learns to do here. She speeded up! Now you and I know that this is incorrect driving behavior. But she didn't. I had to explain that a yellow light meant to start slowing down because a red light was about to follow. And a red light meant stop.

Yes, in driving, yellow lights mean slow down and red lights mean stop. But drivers, especially new drivers, only see the green. And once they are going it's very difficult for them to stop. Maybe that's why the accident rate in Boston is so high. They fall in love with their accelerators, failing to brake at yellow lights – and even failing to stop at red ones!

What does this have to do with poker? I've noticed some very similar habits at the stud tables where I play. Players, who might otherwise play a pretty good game, have a hard time slowing down and stopping when the light changes. Though they don't use their poker accelerator often, if they use it at the beginning of the hand they have a very tough time switching to the brake when the situation calls for it.

Here's an example. Matt, a fairly good, though perhaps overly tight player in a $20/40 game, (conventionally structured with a $3 ante and a $5 bring-in) gets dealt a split pair of jacks with a king kicker. He sees around the table a bunch of low and middling cards and a queen a few seats to his left. Rudy, a solid, relatively straightforward player, holds the queen.

Matt plays few hands – generally staying out of any hands if he doesn't have at least a premium pair or a high three-flush that is very live – and that expects a lot of competition. With his pair of jacks he completes the bet to $20. This is the conventional play for a premium pair. The next couple of players fold. The action comes to the queen who re-raises. Everyone else folds and the action returns to the jack. The remaining kings and jacks are live; he knows that the queen may well have reraised to get the hand heads up even without a pair of queens. He figures him for maybe a wired pair with a queen kicker or maybe even a queen with an ace in the hole.

Matt calls the raise from the queen. He figures that he might be a small dog, if Rudy has the queens he's representing. Or, if Rudy is bluffing, with maybe a queen and a couple of high cards or a queen and a wired pair, then Rudy knows he's a pretty big favorite.

The next card for Matt is a suited five. The next card for Rudy is an unsuited six. Rudy, with the exposed queen, is high. He bets. Matt calls. So far so good.

On fifth street Rudy pairs his fourth-street card, the six. Matt gets an Ace. The queen with the new pair of sixes checks. The jacks bet and the pair of sixes re-raises, executing a check-raise. Matt calls.

The hand plays out with Rudy betting sixth and then the river and Matt calling both. Rudy shows down queens up and Matt, who improved on the river to a second pair, shows jacks up. Rudy wins.

Matt played his hand wrong. His errors are those routinely made by some players. Let's look at them closely.

Raising pre-flop is fine – even with a higher door card out. If one only raised with a premium pair that was higher than anyone else's door card in a $20/40 game, the antes and bring-in would eventually destroy your stack. You have to raise with lower premium pairs in the hope of knocking out the singleton premium cards that remain after you.

But when your effort is met by return fire – by a re-raise – that should give you great pause – especially when it comes from a straightforward player. It's true that many good players will raise with the higher premium card even if they don't have a pair. And it was correct, in my opinion, for Matt to call this raise with a higher kicker than that door card – a king versus that queen. Similarly, when neither hand improved on fourth street, I think it was correct for Matt to call Rudy's bet – since Matt still possessed an overcard and Rudy didn't show any additional threat.

But on fifth street, when Rudy checked, Matt should surely not have taken the bait. He should have checked behind Rudy – getting and giving a free card. I'd suggest that it was the product of thoughtless aggression – a foot stuck on the accelerator.

This is a mistake, and one that I've seen some players make routinely. They begin as the aggressor, they face return fire, but they refuse to back down – acting as if they have no brakes, only an accelerator. This can be catastrophic. In this case, Matt decides that he should represent a strong hand to try to get the queen to fold. He thinks of his bet as a semi-bluff – a pair of jacks with an ace kicker that could improve to a high two pair and may also win by getting his opponent to fold.

But what he's doing is speeding up at the intersection with a yellow light. He should be slowing down. Assuming that either of his initial reads of Rudy's hands is correct, Rudy is now either a big favorite (about 7:3), with queens up against Matt's jacks with an ace kicker, or a small favorite (about 3:2) with two low pair against Matt's jacks and a high kicker.

Rudy's action, the check-raise, after Matt's fifth street bet, should have been a red light. If Matt thought that his bet made sense – by denying his opponent a free card if he was drawing, or punishing him if he only had a small pair – then when Rudy raised, Matt should have seen it as the powerful sign of strength that it was. Matt should have folded.

This isn't to say that some players aren't tricky enough to try a check-raise bluff or semi-bluff. But the good player can't assume that the fifth-street betting action of his straightforward, solid opponent is a bluff. At most he should have recognized the paired board as a yellow light and checked. And when he did bet, and was check-raised, he should have seen it as a red light and gotten away from his hand.

P.S. No one can stop you now. Wanna try?

Source

Few Words About Poker Psychology

2008-01-11T17:33:00.000+03:00

The game of poker is warfare of an unusual type. You battle it out with chips and cards instead of physical strength or armaments, disseminating sometimes conflicting information to make the best decisions possible.

But some players come to the felt with a major part of their arsenal muted: they lack the psychological backing to allow them to attack poker properly.

While many people talk about the mathematics, strategy, knowledge of opponents and heart that it takes to play poker competently, most ignore the need for psychological abilities - along with all of those components - to play to the maximum of your abilities.

One of those psychological factors I've found improves your game is what I call "The Complete Circle."

The Complete Circle has three components: support from family, support from knowledgeable poker friends and non-poker interests. If you have only one or two parts of this circle, you're not reaching the full potential of a segment of the psychology of the game.

The first part, support from family, is perhaps the most critical part. For some in the poker world, they face derision, ridicule and sometimes out and out dislike from family members regarding their pursuits in the world of poker.

It can be parents, a spouse or any significant other who, if they don't agree with what you are doing, can cause you to have apprehensions at the tables.

For example, in many families, gambling is looked at as the bottom of the barrel when it comes to society and that has an effect on a player's game. Many players admit they lied to their parents about their poker pursuits at first becuase of this.

It wasn't until they rectified the situation and received the blessing of their parents that they were able to fully extend their skills at the tables.

When it comes to spouses and significant others, that can be even trickier than the parental part. A partner, through repeated argument and disagreement about the money and time involved in the game, can induce a player to not be at their best.

You've probably seen this in action at the felt. A player moves from the table to take a cell phone call. Their significant other badgers them about when they'll be home or a bill that could be paid with the chips sitting on the table. They come back and are on significant tilt, perhaps to the point of losing those said chips.

It is critical to poker success to have your significant other firmly behind you in your chosen hobby or occupation. Why do you think most poker players have significant others that are involved in some way, either recreationally or professionally, with the game?

It is not only a situation of "birds of a feather" but it is also has basis in a firm understanding and support from said other.

The second part of The Complete Circle, support from knowledgeable poker friends, is good for the growth of your game. Instead of ruminating about particular issues such as bad beats, the play of particular hands or alternative strategies in the recesses of your own mind, having several poker playing compatriots to bounce these questions off of can expand not only your knowledge of the game but also give fresh insight not bound by your own preconceptions.

These friends can come from a multitude of areas. With the multitude of poker forums available, poker players can build a network of people that evolve into friendships.

For the most part, fellow players in a live game can be helpful and those relationships can build into long lasting bonds of camaraderie. Finally, a supportive spouse or family member can fill this and the first segment of The Complete Circle as well.

The final part of The Complete Circle, non-poker interests, is something everyone needs with their chosen hobbies or professions. Do you truly believe that a radio DJ, after playing music for several hours in the day, goes home and does the same? Do you think a mechanic, after grinding over vehicles for a living, goes home and works on his car?

The ability to step away from what is a focal point of your life, whether a hobby or profession, is important to a fulfilling life.

While it is important to have a passion for the game of poker, it is also important to have outside interests that can release your mind from that pursuit. The change of pace is critical to recharging the batteries and perhaps even refeeding that passion that is important to success.

Having anything be a 24/7 pursuit not only eventually leads to burnout but it also stunts the ability to make adjustments to your mindset and skills to become better.

By having The Complete Circle filled, you will have made substantial strides toward success at the tables. It will clear your mind, allow you to focus on the tasks at hand and relieve outside pressures that can distract you from your pursuit at the tables.

It is a segment of the psychology of poker that you can change to improve your game immediately.

(c) Earl Burton

How To Play Poker If You Are Blind?

2007-12-25T23:02:00.000+03:00

In an intriguing tale of disability and discrimination gone amok, a blind man by the name of Jason Holbrook has been refused a seat at the World Series of poker table. Holbrook has been offered a refund for the entry fee and his seat will be offered to someone else, but he will not be able to play at the World Series of poker in Las Vegas. Holbrook lost his ability to see in an automobile accident at the age of 20. At this time he was already an avid poker player and being blind gave him no reason to stop playing. Being such a dedicated player Jason Holbrook has found ways to get around the disability while playing poker. Utilizing a handler that whispers the cards that he has in his hands into his ear and keep him abreast of all the plays that have been made that he may have missed, Holbrook maintains that he can effectively play poker with the best players in the world without any difficulties due to his disability.

Considering that Holbrook had to win the Golden West Casino in Bakersfield's tournament for the right to enter into the World Series of poker, it seemed odd that he would be denied a position at the World Series of poker table. The gaming officials apparently agreed and have reversed their decision to disbar Holbrook from playing at the World Series of poker in Las Vegas, under extreme pressure from the media and other sources, as the story showed up in a number of newspapers and news programs on television. The major question seemed to be how the World Series of poker could specifically refuse a player for their disability when many could not legally refuse a customer for that same disability. The World Series of poker can also accommodate paralyzed players, rendering the question of a blind player somewhat moot in the grand scheme of things.

There is still some question among players about how fair and proper it is to allow a second person at the table to conspire with Holbrook on the usage of his cards and how to play them. Theoretically the handler is only there to inform Holbrook of the cards that he holds in his hands, but can perform a variety of other functions serving as a strategic element or some type of added advantage that other players do not have. After all there is only one player serving for one hand at each table and no more. Having two players serve for one hand seems to be an added advantage for the user.
(c) Efrain Valerio

Online Poker Rooms Have Problems With UK

2007-12-21T04:20:00.001+03:00

In what seems to be the latest turn off for poker players in the UK, the UK Gambling Commission warned the Online Poker Rooms about offering seats in poker tournaments as prizes. The UK Gambling Commission has raised its voice and told poker operators in the UK that offering seats in poker tournaments taking place outside the ‘white-listed’ jurisdiction” (UK, European Economic Area, Common Wealth and Gibraltar) can be considering a felony because they are promoting “foreign gambling”. In the Commission's view, the offering of such a prize amounts to advertising of non-UK gambling, as defined by section 327 of the Gambling Act 2005. Unless the overseas tournament is based in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, or in white-listed jurisdictions, the advert is likely to amount to the advertising of "foreign gambling", which constitutes an offense under section 331 of the Gambling Act 2005

A statement on the Commissions website says: “It has come to the Commission's attention that a number of operators are offering places at overseas poker tournaments as prizes in UK based competitions. For example, a poker tournament played either at a UK Casino or online may offer the winner the chance to play in a cash prize tournament held outside the UK. Operators should take steps to ensure that any advertising which they are responsible for complies with the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005.”

Dozens of online poker and gaming companies such as 888.com, MansionPoker.com, Party Poker, Ladbrokers and other casinos and online rooms based within the Commission’s jurisdiction, will have to start thinking new ways to advertise and attract players since they have featured prizes that include seats for the World Series of Poker main event and Aussie Millions, otherwise they can face a monetary fine or 51 weeks in jail, or even both.

Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic New Champ from Ukraine

2007-12-20T01:56:00.000+03:00

Ukrainian player, Eugene Katchalov took the first place at the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Katchalov had a terrific night that ended up with a $2.48 million prize. He was responsible for the elimination of four of the five poker players who dispute the final table at this WPT event. Katchalov also received a $25k seat to the 2008 WPT World Championship as part of the prize for the first place.

The Ukrainian needed just fifty three hands to complete his job. Katchalov is a young poker player, born in Kiev, Ukraine currently living in Brooklyn, New York. His biggest previous live cash was $118k at the Bellagio Cup III, plus apparently he took down a Sunday major tournament a few months ago.

Famous player David "Devilfish" Ulliott came in 3rd place, after losing a hand with Katchalov. The other victims were Ken Rosen, Ted Kearly and Jordan Rich. The $15,000 buy-in tournament began with 626 players, making it the richest poker tournament in history excluding the WPT Championships and WSOP Main Events. This was the greatest poker performance ever in Katchalov’s career as he starts to stand up as one of the great players in 2008, accumulating $2,524,786 in winnings only this year.
Source

EU Online Companies vs U.S.A

2007-12-19T16:26:00.000+03:00

European gambling and online poker companies may withdrawal the U.S market voluntarily if the European body accepts a deal that opens other markets to foreign companies as compensation. It seems that the European delegation sent to negotiate with the U.S drop their pants, blowing European online gaming companies when they accepted a U.S. offer that will open other market as compensation for shutting the U.S. gambling market. A speaker and representative of the online gaming and poker groups in Europe said the announcement was a disappointment. European companies expected more than a slap of their faces after they have lost billions when they had to step out of the U.S market due the government’s restrictions. Companies such as Party Poker, MansionPoker.com, Pacific Poker and more had consistent reductions in their profits after the firms were pushed out of the U.S market to avoid any legal situations.

The main attorney representing Antigua before the WTO, declared that he still hoping for a ruling on that issue before the WTO closes down next week for holidays. "Nobody in Antigua really wanted our claim to be overshadowed by the EU," he said. About a year ago, the U.S Congress set up a series of restrictions on Internet gambling, making illegal for banks and credit card companies to make related to online gambling, gaming or poker activities. In May, Washington said commitments it made as part of a 1994 WTO deal excluded online gambling, starting a chain reaction among countries which economies were affected and that started to look for compensations.

"A bilateral agreement was signed in Geneva, which provides EU service suppliers with new trade opportunities in the U.S. postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse sectors," the European Commission declared in a statement. "The U.S. also made concessions in the testing and analysis services sector," the commission said, adding that it would still try to dissuade the United States from discriminating against foreign operators. The United States is also looking to persuade India, Costa Rica and Macao to take similar deals, but those countries have the option over the next 45 days to ask for World Trade Organization arbitration.

"We continue to believe that it is better to regulate than to prohibit, because the reality shows that the prohibition only drives out the transparent, listed operators," said an European representative related to one of the largest online gaming companies in the old continent.

(c) Dave Zamzack

Five card draw strategy

2007-12-18T01:13:00.000+03:00

After two raises only raise with the best of hands. In pot limit poker, if two raises have already been placed, at least one player will be "all-in" (when a player is out of chips) by this stage. Take into account that the other player will usually not fold after so many raises, so you'd better make sure you have a hand that is good enough by any standard. If you place another raise the other player may even re-raise and make the stakes even larger.

In pot limit or no limit, be careful not to raise a hand you will later draw to. In five card draw poker, Make sure you do not need to replace any cards before going for a raise in a pot limit and no limit game. This is less relevant for limit games where the raises are equal and set.

Against tight players you need to implement an aggressive five card draw poker strategy, with lots of high raises, as well as a confident, somewhat bragging look, and of course preferably without drawing any cards. For loose players you should only play with strong hands and let go of your attempts to bluff.

Tight five card draw poker strategy describes the behavior of a player who only plays with strong hands and folds on others. Loose draw poker strategy describes a player who might go on and play with strong as well as with weak hands, and not be afraid to match high raises and bets. If you are up against a good draw poker player, know that he/she may change his/her five card draw poker strategy, switching from loose to tight and vice versa.

Remember that there are no free rides in pot limit. If you have a hand that is pretty good, but not a sure win, do not leave your opponent a chance to hesitate, and either place a large raise or fold. Do not however place a small raise, because then the other player will have nothing to lose by continuing to play, and you'll make the draw poker odds work against you.

(c) Chris Barnhardt

Key Poker Tips by Pro You Should Know

2007-12-17T13:12:00.000+03:00

Poker is a game that is constantly gaining popularity, every day more and more players join the large list of online poker rooms you can easily find over the net, many poker players are jus casual players looking for a distraction or an amusing way to spend their time, but there’s always a considerable percentage of players who are looking to test their poker skills and knowledge against other poker players. Reaching a level in where you can live out of your poker winnings could be a difficult task since you need a lot of time and patience; some people believe that you can become a champ simply by knowing the basics and that’s the number one mistake among beginners. There’s lot more than understanding the game rules, a good player is always aware that bad decisions can make your chips disappear and put you out of the table any time.

First of all you should recognize when you have a good chance to score a good hand and when not, once you get your pocket cards is just a matter of logic to see if you can achieve something good. The best hand going in is the one most likely to be best coming out. But you also have to be very careful, even when you' have a good hand, if the betting or raising tells you you're trailing, you should better fold. Losing all your chips in an instant isn't the way to win at poker. Any decision you make while playing poker has the potential to be a good or bad decision, everything depends on the how much you win or how much you loose. Any hand has specific chances to make you win the pot, and specific odds. If the odds you'll be paid are higher than your odds against winning then your hand is worth a play. If they're lower, you should fold.

The betting order at the table is also a critical factor. If you're first to act right after the blinds you must decide what to do without knowing what the other e players are going to do. If you're last, you pretty much know whether there's been a raise and how many opponents you're going to have. In other words, the late position is always more convenient since you have the chance to figure how are the other players moving before your turn comes. The first positions must act first all the way through the hand. That's why you should play carefully if you have an early position, while you can be less conservative if you have a late position.

P.S. Beat opponents and take away their money!

(c) Dave Zamzack

Different Poker Variations.

2007-12-17T13:02:00.000+03:00

Poker is game that offers an unaccountable amount of variations, but no matter what variation you play the basics will be pretty much the same, getting the best hand possible is always going to be the main point of the game and that’s why you can change certain details in the structure like how many pocket cards are dealt to each player at the beginning of the hand, how many community can be used, if you can exchange cards, etc. Every poker player knows the Texas Hold’em basics since this is the most common variation, actually many people inclines to believe that this is the only poker there is due its popularity and recent explosion on the TV. A good poker player knows dozens, even hundreds of different ways to play; I’m not a big player, I’m just a social player that enjoys from playing a few hands once in a while, but I remember that I played poker with some pals that that used to set different rules for each hand.

Normally when you visit an online casino you will find diverse variations of poker, some of them are exclusive but I will stay focused only in the most common types of poker you can find at almost any casino on the planet after Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker. Seven card Stud Hi/Lo Split is a very popular form in many online casinos as well as in places like Atlantic City, Las Vegas, etc. This game needs full awareness of folded cards. It's dealt just like regular 7 Card Stud with 3 cards down and 4 cards up except that the pot gets split between the best high and low hands. You need to score 8 low or lower to win the low half; otherwise the best high hand gets it all. River Pineapple is a variation of Hi/Lo Hold'em, one of the differences is that each player starts with three cards instead of just two. There's a three card flop, a turn card and a river card with a bet after each like in Texas Hold'em. You must decide which way to go once the river cards is revealed, and throw away one of your hole cards before you turn up your hand. Best high and low hands split the pot, and as always, the low must be 8 or lower. Aces aren't as good in this game as in Texas Hold’em; small two-pair hands get made at the river by players who were going low with something like 2/3/4. Star Wars is another interesting variation; the game is an expanded version of Omaha Hi/Lo. Each player gets five cards in the hole and makes a bet. Then there's a three card flop and then you have to bet again. The fourth and fifth board cards come simultaneously, followed by a third and final bet. You must use two cards from your hand with three cards from the board to achieve the highest hand. Then you use two from your hand with three from the board to make your best low. If no player hits 8 low or lower, the high hand gets the whole pot.

Forty-Two is a lively combination of flop style and draw poker with the usual Hi/Lo split. Each player gets four cards and you can use them all, and then bet. A two card flop is deal so that everybody now has six cards followed by a second betting round, you get 4 cards and then 2 and that’s why the game is called “42”. You can discard and draw anywhere up to four hole cards, then there's a final bet. Best low hand of 8 or lower takes half the pot but the high hand winner must have at least two-pair.

P.S. Use your poker skills in practice

(c) Efrain Valerio

Top Spot in Search Engine

2007-12-12T12:33:00.000+03:00

This is the second year in a row that the term Poker earns the top spot by generating more search activity with Lycos users in 2007 than any other search term. Boosted by the escalating success of the poker tournaments and numerous televised celebrity poker events, online interest in Poker dominates Lycos's search logs. The search topic even beats tabloid news and prominent names such as the disaster goddess Britney Spears or Paris Hilton jail situation. This is a good example of how online poker is rapidly expanding all over the internet and how thousands of players are willing to join this activity. When you see the word “poker’ over passing terms that are popular on the daily media you can realize how big the game is getting, despite the recent prohibition ruled by the U.S government.

The numerous tournaments taking place on the net and the juicy cash prices offered by many online poker sites are probably the main attractive players look for when they surf the net. The televised shows also have contributed to poker’s popularity; dozens of shows running on weekly basis have gained the people’s attention and attracting more and more internet users to the poker sites who sponsor players in these events, is not a secret that having your name stamped on a T Shirt, a baseball hat or even on the poker table helps a lot.

Also, the most popular online poker web sites have offered many tournaments and poker freerolls during this year, including some that feature seats for the premiere tournaments. This situation will hopefully help online poker to become a legal activity in the U.S, a country that has plenty online players waiting to see what is going to happen with the current legislation that restricts U.S players from online poker activities.

(c) Kel Byron

Just A Few Things When Playing Razz

2007-12-11T18:36:00.000+03:00

The rules:

For those of you who aren't familiar with Razz, it is a game played like 7-card stud. The twist is that in Razz, the worst hand wins. Straights and flushes don't count for anything, but pairs are bad. Aces are always low cards. A five-high (or wheel -- remember that straights don't count against you) is the worst -- or I should say the best -- possible hand for this game. A-2-3-4-5.

Starting hands:

When playing this game, it's important that you start with 3 little cards. You shouldn't play with any card bigger than an eight in your hand. But there are two exceptions to this rule.

1. You have a nine showing when the hand is dealt, everyone else's up card is bigger than a nine, and you have two low cards in the hole. In this case, you have the best starting hand.

2. You are in steal position with a baby showing, and the remaining player (or even the remaining two players) has a big card showing. You can often raise in this spot to steal the antes regardless of what your hole cards are. If some article calls, you hope that their next card (fourth street) is a big card and yours is a baby. If your opponent catches a baby and you catch big, you should let it go. There's no point in continuing with the bluff.

Tracking cards:

Are your cards dead? This is another important thing to know when playing Razz. What do I mean by 'dead card'? A dead card is a card that is no longer in the deck. You know this because you have seen it in someone else's hand. Keeping track of the dead cards allows you to know how many of the remaining cards can hurt you, and how many will improve your hand. For example: your first three cards are 2-5-8. There are seven other players in the game, and their upcards are: 2, 5, 8, 8, 2, 7, J. Remember that pairs are bad in Razz. Fortunately, many of the cards that will pair you are in other players' hands, or 'dead'. Now suppose your opponent is holding 7-3-A. He needs a lot of the cards that are on the board (dead) to make his hand. The cards you need to make your hand are still available. In this situation, you are a little more than a 56% favorite. By tracking cards, you can more accurately make decisions based on your real equity at any poker table.

Poker Pro Chip Reese dies at 56

2007-12-10T16:29:00.000+03:00

LAS VEGAS - David "Chip" Reese, whose plans for a Stanford University business school degree were sidetracked by his success at high-stakes poker in Las Vegas, died in his sleep. He was 56.

Reese was found by his son early Tuesday at his Las Vegas home after suffering from symptoms of pneumonia, said poker great Doyle Brunson, his longtime friend.

"I knew him for 35 years, I never saw him get mad or raise his voice," Brunson said. "He had the most even disposition of anyone I've ever met. He's certainly the best poker player that ever lived."

After attending Dartmouth College, Reese was on his way to Stanford in the early 1970s when he stopped by a Las Vegas poker room and won big, said World Series of Poker media director Nolan Dalla.

"He just accidentally stumbled into Las Vegas and never left," Dalla said.

His immediate success at cash games and low-key persona won him friends, even among those who wound up passing him their chips.

Despite winning three World Series champion's bracelets over the last four decades, including a $1.8 million HORSE event in 2005 that combines five poker disciplines, Reese focused on high-stakes cash games away from the limelight.

"I've seen him with a million dollars in front of him," said Dalla, describing how Reese would put out racks of $5,000 chips "like he was betting a few bucks."

Reese was part of a generation of players in the 1970s who challenged established greats like Brunson, Thomas "Amarillo Slim" Preston Jr. and Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson, Dalla said.

Brunson and Reese eventually became business partners, investing in everything from oil wells and mining to TV stations and racehorses and becoming sports betting consultants.

None of the ventures was successful, Brunson said.

"We went to look for the Titanic. We went to look for Noah's Ark. We were two of the biggest suckers whenever it came to business, but we both had poker to fall back on," Brunson said. "Thank God we could play, so we always survived."

Reese's prowess at both cash and tournament play was cemented with his 2005 win, said World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

"Many consider Chip the greatest cash-game player who ever lived," Pollack said in a statement. "His victory in the inaugural $50,000 buy-in HORSE championship ... made him a part of WSOP lore forever."

In addition to his son, Reese is survived by a daughter and a stepdaughter, Brunson said. He was recently divorced from his wife.

Services are planned for Friday in Las Vegas, Brunson said.

"Kill Everyone" by Lee Nelson

2007-12-07T09:44:00.000+03:00

When Blair Rodman, Kim Lee, and I wrote Kill Phil, our objective was to level the playing field in no-limit hold’em (NLHE) tournaments by providing less experienced players with the tools needed to significantly reduce the edge that pros enjoy. Our target audience was beginning to intermediate players.

Kill Everyone, on the other hand, is not suitable for newbies. It provides advanced but easily understood strategies for NLHE multi-table tournaments, both live and online, satellites, and SNGs. There are a plethora of poker books currently in print and we wanted to create a product that would be readily distinguishable from other poker books on the market providing great value to our readers.

Kill Everyone provides a well-balanced, easily assimilated blend of real-time experience, poker math, and computational horsepower with many advanced concepts that haven’t yet been in print. Poker has evolved rapidly and Kill Everyone is geared to today’s game players. In it we provide an understanding of the differences between new and old school play, describe how to accumulate chips, go into great detail on end game strategies in the different tournament types. We go into extensive detail on advanced concepts such as equilibrium plays (the best plays you can make if your opponent plays optimally) and exploitive plays (the best plays you can make if your opponent deviates from optimal play). We’ve laid this all out in easily understandable form using numerous charts and graphs, but without bogging our readers down with heavy math. For example, we provide an unexploitable re-steal chart for varying CSIs (Harrington’s "M") based on assumptions of opponents’ raising ranges, and an unexploitable heads-up strategy for CSIs of 8 or less. We also distinguish between hand rankings for pushing versus calling a push (they’re different).

Kill Everyone distinguishes between pot-odds and tournament odds and provides detailed analysis of changes required as you approach the bubble and beyond describing specific instruction not only for MTTs but for SNGs and satellites as well. Adaptations to recent changes in tournament play are covered in great detail.

My co-authors and I are extremely pleased with the reception Kill Everyone has had, and greatly appreciate the great reviews from Lenny of pocketfives.com and Dennis Waterman of pokernews.com.

I’ve been asked a number of times why we wrote a book that divulges so much information? My answer is always the same: “If we’re going to write something we’d better provide value or it makes no sense to say anything.” Tysen, Kim and I believe that Kill Everyone will help make you a better tournament player. We trust that you won’t be disappointed.

About author:

Lee Nelson, M.D. (born January 19, 1943) is a retired New Zealand doctor and now a professional poker player, based in Auckland. He was born in the United States

Nelson is a regular on the Australasian poker tournament circuit, having won two events at the 2005 Crown Australian Poker Championship.

In April 2005, Nelson won the PartyPoker World Open in Maidstone, Kent, England, winning the $400,000 first prize after defeating "Gentleman" Liam Flood in the final heads-up confrontation. He also made the semi-finals of the VC Cup that year whilst in England.

In January 2006, Nelson won the main event of the Crown Australian Poker Championship, taking home AUD$1,295,800

As of 2007, Nelson's total live tournament winnings exceed $2,000,000.

Poker Pro Tips: The Script

2007-12-06T11:39:00.000+03:00

In an effort to simplify my decisions, every single time it's my turn to act, I try to run through the same script in my head:

Are my opponents playing conservatively? Aggressively? Tentatively?

What are some of the hands my opponents are likely to hold?

What do my opponents think I have?

Once I have the answer to the first question, and feel confident about my range of answers for the second and third questions, I move on to the most important question:

Should I bet or raise?

If I think I have the best hand, I nearly always answer "Yes" and I bet or raise.
If I think I can force weak opponents out of the pot with this bet or with future bets, I nearly always answer "Yes" and I bet or raise.
If I don't think betting or raising is the right decision, I move on to the last question:

Should I check (or fold)?

If I think I have the worst hand, I nearly always answer "Yes" and I check or fold.
If I think my opponents are strong, I nearly always answer "Yes" and check or fold.
After a careful analysis, if I'm not sure if I should raise and I'm not sure I should fold, I feel confident that calling a bet (or checking) is correct.
I find that even in straight-forward and obvious situations, by running through the script I often find opportunities that other players might miss.
And by asking the "raise" question before the "fold" and "call" question, I ensure that I am playing aggressive, winning poker.

Try using this script next time you sit down at the poker table, and see if simplifying your inner dialog forces your opponents into making more complicated decisions.

(c) Phil Gordon

Poker Pro Tips: A Way To Approximate The Odds

2007-12-06T11:36:00.000+03:00

It is very difficult to calculate the exact odds of hitting a drawing hand when you're sitting at the poker table. Unless you're a genius with a gift for mathematics like Chris Ferguson, you will not be able to do it. That leaves two options for the rest of us: The first option is to sit at home with a calculator, figure out the odds for every possible combination of draws, and then memorize them. That way, no matter what situation comes up, you always know the odds. But for those of us without a perfect memory, there's an easier way. Here is a simple trick for estimating those odds.

The first thing you need to do is to figure out how many "outs" you have. An "out" is any card that gives you a made hand. To do this, simply count the number of cards available that give the hand you are drawing to. For example: suppose you hold Ac 8c and the flop comes Qh 9c 4c. You have a flush draw. There are thirteen clubs in the deck and you are looking at four of them -- the two in your hand, and the two on the board. That leaves nine clubs left in the deck, and two chances to hit one.

The trick to figuring out the approximate percentage chance of hitting the flush is to multiply your outs times the number of chances to hit it. In this case that would be nine outs multiplied by two chances, or eighteen. Then take that number, multiply times two, and add a percentage sign. The approximate percentage of the time you will make the flush is 36%. (The exact percentage is 34.97%.) Now let's say that on that same flop you hold the Jd Th. In this case you would have an open ended straight draw with eight outs to hit the straight (four kings and four eights). Eight outs with two cards to come give you sixteen outs. Multiply times two and you will hit the straight approximately 32% (31.46% exactly) of the time.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the percentage stated is merely the percentage of the time that you will hit the hand you are drawing to, NOT the percentage of time that you will win the pot. You may hit your hand and still lose. In the first example, the Qc will pair the board and may give some article a full house. In the second example both the Kc and the 8c will put a possible flush on the board, giving you the straight, but not necessarily the winning hand. Still, knowing the approximate likelihood of making your hand is a good beginning step on the road to better poker.

(c) Clonie Gowen

Poker Pro Tips: Sit N Goes Made Easy

2007-12-06T11:34:00.000+03:00

The Sit N Go (SNG) is online poker's great gift to the aspiring tournament player. Prior to the SNG, final table experience was hard to come by. You could enter a dozen multi-table tournaments and never find yourself at a final table. Or you could make one or two, only to get knocked out in 8th or 9th place. Adapting to an ever-diminishing number of players at a single table is a crucial skill in tournament poker, and it's a hard experience to find offline without investing a lot of time and money. Online, this experience is a mouse-click away. The SNG's advantages are many. For starters, it's low-cost, or even free. It's also fun, and convenient: You don't need to schedule it - a SNG starts every time the table fills up -- and it's usually over in less than an hour. It is the flight simulator of Final Table play, and mastering it should be considered mandatory homework for the serious student.

Now that you know why you should play, let's look at how:

The most obvious difference between a SNG and a multi-table tournament is that when someone goes broke in a SNG, there isn't someone waiting to fill their spot. Multi-table play consists mostly of full-table, ring game poker. But as players get eliminated from a SNG, the table gets shorter- and shorter-handed. This reduction in players basically serves to artificially raise the antes. For instance, say you are playing five-handed and the blinds are 100-200: You are paying 300 in blinds for every five hands, or 60 per hand. As soon as someone gets knocked out, you're four-handed. Now you're paying 75 per hand -- a 25% increase -- despite the fact that the blinds have remained the same. Accordingly, you're forced to gamble more, or risk getting blinded out.

Since the size of the blinds relative to your stack size should always play a major role in you hand selection, I recommend starting out with pretty conservative starting hand requirements. This serves two functions: First, the blinds dictate that you play fairly tight early; the blinds are small and you are nine-handed, so they don't come around as often. Second, this helps you establish a tight image, which you hope will pay off later when the blinds are high and you might really need a timely ante steal.

But there is another not-so-obvious reason to play tighter earlier and looser later: The payout structure rewards tight play. Most SNG's pay 50% to first, 30% to second, and 20% to third. This payout structure dictates that you play for third. Why? Looking at the payout structure another way might help. Basically, the payout means that 60% gets awarded once you are down to three players, 20% gets awarded when you get down to two players, and the final 20% gets awarded to the winner. If you can just get to third, you get at least one-third of 60% of the prize pool, or 20%. You've locked up a profit, and you have a chance to win up to 30% more. It's only now that you're in the top three that your strategy should take an abrupt turn. Now it pays to gamble for the win. Let's look at the numbers again: 60% of the prize pool is off the table, and moving up one spot is worth only another 10%. But move up just one more spot and it's worth a whopping 30% extra -- that's three times more for first than it is for second. And with the blinds going up, gambling for the win is even more clearly the correct play.

I see many players employ a nearly opposite strategy. They figure they have nothing to lose, so they go for the quick double-up early. They take chances too soon when, in their view, there's "nothing on the line". Then, once they're in the money, they tighten up, thinking about that extra payout for moving up a spot. If you start to rethink your SNG approach and adopt a "slow early, fast late" strategy, you will see an almost immediate improvement in your results.

(c) Howard Lederer

What You Should Know About Bluff

2007-11-27T01:10:00.001+03:00

All successful poker players must be able to make a well-timed bluff.

The bluff is probably the most talked-about poker concept, although it is not used as often as people believe. Still, to exclude bluffing from poker would result in an uninteresting game: If you never bluff you become too predictable and will not be able to maximize your winnings, much less win at all.

You bluff when you have no chance of winning the pot or when you are trying to steal the pot before all the cards are dealt. In a cash game, it is possible to calculate whether a bluff will be profitable or not. To do this, you compare the odds of making a successful bluff to the size of the bet and the size of the pot.

Therefore, an important skill is the ability to determine the likelihood that your opponents will fold.

The following are some factors to consider when deciding whether to bluff or not:

Type of opponent
Number of opponents
Your table image
Your "reading" skills
The board (if any)
The size of the pot
Your position

Type of Opponent

Do not bluff weak opponents who call with anything (referred to as "calling stations"). This is the most common mistake. Be sure that your opponent is a good enough player to fold a hand.

Number of Opponents

In general, do not bluff a field of three or more players, especially not in Limit poker. A bluff is much more likely to succeed against one opponent, not only because it is just one player but also because the pot is usually smaller, which makes it less desirable.

Your Table Image

A bluff is less likely to succeed if you have a loose table image rather than a tight one. If you were recently caught bluffing, your opponents will be more likely to call you in the future, although reverse psychology can occasionally prove beneficial in such situations. For example, if a good player caught you bluffing and he regards you as a good player, he might think you would not dare bluff him again.

Your "Reading" Skills

If you "read" the game well and are able to put your opponents on likely holdings, you will be able to identify good bluffing opportunities. This is probably the hardest and most important skill to master.

The Board

If the board looks like it could have hit your opponents or presents many drawing possibilities, a bluff is less likely to succeed. Look for boards without many draws or cards that are likely to improve your opponents' hands. If you can represent a hand, the bluff is more likely to succeed. An uncoordinated board with one scare card that you can represent is usually a good bluffing opportunity.

The Size of the Pot

Your opponents will be more prone to call if the pot is big because they get better pot odds. On the other hand, if you make a successful bluff in a big pot the reward will also be bigger. This is when good judgment comes into play.

Position

If you are sitting in late position, you will usually have more access to information regarding your opponents' hands and, thus, will be in a better situation to bluff. For example, if it is checked to you, the board looks favorable and there are few players in the pot.

It is crucial that you consider all of these factors when deciding whether to bluff or not.

P.S. If you wanna some video, watch best bluff by world's famous pro poker players.

(c) PokerListings.com

EU Attacks U.S. Online Gambling Legislation

2007-11-27T01:07:00.000+03:00

Last year, the government all but closed down the market for online gambling in the U.S., a move that shut down several gaming companies across the globe. The U.S. used to account for approximately half of all Internet gambling revenues, it's unclear what that number is now, a year after restrictions were placed before credit card companies and online payment services. Foreign outlets were also forbidden for accepting bets from U.S. consumers.

In the EU, where online gambling is legal, regulators say the U.S. ban is disingenuous, particularly because the U.S. in 1994 agreed to a world trade agreement that EU regulators believe covered many forms of commerce, including online gambling. EU fair trade chief Peter Mandelson says the American stance on online gambling shows blatant disregard for that treaty. The two parties are now embroiled in so-called "compensation talks" to aid the foreign companies that lost billions as a result of the U.S. decision.

"The U.S. has so far opted for compensation to make right what is wrong. I don't think compensation does that job," Mandelson told the European Parliament on Tuesday. "What we really need is for the legislation to be put right and for foreign operators to stop being excluded and discriminated against in the way the present U.S. legislation does."

Here's the Reuters story: U.S. needs to change gambling laws

How To Win At Tournament Poker: Part 2

2007-11-20T14:37:00.000+03:00

Read first part of "How to Win at Poker".

The fourth question: Surely the different payout structure between ring games and tournaments means something, doesn't it?

Yes, tournaments differ from live action in that you are rewarded for how long you last, rather than for how many chips you accumulate.

In ring game poker, the chips you save by folding are just as valuable as the chips you win by playing. In tournament play, the chips you save are actually more valuable.

Consider a typical $1,000 buy-in tournament with 100 players, where first place is worth $40,000 out of a total prize pool of $100,000.

At the beginning of the tournament everyone has 1,000 in chips with a value of $1,000. The eventual winner will have 100,000 in chips and, in live action, would be entitled to a prize of $100,000. In a tournament, that same $100,000 is worth only $40,000, meaning that, at the end, each 1,000 in chips is only worth $400. As your stack grows, the value of each additional chip decreases, which means you want to be slightly more averse to taking unnecessary risks in tournaments than you might be in live action. (And if you are at all averse to taking risks in live action, you're probably playing over your bankroll.) Don't overcompensate for tournament play. Most people would be better off making no changes at all, rather than the changes that they do make.

Having said all this, there are two cases where adjusting will help:

1. When you are just out of the money.

If you are short stacked, you need to be very careful when committing your chips, especially with a call.

If you have a large stack, look for opportunities to push the short and medium stacks around - especially the medium stacks. These players will be a lot less likely to want a confrontation with you, and it should be open season on their blinds and antes.

If you have a medium or small stack, you need to be a bit more careful. Remember, though, that the other players - even the larger stacks - don't want to tangle with you. They just want to steal from you without a fight. Be prepared to push them around a little, and even to push back occasionally when they try to bully you. This often turns into a game of Chicken between the bigger stacks to determine which large stack will let the other steal most of the blinds.

2. At the final table.

Very little adjustment is necessary until you are one player away from the final table. Here, again, you should tighten up slightly because this is the next point where the payout structure handsomely rewards outlasting other players.

Look for opportunities to push around the other players, and the smaller stacks in particular. This is good advice throughout the final table.

What about heads up?

There are no more tournament adjustments necessary. You are essentially playing a winner take all freeze-out for the difference between first and second place.

Remember: Tournament adjustments should be subtle. It is rare that your play would be dramatically different in a tournament. When in doubt, just play your best game. And if you never adjust from that, you've got a great shot of winning, no matter what game you're playing.

(c) Chris Ferguson

How to Win A Tournament Poker: Part 1

2007-11-13T07:45:00.000+03:00

Stop trying to force things to happen. Just concentrate on playing solid poker, and let the chips fall where they may.

In fact, that's the best answer for almost any specific tournament question. Here is a more useful question:

How much of a difference is there between ring game strategy and tournament strategy?

The answer: Not as much as you think.

Before you worry about adjusting for tournaments, concentrate on adjusting for the other players. The most important skill in poker is the ability to react to a wide range of opponents playing a wide range of styles. Players who can do this will thrive in both ring games and tournaments alike.

Many of the most costly tournament mistakes are the result of players over-adjusting for tournament play. Let's look at these questions again:

How many chips am I supposed to have after the first two levels?

The short answer is: As many as you can get.

Play your cards. Play your opponents. Do not try to force action simply because you think you "need" to have a certain number of chips to have a chance of winning. You should be thinking about accumulating more chips, while trying to conserve the chips you already have. The more chips you have, the better your chances of winning. The fewer chips you have, the worse your chances.

Forget about reaching some magical number. There is no amount below which you have no shot, nor is there any amount above which you can be guaranteed a victory. A chip and a chair is enough to win, and enough to beat you. Getting fixated on a specific number is a good way to ensure failure. Next question:

Should I play a lot of hands early while the blinds are small, and then tighten up later as the blinds increase?

Your play shouldn't change much as the tournament progresses. Gear your play to take maximum advantage of your opponents, irrespective of how far along the tournament is. Most players are too loose in the early stages of a tournament. Rather than become one of these players, adjust for their play instead:

* Attempt to steal the blinds less often
* Call more raises
* Re-raise more frequently

Likewise, when opponents typically tighten up later on, you should steal more often and be less inclined to get involved in opened pots. Again, this should be a reaction to the way your opponents are playing, not an action based on any particular stage of the tournament.

Last question: I seem to always finish on the bubble. Should I tighten up more as I get close to the money to avoid this, or try to accumulate more chips early on?

Usually the people asking this question are already tightening up too soon before reaching the money. In other words, they are over-adjusting to tournament play. Not only is it incorrect to tighten up considerably before you are two or three players from the money, doing so is the surest way to finish on or near the bubble. Just play your best, most aggressive game, and try not to let your stack dwindle to a point where you can't protect your hand with a pre-flop all-in raise. If you do, your opponents will be getting the right pot odds to call, even with weak hands. Look for opportunities to make a move before you let this happen, even if it means raising with less than desirable holdings.

P.S. Play With the Pro’s Full Tilt Poker.

(c) Chris Ferguson

Turn your FPPs into a Porshe

2007-11-12T17:46:00.000+03:00

You ever wonder what a Frequent Player Point looks like?

The FPP is ethereal. It's untouchable. It floats along as little pieces of data. Try to grab one and you can't. It doesn't really exist.

Until it does.

While you're wrapping your head around that concept, let's turn to PokerStars Supernova BCM11. For the early part of his life, his exploits and dreams existed in the tangible world. "Growing up I always wanted to be a professional athlete," he said. "I was getting close to realizing that dream playing soccer."

BCM11 was a high school All-American and his home state's player of the year. It looked like his dream was on track. Then, as he puts it, "Unfortunately, things don't always work out as planned."

'Nuff said.

With his athletic career behind him, BCM11 turned to a different competitive pursuit. "It started out as just something for fun a couple years ago," he said.

Before long, BCM11 had decided he was going to play poker for a living. He said, "Thankfully I found poker as a way to compete on a daily basis."

That's when BCM11's trek through the world of the intangible FPP got pretty interesting. He started playing lots of $220 and $550 heads-up SNGs. Lots of them. Enough that he could set a goal that seemed unreal.

"I set the goal about a year ago to get the Porsche," BCM11 said.

Just a few weeks ago, BCM11 earned his three millionth FPP point. After a few e-mails and a short wait, BCM11's FPPs turned into something tangible. Really tangible. The kind of tangible that sticks out in the driveway.

That's a brand new Porsche Cayenne with BCM11 behind the wheel. It cost him...well, nothing. He traded in his ethereal FPPs for something that most folks couldn't pay for in cash.

So, there you go. That, at least in this case, is what an FPP looks like.

Sorta pretty, isn't it? Do it yourself!

For Beginners: How To Play Video

2007-11-11T12:50:00.000+03:00

World Series of Poker returns to Harveys Resort and Casino

2007-11-09T07:12:00.000+03:00

Famous player and member of the acclaimed Full Tilt Poker Team Chris "Jesus" Ferguson will attend this circuit event beginning tomorrow. Several other poker pros are also expected to join the group of players who traveled to South Shore as part of the 2007-08 World Series of Poker Circuit Event at Harveys Resort and Casino in Stateline.

The action starts today with a $330 buy-in mega-satellite tournament programmed to begin at 3:00 pm. A $550 buy-in mega satellite is scheduled at 8:00 pm tonight. But the first official event of the WSOP is on Friday with a $340 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament. There will be daily tournaments of various buy-ins over the next nine days. Each event begins at noon unless otherwise stated.

All the action leads up to the three-day main event begins on Friday, Nov. 16. Ferguson, a five-time World Series Of Poker bracelet winner and the 2000 WSOP Main Event champion, is the only confirmed participant this time around. Recent versions of this event counted with a number of poker pros such as Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson. This version is expected to set a new record of attendants at the main tournament as the organizers are looking to expand the covering of this poker event. More information about the results will be posted in future articles and news at We Do It All Vegas.

(c) J. Bosch

Few Words About Card Etiquette in Poker

2007-11-06T20:18:00.000+03:00

Speaking a foreign language is not only a breach of etiquette, but in some poker rooms it is considered grounds for removing you from the table. Basically, you don’t want anyone at the poker table to think that you are secretly communicating with an accomplice.

There are legitimate reasons to slow play a hand; players sometimes slow down their play to consider a tough call or to give the impression of having a weak hand. Nevertheless, there is no excuse to slow play every hand. Players who slow play every hand are either not paying attention or don’t understand how to play.

Keep you chips in a neat pile and push it towards the middle of the table. Randomly throwing your chips into the pot makes it hard for others to see what your bet is. More importantly, throwing chips is also considered a rude way of taunting opponents.

Acting out of turn is bad strategy as well as bad etiquette. When you fold or bet before your turn, you are giving away free information about your hand. Also, acting out of turn is a sign of inexperience that other players will definitely notice.

A string bet is a bet that initially looks like a call, but turns out to be a raise. String betting is prohibited because it gives the bettor the advantage of being able to augment his betting strategy based on his opponent’s reactions.

Never discuss folded cards while a hand is still at play. As an example if there are two Kings on the flop, and you are trying to represent that you had the third King, it will really hurt you if someone who already folded shouts out, “Shoot, I had a king!”

It’s not the dealer’s fault that you’re getting bad cards. If you feel your dealer is incompetent, you should discreetly notify the pit boss or move to another table.

At all times you should keep your cards in sight of the dealer. Bringing cards down to your lap or dropping cards to the floor are grounds for killing your hand. You should always put a chip on top of your cards if you want to stay in the hand. This is called “protecting your hand” and it tells the dealer that you do not intend to fold. Finally, never show your cards to the other players at the table. Should the dealer see this, he can nullify both your hand and your neighbor’s hand.

Never accuse anyone of cheating unless you have proof. Cheating is a very sensitive subject and fights have broken out at many poker tables, the end result being that both the alleged cheater and the accuser were thrown out of the casino.

The correct way to deal with cheating is to catch the cheater in the act. If you only suspect cheating but can’t prove it, you should simply move to another table or discreetly inform the pit boss that something funny is going on. Never confront the cheater head on.

P.S. No cheaters, only poker.

(c) J. Bosch

For Beginners: Poker Blinds

2007-11-06T19:59:00.000+03:00

Many new poker players and apprentices still don’t know what poker blinds are or how do they work, the first thing you have to know is that poker is a game that has many variations, lots of players even have their own variations with strict and particular rules that only apply at their poker tables. In the particular case of Texas Hold’em and Omaha, the blind is one of the most critical issued that you have to know before you start playing. Don’t get confused; understanding the blind is not rocket science, poker blind is basically a term that is used to describe mandatory bets posted by the players to the left of the dealer button. It’s important to note that poker blinds are only used in flop style poker games, five cards poker and some other variations lack of it.

There are usually two poker blinds per game; Omaha and Texas Hold’em have poker blinds because they are often played without the use of antes. This action permits the player to fold his hand without placing a bet. In short, the poker blinds require a regular cost to play in the game. What this does is to encourage a player to get involved in pots to balance the price of taking part in the game.

There are two blinds in Omaha and Hold’em, the big blind and the small blind. The big blind is usually equal to the minimum bet and is twice as much as the small blind. When it comes to where things are located, the small poker blinds are posted by the player to the left of the dealer button. The big blind is posted by the player to the left of the deal button. Once the dealer has dealt the cards, the player to the left of the big blind will be the first to act during the first betting round.

Ready to start?

Check the online poker room and don't forget about $1000 poker freeroll bonus by signing up.

(c) Dave Zamzack

Government Conducts Study of Potential Revenue by Online Poker Rooms

2007-10-25T10:34:00.000+04:00

In an apparent about-face, the United States government has begun to explore different methods to generate incomes from online poker rooms and casinos. This effort to find a profitable solution has recently started to generate discursions and projects to tax profits over certain amounts at the online poker and any gaming or gambling site. The past difficulties between the United States government and these types of poker rooms on the Internet, the body of lawmakers in the government responsible for this type of political wrangling had made a historic attempt to capitalize on the presence and popularity of online gaming and gambling in general. With this highly popular and extraordinarily lucrative gaming and gambling tradition, it becomes readily apparent that there is a tremendous amount of revenue to be taken advantage of on the Internet. When online poker rooms and casinos offer these types of gaming and gambling options combined with the extremely lucrative online poker promotions that allow players to generate residual income and benefit from poker bonuses as well, it is easy to see that there is a tremendous amount of liquid capital that exists on the web that the United States government can utilize to shore up the recently sagging economy.

The slump in new home sales and the decline in the overall economic health makes the government to consider any method of improving the United States chance of generating significant revenue from new sources, it is not to be squandered in the current atmosphere that features a generally weak forecast on the financial horizon and reduced amounts of confidence in the ability of the United States government to effectively recover rapidly from the downturn in the local economy in recent years. By considering new taxes on the deposits and winnings, the online poker room casino players give some sort of support to proprietors of online poker rooms and casinos but at the same time the United States government has entertained a new concept and a new moneymaking method that might revolutionize the online poker room and casino industry.

It remains to be seen how successful the United States attempts at monetizing the online poker rooms and casinos will be, it is readily apparent that there is certainly plenty of revenue to be generated in these types of poker rooms in general. By focusing on the massive amounts of revenue that changes hands on the Internet, the United States government has hit upon a new way to piggyback on the success of gaming on the web.

(C) Efrain Valerio

Starting from Zero to $10k

2007-10-24T17:21:00.000+04:00

I'm almost a year into an experiment on Full Tilt Poker. I'm attempting to turn $0 into a $10,000 bankroll. With no money to start with, I had no choice but to start out playing Freerolls. Starting out, I'd often manage to win a dollar or two, but I'd quickly get busted and have to start over again. It took some time but, after awhile, I was eventually able to graduate to games that required an actual buy-in.

Even today, people don't believe it's really me when I sit down at Full Tilt's small stakes games. They ask what I'm doing down here, and often tell me stories about how they turned $5 into $500 or $100 into $1,000. Usually, these stories end with the person telling me that they went broke. There's no surprise there. These folks tried to quickly build a bankroll by gambling. They'd play in a game that was beyond their bankroll and, if they happened to win, they'd move up to a higher limit and risk it all one more time. Inevitably, they'd lose a few big hands and go broke.

For me, this experiment isn't about the money. It's about showing how, with proper bankroll management, you can start from nothing and move up to the point where you're playing in some pretty big games. I know it's possible because I did it once before, turning $1 into $20,000.

To ensure that I keep my bankroll intact, I've adopted some key rules:

I'll never buy into a cash game or a Sit & Go with more than 5 percent of my total bankroll (there is an exception for the lowest limits: I'm allowed to buy into any game with a buy-in of $2.50 or less).
I won't buy into a multi-table tournament for more than 2 percent of my total bankroll and I'm allowed to buy into any multi-table tournament that costs $1.
If at any time during a No-Limit or Pot-Limit cash-game session the money on the table represents more than 10 percent of my total bankroll, I must leave the game when the blinds reach me.

I think a lot of players would do well to apply these rules. One great benefit from this approach to bankroll management is that it ensures you'll be playing in games you can afford. You'll never play for very long in a game that's over your head because, when you're losing, you'll have no choice but to drop down to a smaller game. You can continue to sharpen your game at that lower limit until your bankroll allows you to move up and take another shot. These rules also prevent you from being completely decimated by a bad run of cards.

Dropping down and playing lower limits is difficult for a lot of players. They view it as a failure and their egos get in the way. Many want to remain at the level they'd been playing and win back their losses. But this can lead to some pretty severe tilt - and that can go through a bankroll in a hurry. I know that dropping down was difficult for me in my run from $1 to $20,000. When I first played in the $25/$50 game, I lost. Sticking to my rules, I dropped down to the $10/$25 game. I had a losing streak there and had to go down to $5/$10. That was tough. After playing $25/$50, a $5/$10 game was boring to me.

But I had the discipline to stick to my rules, and that motivated me to play better at the lower levels. I really didn't want to lose any more because I knew the consequences: I'd have to play even lower and work even harder to get back to where I'd been, which could take as long as a month. If you ever find yourself bored or frustrated playing at the lower limits, you're obviously not playing well. Take a break from the game. Often, stepping away can give you a fresh perspective and heightened motivation to play well when you return.

There are a couple of more tips I'd like to share regarding bankroll management. First, you should never play in a game that is beyond your bankroll simply because the game seems to be soft that day. It's never soft enough to risk money that puts your bankroll in jeopardy. The other point is that you should avoid playing in games that are at the top of your bankroll limits, when a lower game offers more opportunity for profit.

I'm confident that by sticking to these sound bankroll management rules, I'll make it to my $10,000 goal. These rules are sure to help you as well, as you pursue your own poker ambitions. So, if you want to start your own quest - or play against me while I'm continuing with mine - come open a free account at Full Tilt Poker and look for me online. But hurry, because I'm hoping I won't be in the lower limits for too much longer.

Learn how to play poker with the pros at FullTiltPoker.com

(c) Chris Ferguson

Online poker still under siege

2007-10-23T10:04:00.000+04:00

The co-founder of the Absolute Poker website has been accused fixing hands and giving information to some players during key tournaments. After more than two weeks of investigation, this is the first time that a name is finally mentioned in this case, Absolute Poker players became concerned when in tournament games a player called Pottripper was winning money very easily and folding the hands that normal players would have carried on with.

After one of the players requested a full record of the tournament someone at Absolute Poker sent over a file, which not only had the player's history but that of everyone else in the game.

A group of players went to work on the file and found Pottripper's IP address was registered to Scott Tom in Costa Rica, co-founder of AbsolutePoker.com. Furthermore it became clear that a user had full sight of everyone's cards.

"If all this is correct, it shows exactly how the cheating would have transpired: an insider at the website had real-time access to all the hole [hidden] cards (it is not hard to believe that this capability would exist) and was relaying this information to an outside accomplice," wrote economist Steven Levitt, in his blog.

"If this is all true, I presume that the two cheaters are looking at potential prison time. I would also guess that if AbsolutePoker.com continues to argue that nothing out of the ordinary happened, they will take an enormous hit to their profits."

After analysis by players began the Pottripper operator began to start losing money, a tactic that Levitt assumes was carried out to allay suspicions. But it had the opposite effect, with the sight of a player betting on hands that could not win looking as suspicious as winning too quickly.

"Absolute Poker takes all allegations of player fraud and collusion extremely seriously," said the company in a statement, according to the players.

"Fair play and security are of paramount importance to us. Our Security and Fraud Department is dedicated to ensuring that everyone on the site has a fair opportunity to win, and that no improper methods, devices, programs and/or other unfair advantages are ever utilized in our games."

For Beginners: Seven-Card Stud

2007-10-22T11:28:00.000+04:00

Introduction

7 Card Stud Poker is the base of all poker games. The word Poker has its origins in the French card game Poque. This again originates from the German word, pochen, meaning to knock. Of course, 7 Card Stud Poker is very similar to a Persian card game, Nas.

7 Card Stud Poker is a mix of Poque and Nas. The first game of poker in the US was in 1829 at New Orleans and this was twenty card decks game. The game spread through Mississippi and got the trade name of cheat game. Finally, it became poker.

Stud Poker became popular during the American Civil War. The first version of the game was the five-card stud. However, 7 Card Stud Poker emerged from the environment in the twentieth century although there are no recorded instances. It was still the popular poker game until the eighties. Then, Texas Hold'em took up the first place in players favour. But fortunately, casino players love both forms of the game now.

Although Texas Hold'em rules in Seven-Card Stud there are five betting rounds instead of four as in Hold'em. The game is played with an ante instead of blinds. In Stud there are no community cards. The player's hands decide the order of action. On the first round of betting the player with the lowest card has to make a bring-in bet and on the later betting rounds the player with the best hand showing has to act first.

Game Play

All players receive two cards dealt face down (hole cards) and one card dealt face up (upcard). The cards are dealt one at a time.
The player with the lowest upcard has to make a bring-in bet.
The betting continues clockwise with the player to the left of the bring-in.
A fourth card is dealt face up. The action begins by the player with the best upcards and continues clockwise.
A fifth card is dealt face up. The action begins by the player with the best upcards and continues clockwise.
A sixth card is dealt face up. The action begins by the player with the best upcards and continues clockwise.
A seventh card is dealt face down. The action begins by the player with the best upcards and continues clockwise.
All players make out the best possible 5-card poker hand.

Example

Action begins
Action ends

Poker Hands

Straight flush (the best straight flush: A-K-Q-J-T all of the same suit)
Four of a kind (the best four of a kind: A-A-A-A-K)
Full house (the best full house: A-A-A-K-K)
Flush (the best flush: any ace high flush)
Straight (the best straight: A-K-Q-J-T)
Three of a kind (the best three of a kind: A-A-A-K-Q)
Two pair (the best two pair: A-A-K-K-Q)
One pair (the best one pair: A-A-K-Q-J)
No pair (the best high hand: A-K-Q-J-9)

P.S. You can read Texas Hold'em rules or Omaha rules here or play this games with real players.

Cheating in Online Poker Room

2007-10-21T16:44:00.000+04:00

With the countless amounts of users that take advantage of online poker rooms and casinos to wager and compete against real live human beings over the Internet, the last thing anybody wants to hear about is cheating. The faith and trust that players have in the online poker room security and the software that is responsible for maintaining this high level of safety is extraordinarily high and without this absolute trust, online poker rooms would quickly find themselves devoid of players willing to take the chance that their hand is not the hand that is being cheated. The importance of keeping the online poker room safe and secure and free from cheating is critical, as players have always listed this as their number one concern when competing in these types of Internet based poker rooms.

Unfortunately, new developments have revealed that not only has cheating occurred, but it appears that it has occurred on the highest possible level. After losing at a hand of poker in a tournament on Absolute Poker.com, the second-place finisher sent an e-mail to the Absolute Poker website and got a file in return to his query. While the user was not completely aware of how to utilize the file and it appeared to be gibberish, upon later inspection it revealed the myriad details of not only his hand but every hand that was played in the entire poker tournament, along with IP addresses and other information such as e-mail that is considered to be extraordinarily personal and eyes only. This breach in security would be enough in most cases to blacklist any poker room, but the problem did not end there.

The information got passed around until several savvy poker players sat down and analyzed the document at length and discovered that not only were players apparently cheating, but one of the individuals caught appeared to be a user at the absolute poker website itself. With information pointing at administration and staff of Absolute Poker, the online poker community has been in an uproar ever since. With Absolute Poker claiming that no cheating occurred and that a lengthy investigation had already taken place, many online poker room and casino players are doubtful of the consensus reached by the Absolute Poker website staff.

Further details remain sketchy, but it would appear that some type of cheating has occurred on the highest possible level at the extremely popular AbsolutePoker.com website. Until further details are revealed, many sites and players have blacklisted the online poker room and casino due to these serious allegations of cheating.

P.S. But right here you can see poker room video "From 155 to 55K" without any cheats.

(c) Chris Ferguson

IRS wants your money

2007-10-21T16:32:00.000+04:00

The Internal Revenue Service issued a release today reminding the public that starting next year, casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments will be required to report most winnings to winners and to the IRS.

The new regulation comes into effect March 4, 2008 and is designed to clear up confusion about the tax reporting rules regarding poker tournament winnings.

"In recent years, some casinos and players have been confused over whether poker tournament sponsors who hold the money for participants in poker tournament are required to report the winnings to the IRS and withhold tax on the winnings," says the IRS statement.

The new regulations require that all tournament sponsors report tournament winnings of more than $5,000, usually on an IRS Form W-2G. In order for tournament sponsors to comply, players must be able to provide their taxpayer identification number, usually a social security number, to the sponsor.

If the winner can't provide an identification number, then the tournament sponsor will be responsible for withholding federal tax income from the winnings.

The federal income tax on poker tournament winnings is currently at the rate of 28%.

If a sponsor fails to report the tournament winnings, the IRS will enforce the reporting requirement and also require the sponsor to pay any tax that should have been withheld from the winner if the withholding requirement had been asserted.

The IRS also reminded tournament winners that, by law, they must report all their winnings on their federal income tax returns.

"This rule applies regardless of the amount and regardless of whether the winner receives a Form W-2G or any other reporting form," the IRS says in the press release. "This is true for 2007 and earlier years, and will continue to be the case after the new reporting requirement goes into effect."

This new tax law is slightly different than initially planned. Originally, casinos and other tournament sponsors were going to be responsible for automatically withholding the required federal income tax from prizes of more than $5,000.

Instead, casinos will only have to submit the W-2G form unless the person can't provide a tax identification number.

(c) www.pokerlistings.com

Imitate 5 Person, Earn $1.2 million But It Won't Help

2007-10-18T10:13:00.000+04:00

Two weeks ago, PokerStars player c won the World Championship of Online Poker, hauling in over $1.2 million. Almost immediately after his victory, rumors started flying about possible cheating. Now, after a lengthy investigation, PokerStars has announced that TheV0id has been found guilty of cheating and has been disqualified from the tournament.

TheV0id is reported to be London’s Mark Teltscher, who, while he has not had a long run of success on the live tournament circuit, has had a couple very big scores. He won the Main Event at the European Poker Tour’s Grosvenor World Masters in 2005 (£280,000), the $5,000 event at the Fourth Annual Five Diamond World Poker Classic a couple months later ($374,965), and most recently placed second at the EPT Barcelona Open (€673,000).

The first rumors that swirled involved the possibility of Teltscher and his sister playing from the same IP address in the WCOOP Main Event. This is not in and of itself against the rules, but the talk was that it was an indicator of some larger improprieties. Later, it was rumored that Teltscher may have been using up to five different accounts in the same tournament, which is clearly against the rules.

Before the investigation was completed, PokerStars did say that nobody from Teltscher’s IP address was playing the tournament and that Teltscher played from that IP throughout the entire event. Thus, rumor number one was shot down (barring any technical workarounds by Teltscher).

In the end, PokerStars did not say what exactly Teltscher did to merit disqualification, only that they “determined, based on the totality of evidence, that the tournament winner “TheV0id” was in breach of the PokerStars Terms of Service.”

In an announcement found on many online sites, PokerStars has stated the following:

The investigation into the WCOOP Main Event has now been concluded.

We have determined, based on the totality of evidence, that the tournament winner "TheV0id" was in breach of the PokerStars Terms of Service.

In the interests of Game Integrity, "TheV0id" has been disqualified from first place.

All other WCOOP Main Event prizewinners in addition to the player who originally bubbled in 415th place will therefore advance one place in the prize pool. The necessary financial adjustments to reflect the revised tournament places will be made within the next 24 hours.

Please note that we are unable to release further details of this investigation, for reasons of confidentiality and privacy.

Stephen W.
Manager, PokerStars Game Security

Respect to PokerStars for their complete investigation into the case. One of the first rules of online poker rooms is to protect the integrity of the game and, after this case as well as several others, it seems that this room at least is stepping to the forefront and making such protection a critical part of its operations.

Tired? Earn your own million and got life full of pleasures!

World Championship of Online Poker

2007-10-18T10:06:00.000+04:00

The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is an online poker tournament series sponsored by PokerStars.

Established in 2002 as the online equivalent of the World Series of Poker, the WCOOP tournament series is the largest of its kind on the Internet.In 2005, Poker Stars hosted 15 events and guaranteed $8,000,000. This year, the 5th annual WCOOP boasted 18 events and an overall prize pool of more than $18,500,000!

Each year, the prizes get bigger. In 2002, MultiMarine of Sweden won $65,450 in the main championship event. In 2003, DeOhGee won $222,750 in the main event. In 2004, Ragde won $424,945 in the big one. Last year, Panella86 won the championship event and took home $577,342. This year, none other than pro player J.C. Tran won the WCOOP main event bracelet, pocketing more than $600,000.

Anyone with account in this room can check his skills in this contest.

In addition to the cash prize, the winner of each WCOOP event receives a personally engraved 14 karat gold bracelet.

For Beginners: Omaha Set-Up and Play

2007-10-17T12:57:00.000+04:00

Introduction

Omaha is a community card game with four betting rounds.

Game Play

One player is the dealer; this position is called the button (the dealer position moves clockwise after every hand).
The two players to the left of the dealer are the small blind and the big blind. They are the only players who have money in the pot before the cards are dealt.
Every player receives four cards face down, called hole cards.
The first betting round begins with the player sitting to the left of the big blind and continues clockwise.
When the first betting round is finished three community cards are flipped face up on the table, this is called the flop.
The second round of betting begins with the first player left of the button and who is still in the hand. The betting continues clockwise.
When the second round of betting is finished a fourth community card is flipped face up on the table, this is called the turn.
The third round of betting begins with the first player left of the button and who is still in the hand. The betting continues clockwise and the bets are doubled on the turn.
When the third round of betting is finished a fifth community card is flipped face up on the table, this is called the river.
The fourth round of betting begins with the first player left of the button and who is still in the hand. The betting continues clockwise.

How to make a hand

In order to make a hand the players combine their hole cards with the community cards on the board to make the best 5-card poker hand. One must use two of the hole cards and three of the community cards when making a hand.

Example

Action begins

Action ends

Ranking of hands

Straight flush (the best straight flush: A-K-Q-J-T all of the same suit)
Four of a kind (the best four of a kind: A-A-A-A-K)
Full house (the best full house: A-A-A-K-K)
Flush (the best flush: any ace high flush)
Straight (the best straight: A-K-Q-J-T)
Three of a kind (the best three of a kind: A-A-A-K-Q)
Two pair (the best two pair: A-A-K-K-Q)
One pair (the best one pair: A-A-K-Q-J)
No pair (the best high hand: A-K-Q-J-9)

I wanna $8.25 million too!!!

2007-10-16T16:24:00.000+04:00

Jerry Yang won the 2007 WSOP Main Event by playing a relentless aggressive style of poker from the call to shuffle up and deal at noon to the last hand of the heads up match with Tuan Lam after 4 am. Now he plans to take the $8.25 million he's won and start aggressively attacking the some of the ills of society.

Congratulations Jerry! How does it feel to win the 2007 WSOP Main Event?

I am very exited. I can't describe the feelings, but I had a huge adrenaline rush. It was just tremendous. I am very very happy. There are no words to describe it.

How does a guy like you make it to a place like this?

I won the seat through Pechanga for $225. When I made the money I was very excited already. When I came to the final table I was like wow - It was really a dream come true. Today I am just very, very happy.

Now that you are a World Champion, do you plan on being an ambassador for the game?

Absolutely! I think poker is a great opportunity for many people and we all should support poker. Obviously some of us do this for a living and whatever we can do to benefit the community, benefit our families we should do that. Some of us have a regular job, some of us play poker and whatever we do we should support that, support poker and promote poker as much as possible.

So will we see you playing at poker tournaments around the world in the near future?

I would like to. I will do my best. I have some other goals that I would like to accomplish and some charity work. Maybe do some missionary work also. So I will be overseas a lot and back and forth. I will still play poker. I will support poker and I would like to be a good ambassador for poker - that's my goal.

Let's talk a little poker. You came in today eighth in chips, but you were very aggressive right out of the gate. Was that a plan or just something the cards dictated?

Last night, when I sat down to meditate, I knew I was coming in as a short stack and I knew that I had to be aggressive in order to be successful and in order to pick up some pots. Thank God I was able to do that and I was able to pick up some big hands at the same time.

There were a few times that I bluffed or made some calls or reraised and my opponents folded their hands. So I was able to pick up a few pots from there. I'm very happy with the way I played today.

I did have some cards at the beginning which helped me a lot. But there were a few hands where I raised when I had the button with very little.

I believe there was one where I reraised with four-deuce and picked up a pot. At that point I knew that my opponents were playing a little tight and I could take advantage of that.

What is your experience with the game?

I have been playing poker for a couple of years - very part-time. I have read a couple of poker books and I watch a lot on TV.

What do you do for a living and will tomorrow be your last day on the job?

I am a psychologist and a social worker. I work with foster kids providing therapy and making sure they are being placed in a good home.

My plan when I go back home is to sit down with my boss, the owner of the company, and my gut feeling at this point is I think there are better purposes for me out there and I want to use the money to do some good. But I will be professional and I will give my two weeks notice. But my wife (a blackjack dealer) - no more work for her.

We've heard your plan is to donate some of the money to charity right away. Any truth to this philanthropic rumor?

I will be donating ten per cent to the following three charities: The Make A Wish Foundation, Feed The Children and The Ronald MacDonald House.

I want to donate some of this money to help families ease some of their pain while they are going through the recovery process. Children mean a lot to me. I have six children of my own. When I was a child I was in a refugee camp and so I understand what it is to suffer physically, nutritionally. I used to have a big old stomach from lack of nutrition at the refugee camp in Thailand. I think children are our future and we should do whatever we can to help them.

For Beginners: Texas Hold'em

2007-10-16T12:14:00.000+04:00

Texas Hold'em Poker is a community card game with four betting rounds.

Game Play

One player acts as dealer. This position is called the button and it rotates clockwise after every hand.
The two players to the left of the dealer are the small blind and the big blind, respectively. They are the only players who have money in the pot before the cards are dealt.
Every player receives two cards face down. These are hole cards.
The first betting round begins with the player sitting immediately to the left of the big blind, and continues clockwise.
When the first betting round is completed, three community cards are flipped face up on the table. This is called the flop.
The second round of betting begins with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting resumes, clockwise.
When the second round of betting is finished, a fourth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the turn.
The third round of betting commences with the first remaining player sitting to the left of the button. The betting moves clockwise, with the bets doubling on the turn.
When the third round of betting is over, a fifth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the river.
The fourth round of betting starts with the first remaining player seated to the left of the button. The betting continues to move clockwise.

How to make a hand

The players must combine their hole cards with the community cards to make the best possible 5-card poker hand. It is possible to use both hole cards, one hole card or no hole card (play the board), in an effort to make a hand.

ExampleAction beginsAction ends

Ranking of hands

Straight flush (the best straight flush hand: A-K-Q-J-T, all of the same suit)
Four-of-a-kind (the best four-of-a-kind hand: A-A-A-A-K)
Full house (the best full house hand: A-A-A-K-K)
Flush (the best flush hand: any Ace-high flush)
Straight (the best straight hand: A-K-Q-J-T)
Three-of-a-kind (the best three-of-a-kind hand: A-A-A-K-Q)
Two-pair (the best two-pair hand: A-A-K-K-Q)
One-pair (the best one-pair hand: A-A-K-Q-J)
No-pair (the best high hand: A-K-Q-J-9)

History of Poker

2007-10-11T10:40:00.000+04:00

Poker is a game most believe has its roots tied to a 16th Century Persia game called As Nas. As Nas was played with hand rankings that are similar to that of the modern day five card stud style of play except that only 25 cards were used and there were five suits involved. Poker was once considered a game played by thieves, swindlers, and other people with less desirable histories. It has evolved to become one of the most played card games as well as the latest trend on television as ESPN and The Travel Channel have both begun broadcasting high stakes games with great success.

The Name Itself

Poker was called poque or pochen when it was played by Europeans. A German game called pochspiel is possibly the origin poker’s modern day name due to the fact that in pochspeil players bluff as well as tap the table in order to indicate that they want to pass their turn. There are other theories that the name poker is derived from the Hindu word pukka and some suggest that poker is named after the magician’s term, hocus pocus because of the way cheating gamblers would magically take an unsuspecting victim’s money.

Evolution of Poker

In the early days of poker there were two types of players that were generally acknowledged. There was the respected gentleman who enjoyed played for fun and there was the professional gambler who more often than not was a cheater, only concerned with making money off unsuspecting recreational players. Around 1850, poker evolved from having only one round of betting and no draw or wild cards. These were all introduced as way for professional gamblers to take advantage of other players because with more rounds of betting added they stood to win more money and with more cards in play, the game required more skill. As poker became more popular in western towns of the United States, it was not uncommon to walk into any saloon and see at least one poker table. However, as cultural changes took place, gambling fell out of favor and was outlawed on land by many states. As a result, many gamblers were forced to take their poker playing to the riverboats that ran up and down the Mississippi River.