Poker Poker

Party Gaming making some major moves as the largest online poker corporation

2005-11-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

By Pete Harrison

LONDON (Reuters) - Online poker operation PartyGaming (Owner of PartyPoker) said it was taking over two of its four partners and ending its relationship with a third as it prepares to launch a new, upgraded service.

Friday's news put pressure on Empire Online aka Empire Poker, the fourth partner, which PartyGaming is also in talks to buy, analysts said.

PartyGaming said it had agreed to pay $14.5 million cash for Multipoker and was buying most of IntertopsPoker, which sources close to the deal said had gone for about $4 million cash.

The two deals add about 300,000 players to PartyGaming's PartyPoker Web site, but more importantly give the company access to Multipoker's Scandinavian clientele.

PartyGaming's shares were up 1.6 percent to 93 pence by 1136 GMT, valuing the group at around 3.7 billion pounds.

A third partner, Coral Eurobet, is due to leave PartyGaming's online poker platform, migrating its players to a new platform over the next few weeks, it added, confirming a Reuters report last week.

RISE AND FALL

"We now look forward to the launch of the Party-branded integrated platform in the first half of 2006, when we will expand the number of games available to our customers," PartyGaming Chief Executive Richard Segal said in a statement.

PartyGaming listed in June with a market value of 4.6 billion pounds, swiftly rising to more than 6 billion.

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But cautious language in a September statement spooked investors, wiping 2 billion pounds off its value, and its shares have not yet recovered the lost ground.

Empire Online was founded by marketing guru Noam Lanir, son of an Israeli war hero, and listed on London's junior AIM stock market in June.

After a 790 million pounds bid by rival Sportingbet was aborted in September, its shares have waned as various moves by PartyGaming have illustrated the vulnerability of Empire's customer base. It is now worth around 250 million pounds.

Players on PartyGaming's four partner sites, known as "skins", have been able to compete with each other in the online poker room, but the loss of players from IntertopsPoker, Multipoker and Coral Eurobet leaves those of Empire Online on their own.

This represents a 40 percent reduction in the number of players, analysts said, raising the risk that Empire will lose its own players as they follow the herd.

"PartyGaming is using this to further squeeze down the price it pays for Empire -- that's if it bothers at all," said Robin Chhabra at Evolution Securities.

"They're just deciding now if they're going to squeeze it and then buy it, or just kill it," he added.

Empire's shares had lost 22 percent since Reuters reported last week that Coral Eurobet had decided to go it alone, and by 1136 GMT, they lost a further 1.7 percent to reach 86 pence.

NBA Basketball Legends show up for the sportsbook annual tournaments

2005-11-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

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Julius Irving (Dr. J) at the Sportsbook.com Poker Tournament at the National Basketball Retired Players Association annual meeting in Jamaica.

NBA basketball legends Julius Irving and Moses Malone were among dozens of former NBA and ABA greats to play poker with Sportsbook.com at the annual National Basketball Retired Players Association's (NBRPA) Legends of Basketball meetings in Trelawney, Jamaica.

Sportsbook.com owner of Paradise Poker, the world's largest online sportsbook and casino, sponsored the poker tournament that featured 30 former professional basketball superstars. Former Houston Rocket, Cliff Meely won the tournament.

"Sportsbook.com is thrilled to have sponsored this event with the NBRPA," said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director, Sportsbook.com. "This poker tournament was a highlight of the weekend for a lot of these players. They had a great time with Sportsbook.com and we hope to do it again in the future."

The NBRPA is an Association made up of over 1,000 retired players from the NBA, ABA and the Harlem Globetrotters, This year, the member's annual meetings were held at the Star Fish Resort in Trelawney, Jamaica.

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Dart leagues, bowling leagues and... Poker Leagues???

2005-11-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

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Poker players in their own league

Jill Cohen
The Desert Sun
November 9, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowlers have leagues. Dart throwers have leagues. And I have just discovered, much to my surprise and delight, that poker players also have leagues.
This past Saturday night, Soboba Casino launched the Soboba Poker League. The game is no-limit Texas Hold 'Em. There are nine teams, each team consisting of 10 players. The prizes are awarded on both an individual and team basis. The players compete for cash, trophies, a gold bracelet, an entry into the 2006 Legends of Poker Tournament and bragging rights.

I am on Team Just Ice, whose core group is four guys who make their living as poker dealers (when they're not on the golf course). We did well, and at the end of Week 1, Just Ice is second in the standings, behind Team Soboba, ahead of Bad Beat and Card Sharx.

Rules of the game

The way it works, a monthly tournament is held. The 10 players who make it to the final table each receive a certain number of points based on what place they finish. For example, this week I finished in fifth place, for which I earned 6 points for Team Just Ice, and 6 for myself. Other players from Just Ice came in sixth, seventh and eighth. Together, we earned a total of 24 points for our team.

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After six months of play, there will be a championship tournament. All 10 members of the team with the most points will be entered into the final. The three top-ranked players from each of the other eight teams will also be entered. At the tournament's end, the second- through 10th-place winners will divide up $2,000 in prize money. The first-place winner will be awarded an entry into the 2006 Legends of Poker Tournament at The Bicycle Casino (a $5,000 value). In addition, the player who earned the most overall points throughout the six-month season will get a trophy and a gold bracelet.

Team poker is a truly unique experience. Usually, poker is a solitary effort. You are a lone combatant attempting to outplay everyone at your table. But in this version, you are not alone. You are pulling for other players at the table. That said, when pitted against your teammates, you're motivated to win because of the individual points and prize money. But when you're out of the hand, watching your teammates play against members of the other team, you've got a rooting interest. This is definitely a horse of a different color.

Strategies for short handed limit hold em

2005-11-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

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In last week's tip, I shared some strategies for playing short-handed no-limit cash games. This week, I'm following up with some more short-handed advice, this time concentrating on Limit Hold ‘em.

If you read last week's tip, you'll know that hand values change in short-handed play and that it's proper to play a greater percentage of hands than would be wise at a full ring game. In these games, I play a lot of hands. So many, in fact, I've gotten the reputation of being something of a maniac. But there is a method to my madness. By the end of this article, I think you'll agree.

Button Play

In a three- or four-handed Limit Hold ‘em cash game, I will raise about two of every three times I have the button. The quality of my hand is essentially irrelevant. The position raise puts me in control of the hand and, even if I'm holding total trash, the pressure puts the blinds in a spot where they need to catch a piece of the flop.

For example, say I raise on the button and the big blind calls with a modest but playable hand, maybe Qc-Td. Now, if the flop comes with any Ace or King, the blind is going to have a very difficult time continuing with the hand if he checks and I bet the flop. In fact, the blind is going to have a very difficult time continuing on any board that doesn't contain a Queen or Ten.

If I follow up my raise and bet the flop with, say, 7-high, and get called or check-raised, it's very easy to lay down the hand. I know this is going to happen at times, but I pick up the pot often enough to make the constant button aggression profitable.

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Small Blind Play

When playing against opponents who raise frequently in position, I'm sure to respond with aggression in the small blind. If I'm holding a hand that's likely best at a three-handed table - something as modest as A-9 might qualify - and I'm facing a button raise, I take control of the hand and three-bet. That puts additional pressure on the big blind. If I only call the button raise, the big blind will be getting great odds (5:1) to call the additional bet. And I'd far prefer to play the hand heads-up.

After three-betting from the small blind, I follow up with a bet on the flop almost 100 percent of the time. Since I represented a big hand pre-flop, I want to put my opponent to a decision immediately. Once I see how my opponent reacts, I can decide how I should proceed with the hand. I'll have to give it up sometimes, but the pressure will force a lot of folds.

Big Blind Play

The big blind is the only place where I'm content to call bets pre-flop. In fact, a call is my usual reaction to a button raise. If I start with a moderate hand, I can see the flop and decide how to proceed. If I start with a strong hand, like pocket Aces or Kings, I'll still call and look to check-raise the flop. I don't like to three-bet from the big blind because it tends to announce my hand. My opponents know that I'm starting with a very big hand.

Overall Goal

As you can probably tell by now, I believe that aggression is key to success in short-handed Limit Hold ‘em. I think the constant bets and raises create two dynamics that can be exploited for profit. First, by being the aggressor, I have the opportunity to pick up a number of pots where both my opponent and I miss the flop.

Second, the aggression has the tendency to lead opponents to make some very bad decisions. After some time, opponents may call bets on every street with nothing more than Ace- or King-high. When they start doing that, I can tighten up and only bet hands that are likely to be winners at showdown.

At times my style may look maniacal. But in short-handed limit play, it works.

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2005-11-05T03:05:00.000-08:00

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A little history on roots of poker and its evolution to the world series of poker

2005-11-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

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The Tournament Poker Shift To No-Limit Hold 'Em
November 02, 2005
Earl Burton

If you look back at the history of the game of poker, there has been several subtle movements in the most popular forms of the game. Originally the game, played on the riverboats of the Mississippi and in the gaming houses of New Orleans, surprisingly had no draws at all! Twenty cards were used, the four suits of Aces through Jacks, and five cards were dealt out to the players. They wagered on who had the best hand through what they sat there and held or helped to popularize the bluff by making their opponents think they had more.

In the Civil War, Five Card Stud and Draw came into being as the choice of the soldiers who, looking for a diversion from the bloody battles, came together and competed against each other with a full deck of cards (which allowed more players to get in the game than the original four player limit). This carried over into the late 19th century Wild West. Even during the success of the game in that period, Texas Hold 'Em was coming into being, as was Seven Card Stud and Omaha as well.

Let's fast forward the clock to the mid-1980's. Of the fourteen events that made up the 1985 World Series of Poker, there was a pretty even balance of games across the board. There were five Seven Card events (with one split game and, interestingly, the Women's Tournament), three Omaha games, two Ace-to-Five tournaments, and one each of Kansas City Lowball, Limit Hold 'Em and a No-Limit championship, with the Main Event being (as tradition has been throughout its history) another No-Limit event. This seemed to be the true test of poker, with players playing in pretty much every event and challenging their skills across the board.

With the announcement last week of the schedule of events for the 2006 World Series of Poker, there has been a maelstrom of protest from pretty much everyone. Of the forty four events that make up the 2006 schedule, over half are No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em events, with games such as Omaha, Seven Card, Razz and others reduced to second class citizen status, battling for the other twenty or so slots. This hasn't set well with many players and has brought a tremendous amount of criticism upon Harrah's, who set the schedule for the 37th renewal of the World Series.

As usual, you have to look at all parts of the spectrum before you rush to get your torches and burn down the castle. Currently, the world of poker is dominated by the No-Limit game. People see the contests on the World Poker Tour or the World Series on ESPN and, naturally, want to take their shot at the tournaments as well. For the newcomers to the game (especially the younger generations), they may not even realize that there are "other" forms of poker that have many more nuances and strategies to challenge their skills.

The move to no-limit has also been accelerated by other tournament schedules that only have no-limit events. A look at the recent September WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah's in Las Vegas was nothing but no-limit tournaments and the recent Festa al Lago tournament at the Bellagio in October was all no-limit as well. To lay the entirety of the blame on the door of the Harrah's WSOP management team is not deserved.

Players and message boards have also been griping about the lack of tournaments other than no-limit at the World Series, especially the lack of a mixed game such as S.H.O.E or H.O.R.S.E. Daniel Negreanu, in his blog, was especially harsh in his criticism of the WSOP management because, for the second year in a row, there was no mixed game, which he feels is a true poker challenge. While I tend to agree with Daniel about mixed games being a very good poker challenge, it's not like there was a tremendous background of mixed games in World Series history. By my research, the first mixed game event in World Series history (a S.H.O.E tournament) was held back in 2001! As recently as 2004, there was a mixed game tournament in the World Series; this doesn't lend to a rich tradition of mixed games being a part of World Series lore!

The major tournaments move toward no-limit is very simple. It is following the apparent desires of the majority of people who play the game. While most may only be recent converts to the thrills of the sport of poker, with their money (and the television exposure generated by that money) the players are stating that this is the game of the moment. Thus, the casinos and tournaments are granting what apparently is being asked for. When you add in the factor that, in general, no-limit tournaments are a much quicker event than the drawn out battles of Omaha Eights or Better (Hi/Lo) or Seven Card (both Stud and Hi/Lo) tournaments, then the casinos are going to go with those games that keep the faces changing in the seats that are there.

If the casinos, though, see that the recognized faces of the game are avoiding certain tournaments (except for their Main Events, of course), then this could signal that some changes should be made. For the most part, you don't see the big names of the game playing in low buy in events. Because of the tremendous travel expenses and efforts in tournament play, many professionals avoid the preliminary events that make up a full tournament schedule, especially if all the events are no-limit. Perhaps more of the pros would show up if more diverse tournaments were offered (look at 2005 World Series double bracelet winner Mark Seif, who played and won the Seven Card Championship at the U. S. Poker Championships in Atlantic City). This might be something that would shake the casinos attention.

Players do have some ammunition, though. Tournaments, even the World Series, are always looking for ways to maximize participation in the events. Continued clamoring for events other than No-Limit Hold 'Em is a good step. Even something as venerable as the World Series schedule for 2006 isn't set in stone; with enough effort, and enough big names talking, perhaps there could be some adjustments by Harrah's to the schedule to allow for more alternate games. Lacking that, then perhaps another casino could set up a tournament schedule that would offer the balance that many want. This "Alternate Games Poker Championship" could truly be a success, offering the Omaha, Seven Card, and mixed games, along with a no-limit match, that would be a test of poker abilities. It would just take a casino to step to the plate to offer such a tournament, and it would take an overwhelming response from the players to show the support for such an event.

Perhaps it is all just a sign of the continued evolution of poker. While no-limit is the current rage, perhaps in a couple of years (with the increase of popularity of Omaha, especially in Europe and growing in the U. S.) people will be screaming about the lack of no-limit tournaments. Like a rubber band when pulled, when it is released it will snap back Poker is much the same way; as one game becomes big, the others lose a little luster. Eventually, though, it will come back to the same shape. Perhaps then we'll have the diversity of games making their return to tournament poker overall, not just the World Series!

Poker Macintosh Users - Now you can get into the world series of poker

2005-10-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

The WSOP Brings In New Online Mac Casino And Poker Players
With the World Series of Poker nearing the final table showdown, many new online mac casino and mac poker players are starting out at Pacific Poker’s online mac casino.

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Online Mac casinos seem to be a rare software to come by says many mac users. Most online casinos are not made for mac users. Pacific Poker recently upgraded its software to become fully Mac compatible with a full casino and Poker Room at www.PacificPoker.com/mac/.

The thought of winning millions of dollars like this years WSOP champion who’s name can be found by going to the World Series of Poker’s website (www.WorldSeriesofPoker.com) is bringing in flocks of new players to the online Texas Holdem tables. Pacific Poker has satellites for million dollar tournaments at their website also (www.PacificPoker.com/mac/)

Online mac casino players can use the no download version of Pacific Poker’s software to play when they want without having to buy a Virtual PC software. This Virtual PC software component is needed to play at most online poker rooms that are not mac compatible.

It is well documented on many online poker informational websites that Pacific Poker is known to have the worst players. Many average players with a good solid Texas Holdem fundamentals can win large profits daily at this poker room.

One of the reasons many Mac Pacific Poker players say the reason for so many loose bad players is because Pacific Poker has an online casino and many casino players try their luck at the poker tables having no idea how to play.

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Barbara Enright - A true legend of poker

2005-10-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

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Legends of Poker: Barbara Enright
October 25, 2005
Al MoePrint
I admit it. I eavesdropped on Puggy Pearson recently from my hold'em table at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Pearson was chatting with a non-professional at the table beside me, and as always, Puggy was willing to help a new player out. After about a half-hour, the tourist left the table wiser in the ways of hold'em. Puggy stayed put. He was no wiser, but he did have to contend with all those chips the fellow left behind.

It's a tough job, stacking up chips, but the best players somehow manage to muddle through. Puggy continued playing by peering at the flop through small cracks and fissures in his mountains of clay.

At my table, a young player snickered at a piece of advice Puggy gave about "playing the player," and remarked that he was lucky to have any World Series of Poker bracelets. His amazing insight into poker went something like this:

"The tournaments were tiny back then, and besides, it's just luck. If you get the cards at the right time, you win; it's pretty simple. It's just like that lady, who made the final table in the 1990's, what's she ever done besides that," he asked.

"Well," I asked, "how do you think you would have done in 1973 when Puggy won the WSOP $10,000 tournament against a small field of players like Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim, Sailor Roberts and Jack Straus?"

"Yeah, and Johnny Moss," another player added.

"Hell, those guys are old. "I 'da put the hurt on 'em," my opinionated friend stated as his runner-runner flush took down a $1200 pot. "See, ya gotta feel the odds, the other players don't mean anything."

I managed a weak smile, mucked my trips, and said, "I think you'd see it a little differently if you were there in 1973, or in 1995 when Barbara Enright came in 5th and won over $100,000."

"Nah, I'da just opened a can of whoop ass on 'em."

The kid actually did pretty well at the table before cashing out, but I predict a fascinating career in the fast-food industry for him. I do thank him, however, for reminding me how tough it really is to win a WSOP tournament. And with regard to Barbara Enright, I think Mike Paulle said it best after Barbara won a tournament at the Orleans Casino a few years ago.

Paulle said, "When she goes on one of her patented rushes, the sun dims in the sky and she becomes a force of nature," and as she closed in on first place, Mike added, "Barbara Enright was catching everything but malaria."

I like that line, and it kind of sums up what many people think of Barbara - that she's lucky. Funny, I hear the same thing about Gus Hansen.

Barbara was born in Los Angeles, California and by the age of four, was playing poker with her brother for matchsticks. Says Barbara, "When we started playing for pennies, I ran over him." Believe me, I know the feeling. Barbara is easily one of the best limit hold'em players I've ever had the misfortune of being steam-rolled by. In tournaments, she's like a heavy rock on a steep hill. You keep trying to hold her back, but eventually you slip-up and she just rolls right over you to the final table.

Barbara began playing in poker rooms in the late '70's. She prefers no-limit to limit, and has shown a great deal of aptitude at both. In 1986, Barbara won her first World Series of Poker tournament, the $500 Women's 7-Card Stud event, and pocketed $16,000.

Her second bracelet came in the $1,000 Women's 7-Card Stud tournament in 1994, and her exceptional play continued the following year when cashed in the 1995 WSOP $1500 Pot-Limit hold'em event. However, the best was yet to come.

The next week, Barbara made history by becoming the first woman to reach the final table in the $10,000 Championship. If she had been a little lucky, as some seem to think she is, her pocket eight's would have stood-up to win after she went all-in and was called pre-flop by eventual third-place finisher Brent Carter who held 6-3. However, that's what happens in tournaments all over the country - somebody gets luckier than somebody else does.

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Barbara's fifth-place finish and $114,000 in prize money helped to console her, as did poker player/author and significant other, Max Shapiro. Max has written enough excellent columns for Card Player Magazine to convince me he knows what he is talking about, and he says it's the aggression that makes the difference. There are no successful tournament players that don't turn-up the pressure at the right time.

In 1996, Barbara's amazing feat at the '95 WSOP was overshadowed by an even greater accomplishment. With two tables left in the $2,500 Pot Limit hold'em event it appeared previous champion Brad Daugherty or main event runner-up's Bobby Hoff or Hans "Tuna" Lund might prevail, but it was Barbara Enright who rode a straight-line of excellent play to the championship, and first prize of $180,000.

After becoming the first woman to win an open event at the WSOP, there was little doubt just who the best woman poker player in the country was. Author/player Mike Sexton summed it up when he said, "Barbara is the most dominating, relentless, aggressive woman on the tournament circuit," in an interview with Dana Smith.

Barbara continues to fare well in tournaments around the world, and at this year's (2005) WSOP, she placed 286th (from a field of 5600+) in the $10,000 Championship. Her play, however, is taking a back seat to her work as chief editor of Woman Poker Player magazine, which debuted in April of 2005.

Says Enright; "Women may have a basic advantage over their male counterparts. Psychologists tell us that women possess a sixth sense, and this instinctiveness can be a valuable asset at the poker table."

That's bad news for male poker players everywhere, especially at tournaments where players like Enright, Jennifer Harman, and Annie Duke have mastered the art of deception and aggression. Really now, what's a guy with no WSOP bracelets to do?

Local Wisconsin Man heading for this years World Series of Poker

2005-10-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

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Win at fundraiser sends man to World Series of Poker
By Michael Burke

RACINE - Joe Altenbach has conquered the best Texas Hold 'Em players Racine could assemble in one place. Next for him, it's on to Tunica, Miss., and the World Series of Poker.

After about eight grueling hours of poker, Altenbach, 35, of Racine was the last man standing in Sunday's local Texas Hold 'Em tournament. The fundraiser at Infusino's Banquet Hall was one of the largest tournaments of the year in Wisconsin, said organizer Rick Schue.

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The event raised $3,650 for the zoo after paying out $3,000 in prize money to finishers Nos. 2-10, Schue said. Schue hopes the zoo will use it to buy a companion for Twiga, the zoo's female giraffe.

Long-time zoo benefactors Chuck and Jen Johnson and family of Racine donated the entire first prize, consisting of airfare, hotel and entry fee to the big leagues of poker for Altenbach.

"I play online," said Altenbach, but this was his first tournament. He had to claw his way back from a huge deficit against his last opponent in a head-to-head session that lasted nearly an hour.

"When we were down to the final two, he went all in and I called. He beat me with a pair of aces; I had ace-queen." Altenbach said that knocked him down to about 22,000 in chips while his adversary had roughly 10 to 15 times more.

"I worked my way back from that," said Altenbach, a sales engineer when he's not playing poker.

"I was just exceedingly patient" Sunday, he said. "I tried to pick my hands, pick my battles."

As for playing in the World Series of Poker, Altenbach said, "It's very exciting. I don't feel intimidated, though I probably should."

A new canadian face going to the World Poker Tour (WPT)

2005-10-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Calgarian heading to World Poker Tour

By STACY SHAIKIN -- Calgary Sun

A rookie Calgarian is hoping to ride the river to a Las Vegas poker victory.

Computer engineer Denny Amirault recently won a seat at a World Poker Tour (WPT) event Dec. 12 at the Bellagio Hotel.

"I am very excited and very pumped," says Amirault, who's only been playing competitive poker for six months.

The Calgary native is not the only online poker player to move from the confines of his home to the grand stage against such players as Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth.

Amirault entered a $45 qualifier with 80 players and the win propelled him to a free entry into the deciding match.

The entry for that second tournament was $420.

Amirault and eight others qualified for a trip to Las Vegas and a seat in the Bellagio tournament.

"The turning point for me was when I flopped a straight and a guy put me all in with his high pair of jacks," says the 36-year-old. "After that I took first position and never let it go."

Not that Amirault has delusions of cardshark glory.

"I have no plans to turn pro," he says. "If I was successful, I might consider it but the reality is this is just one tournament I qualified for."

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Droves of online and casual players are looking to get to that next level with the growing popularity of poker on TV and on the Internet.

According to the World Series of Poker, this year's total prize money could exceed $100,000,000, a 65% increase from 2004.

Amirault plans to get ready for the WPT event by applying his skills in a local tournament Thursday at the Cash Casino.

"I want to gain experience playing at a slower pace," says Amirault. "I'll also be playing against players who make better decisions."

He says his patience, conservative play and high aptitude for math are his strengths.

"I definitely calculate the pot odds and work out my chances of getting the card I need to make a hand."

However, he explains his lack of experience in live games is probably his biggest weakness.

"I want to work on studying my opponents better," he admits. "I have more experience online. I have only played in three or four live tournaments."

Chris Moneymaker is considered the driving force behind the poker phenomenon of online players who want to take their shot at the professionals.

In 2003, he qualified for the World Series of Poker through an online qualifier with virtually no experience. He went on to win the tournament and cash a $2,500,000 US prize.

Since then hordes of poker enthusiasts have come to believe all that's needed is a chip and a chair and a championship bracelet could be in the cards.

Omaha Poker - What are the odds of getting and drawing the nut low in Omaha Hi/Low

2005-10-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

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Drawing to the 'Nut Low' in Omaha Hi/Lo Poker
By Fred Renzey
22 October 2005

About the only game besides Texas Hold'em that anybody plays in poker rooms anymore is Omaha Hi/Lo Split. Any kind of Stud poker has been just about trampled to death by the Hold'em stampede.

Omaha, however, is similar to Hold'em with its three-card flop, turn card and river card. In Omaha Hi/Lo, though, the pot is split between the best high and best low hand – and you have four hole cards rather than just two. You must use exactly two cards from your hand and exactly three from the board to make either your high or low hand. Also, to qualify for the low half of the pot, you must make an 8 low or lower.

So today, let's talk about the single most important strategy principle in playing Omaha Hi/Lo Split. That's when you have an Ace/Deuce in your hand among your four hole cards. Having an Ace/Deuce is such a big factor because if the final board looks anything typical -- like this:

8-6-Q-4-J

you'll have the best possible low, or the "nut low" in poker lingo. That's because nobody can possibly beat an 8-6-4-2-A for low, since you must use exactly two from your hand.

In fact, any five-card board that contains at least three cards between a 3 and an 8 (with no ace or deuce) will give you that coveted nut low. And plenty of common boards will fit into that category. For this reason, the old Acey/Deucey is usually good enough to make your hand playable, almost regardless of your other two cards.

So then, how often will you be dealt an Ace/Deuce? Just once out of every 14 hands, on average. And when you do have the Ace/Deuce, how often will you make the nut low? That's where the flop becomes all-important.

You'll make the nut low right on the flop only one time in 15 – such as when it comes something like:

8-7-6, or
7-3-5, or
6-4-3, etc.

But another 5 times out of 15, you'll flop a nut low draw such as with:

8-7-Q, or
7-3-J, or
6-4-K, etc.

with two more cards yet to come. So in all, your Ace/Deuce will flop either the made nut low or "nut low draw" 40% of the time (6 times out of 15).

Okay then, when you flop two low cards giving you the nut low draw, how often will you end up making your nut low? You'll get there almost exactly half the time. If you miss on the turn (fourth card), you'll still make it at the river one third of the time. All in all, an awful lot of half pots go the player holding an Ace/Deuce.

That's not to say an Ace/Deuce is automatic money in the bank now. It comes with its own pitfalls, the same way "Big Slick" (Ace/King) does in Hold'em. First of all, one third of the flops will contain either two or three high cards (9 or higher).

When two high cards flop such as 5-10-K, you'll need two consecutive helping cards to make your low. That's a 5-to-1 longshot, and you should fold if you've got nothing for high. Even worse, if three high cards flop such as 9-J-K, your Ace/Deuce can't possibly make an 8 low.

Another detractor is that sometimes two players will have an Ace/Deuce. Here, you'll have to split the low half of the pot with somebody else. That's known as getting "quartered", since you'll end up with just a fourth of the pot.

And now for the final peril of the Ace/Deuce in Omaha Hi/Lo. Remember that wonderful one time in 15 when you make your nut low right on the flop as with, say:

8-5-4

Well, one fourth of those times an Ace or Deuce will come on the turn or the river and your nut low won't be the nut low anymore. If the final board is:

8-5-4-10-A
the nut low will now be a 2/3 -- and you will have been what is known as "counterfeited". Even a 2/6, 3/6, 2/7 or 3/7 will beat you for low and you'll get nothing.

Local poker groups in the Pheonix Arizona Area - Find your poker hangout

2005-10-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

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Poker Big in the Phoenix Community
New website provides online community for poker fans and players in The Valley of the Sun.

(PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- The World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, Ultimate Poker Challenge, everywhere you turn these days, people are watching and playing poker. The popularity of poker has exploded since unknown at the time player Chris Moneymaker turned a $40 buy-in online into a World Series of Poker Championship, and 2.5 million dollars. In the Phoenix community, poker is huge.

The vast number of people looking for live or online poker tournaments and home games in Phoenix has created an opportunity for local website PhxPoker.com. PhxPoker.com provides an online community where local players can come to find organized tournaments and games. PhxPoker.com also provides poker related news, and lots of content for players of any level.

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PhxPoker.com CEO Chad Mattox said, "We have partnered with several of the top online poker rooms, and are currently sponsoring several tournaments, cash games, and freerolls for our members."

Mattox also stated, "Our goal is to become the number one resource for Phoenix poker players. We want to make it extremely easy for new as well as experienced players to find a game that meets all their needs whether it be live or online."

Poker Strategy - Avoid common mistakes before they happen

2005-10-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

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The Biggest Mistake You Can Make in Poker - Calling raises with the wrong kinds of hands leads to trouble
by TJ Cloutier

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What separates great poker players from average players? I’ve been asked that question a zillion times over the years, and my answer is always the same: Great players make fewer mistakes than anybody else. Furthermore, top players know they’re making a mistake while they’re doing it, not after it’s done.

Before I make a play at the pot in a poker game, I always ask myself, “Should I do this now, or should I not?” Sometimes, I just say, “The hell with it, I’ll just do it.” And I pay for it! But I know I’m making a mistake while I’m doing it. Amateurs play hands that they shouldn’t play and they don’t know they’re making a mistake.

If you don’t know you’re making a mistake, how can you learn from it? Knowing when you’ve made a bad move is an instinct that develops from what you’ve learned over the years. When you see that a play doesn’t work, chalk it up on your mental blackboard so that you can learn from it. Pay special attention to the hands that you play when you’re out of position. New players make basic mistakes, such as playing a 10-8 suited from early position, or playing a pair of deuces and then calling a raise with them.

Most of the mistakes that amateurs make in no-limit hold’em are made with hands with which they call raises. I repeat, they call raises with hands with which they shouldn’t call. Here’s a scenario that came to me from “Joe,” a great split-pot player who has just started playing no-limit hold’em. He had just busted out of a big tournament in about 50th place, and he told me about the hand that sent him to the rail. The player right in front of the button raised to $5,400. Joe was in the big blind with the K J and already had $1,600 in the pot from posting the big blind. He was kind of low on chips with about $34,000 left in his stack. He called the raise. The flop came Q 10 4. They got it all in. His opponent had pocket queens and Joe lost the hand when he didn’t hit a flush or a straight.

“You made only one mistake in the hand,” I told him.

“What was that?” he asked. “I flopped a draw to a royal flush!”

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“It definitely wasn’t your play after the flop — it was your play before the flop,” I replied. “You’re not supposed to call a raise with that hand. When you get hands like K-Q, K-J, K-10, Q-J, and Q-10, remember that they’re all trap hands.

And, invariably, whenever you call a raise with them and get a flop to them, you go broke with them.”

“You mean, I’ve got $1,600 in the pot and I call $3,800 more and that’s a mistake?!” he asked.

“If you’re calling while knowing that you probably have the worst hand, that’s a mistake,” I answered. “And more people make that mistake than any other mistake inno-limit hold’em.”

When people ask, “How do you survive so long all the time?” part of my answer is that I’m not going to make the mistake that Joe made. I’m not saying that I won’t go up and over somebody with that hand. I might even go over the top of them with a 7-2, but I do it because I’ve put them on a bad hand, not two queens. But do I call a bet with a trouble hand? No. Invariably, you either get some kind of flop to it and lose your chips, or don’t flop at all to it and have to throw the hand away, losing the chips with which you called. Joe was out of position; he had to act first after the flop.

And with that kind of flop, he was gonna play the hand no matter what. He was a dog to just about anything before the flop: If the guy had raised with an A-K, he was a dog; if he had raised with an A-4, he was still a slight dog. He was a dog to any kind of hand unless the raiser had something like two tens, in which case he would be in a coin-flip situation.

Even then, he’s still an underdog. Or, suppose the guy had raised with an A-J and a jack flopped. Again, Joe is gonna go broke with the hand.

Compare your pluses to your minuses with these trap hands, and there aren’t many pluses. Most of the time, you’re not going to flop to it anyway, so you’ve gotta check. And you can’t call any kind of a bet. If you decide to bluff at the pot and run into a better hand, you’re gonna lose that money. The pluses just aren’t there.

Dana Smith, my editor, told me that in her interviews with more than 100 top poker players, most of the bad-beat stories she heard started with, “I was in the blind.” That’s because the majority of mistakes are made when players call raises from the blinds with hands with which they shouldn’t call. Once you put your blind money in the pot, it doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to the pot. If you have the mindset that it’s not your money any longer, that’s a good way to think.

As Tom would say in closing, I hope to meet you in the winner’s circle one day soon — provided that we don’t lose our chips by calling raises with the wrong kinds of hands.

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2005-10-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

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Play against Howard Lederer, Phil Gordon, or Phil Ivey in a heads up poker tournament worth $50,000!!!

2005-10-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

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Only Full Tilt Poker has the "The Hunt for Red in October" where you can win a chance to play Phil, Howard, and Phil in private heads-up matches for up to $50,000. Keep reading for all the details.

Also, be sure to check out our new Jersey Sit & Go Leaderboard Challenge tournaments where you can win a personalized Full Tilt Poker baseball jersey just in time for baseball's World Series. And, if you're looking for a chance to play poker on national television, we've got three options for you to choose from, including qualifiers into the Ultimate Poker Challenge, Foxwoods World Poker Finals, and one of two WSOPC tournaments at Paris/Bally's in Las Vegas or the Showboat in Atlantic City.

Speaking of television, check your local listings for the first hour-long episode of "The FullTiltPoker.Net Championship at Wynn Las Vegas" airing October 9th on FOX Sports Net. And be sure to tune into FOX Sports Net on Sunday, October 9th for the next episode of "FullTiltPoker.Net Presents Learn from the Pros" where Howard Lederer and our Full Tilt Poker pros provide tips and strategies to help improve your game. Check your local listings for more information.

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There's no better way to improve your game than by playing against the best players in the world. For many of us, though, affording buy-ins to the really big games with the world's top players just isn't in the cards. That's why we've introduced the "The Hunt for Red in October".

Throughout October, you can win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, and Phil Gordon in private heads-up matches for up to $50,000. What's more, you can do it for as little as $55. That's right – just win any scheduled multi-table tournament with a buy-in of $50 + $5 or greater by 11:59PM ET on Halloween and you'll be automatically entered into a $5K "Hunt for Red in October" Freeroll on November 5th.

Win the Freeroll, and you'll get the chance to play Phil, Howard and Phil – heads up – for up to $50,000!

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The baseball playoffs are in full swing, and we're stepping up to the plate by launching a new series of Jersey Sit & Go Leaderboard Challenge tournaments where you can win one of 40 limited edition Full Tilt Poker baseball jerseys.

Like the football jerseys we offered in September, these personalized jerseys are "home white" versions of the ones you saw our pros wearing on television and at the World Series of Poker.

Starting today, we'll be running $69 + $6 Sit & Go tournaments through October. For each tournament you play in, you'll receive points based on your finish. The top 40 point earners by 11:59PM ET on October 31st will all win a personalized Full Tilt Poker baseball jersey.

You can't win these customized jerseys after baseball season ends, so get off the bench and don't miss your chance to dress like a pro.

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If you've been playing at Full Tilt Poker, you know there's nothing we enjoy more than rewarding our most loyal players. That's why we're offering a new set of $50K VIP Freeroll tournaments on November 6th.

To earn your automatic entry, just be one of our top 1,500 point earners by 11:59PM ET on October 31st. And remember, the more points you earn in October, the more money you'll get to play for in November:

• Players 1 – 500 will compete for $28K
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Join us at our next Post-Game Poker tournament this Sunday night and you could walk away with the first-place prize money plus $1 for every point scored in all of the NFL games played that day.

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WPT Boot Camp: Learn From Poker's Stars, Then Beat 'Em At Their Own Game

2005-10-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

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WPT Boot Camp: Learn From Poker's Stars, Then Beat 'Em At Their Own Game
5 October 2005

FT. LAUDERDALE, Florida -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- You sit across the green felt from an established poker pro, analyze your hand and decide to go "all-in." The pro, who you've watched win millions on the Travel Channel's WORLD POKER TOUR® (WPT), buys your bluff and calls the bet. The flop comes and you have the "nuts," meaning you win the hand, walk away with a monster pot and have one heck of a story.

Is it a dream? Not if you're one of the 100 students enrolled in the new WPT BOOT CAMP™ CHAMPIONS EVENT scheduled to take place December 16, 17 and 18 at The Mirage in Las Vegas. This one-of-a-kind opportunity is for knowledgeable poker players with previous tournament experience. Students will be screened to ensure they already have the skills necessary to take part in this advanced training opportunity.

WPT host Mike Sexton will lead an all-star team of instructors at the WPT BOOT CAMP CHAMPIONS EVENT. Additional instructors include Ron Rose, Mark Seif, Clonie Gowen Linda Johnson, Alex "The Insider" Outhred, Crispin Leyser and Jules Leyser. These pros will cover sophisticated poker tactics that should add to the cache of tools already possessed by students, and help trainees reach their goal of a WPT Final Table.

The weekend's learning experience begins when students receive a refresher course on poker basics before taking their VIP seats at the taping of a WPT Final Table being held at the Bellagio. It is there that students will see exactly what happens at the final stage of a WPT tournament and discover how poker's elite handle the situations that evolve. On the following day, students get to rub elbows with some of poker's top stars and are treated to a full day of instruction. Lastly, attendees get a shot at beating the pros during a private WPT BOOT CAMP No-Limit Hold'em Tournament. The instructors will be competing alongside students for the grand prize -- a WPT Main Event seat. But throughout the tournament students will have the chance to knock pros out of the game and receive $500, plus the right to gloat to poker chums back home.

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This three-day encounter will culminate with an elegant awards banquet where the tournament winner will receive his or her WPT Main Event seat and $1,000 for hotel and travel expenses. The victor will also be bestowed with an etched glass trophy and official red WPT BOOT CAMP CHAMPIONS EVENT jacket.

"For a lot of poker players, the WPT BOOT CAMP CHAMPIONS EVENT is the chance of a lifetime," says WPT BOOT CAMP co-founder Ron Rubens. "This is a fantasy camp to the degree that you get to spend three days with some of the top poker players around. But it's also a chance to really compete against these pros and put your skills to the test for a very substantial prize."

The December WPT BOOT CAMP CHAMPIONS EVENT taking place at The Mirage will be the only one of its kind in 2005, and enrollment is limited to 100 people. The cost is $2,895, which includes a seat at the private tournament as well as breakfast, lunch and cocktails with the poker pros. Several additional Champions Event sessions are planned for 2006, as well as a full slate of two-day Boot Camps.

The WPT BOOT CAMP CHAMPIONS EVENT is an extension of WPT BOOT CAMP, which is an authentic instructional seminar featuring an integrated curriculum that includes live lectures, archived WPT video footage, game play and personal tips from poker superstars. These exciting two-day camps tutor students on all aspects of competitive, tournament Texas Hold'em Poker. Using uniquely developed courseware and WORLD POKER TOUR tournament video footage, students receive hands-on training filled with tips and tools to help them better understand the "tells," "reads," and strategies integral to improving their game. A portion of the coursework is based on Sexton's book, WPT: Shuffle Up and Deal. Instruction comes from Sexton, as well as poker expert Outhred -- the man behind the camera who analyzes all of the hands played at WPT Final Tables. A selection of pro instructors who are considered the most dynamic, highly regarded poker champions in the world are also featured at various Boot Camps throughout the year.

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WPT BOOT CAMP is the brainchild of Ron Rubens and Steven Berman, co-founders of River Gaming, LLC. The duo developed the program after years of work in the gaming industry and prior experience producing instructional seminars. River Gaming is a licensee of WPTE, which holds an ownership interest in the WPT BOOT CAMP.

"We're both poker junkies," Berman says about himself and Rubens. "We play as much as we can and watch the WORLD POKER TOUR every chance we get. But everybody's play can use improvement. So we started thinking of ways to improve our game, and it just dawned on us that a poker school would be perfect. It's the same idea as a baseball, football or hockey camp. The best way to improve and increase your bankroll is to learn from the pros."

The current cost for enrolling in a regular WPT BOOT CAMP is $1,495.00. Classes typically sell out well in advance, so it is advisable that interested parties register early. For more information go to www.wptbootcamp.com or call 866-WPT-BOOT.

About The World Poker Tour™

The WORLD POKER TOUR is a series of 16 high stakes poker tournaments filmed in exotic locales and leading poker rooms. The show is the highest rated series in the history of the Travel Channel and continues to increase its viewing audience worldwide. With its mix of expert commentary, on-screen explanatory graphics and 17 cameras-- including the revolutionary WPT cam revealing the player's hole cards-the WPT has transformed poker into a televised spectator sport. It has also inspired the poker boom among fans and amateur players, who play at home with friends, and others who are now coming out to compete in WPT tournaments. Last season, the WPT offered more than $35 million in prize money. Filming for Season Three has already begun and prize money is projected to be $70 million. The Season Three shows will begin airing on March 2, 2005. For more information on the WORLD POKER TOUR, go to: www.worldpokertour.com.

Poker strategy - Know your poker opponent

2005-09-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

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Know your Opponent
by Paul Wolfe
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I was at my first World Series of Poker in 2002, talking to a player who had made the final table the year before. He told me something I've never forgotten, and it's helped me ever since.

I had raised pre-flop with A-K and he called from the button. The flop came all small cards. I checked and he fired a pot-sized bet. I looked at him and said, "You must have a good hand." His reply caught me off guard; "It doesn't matter what cards I have if I know what cards you have."

At first I thought I might have a tell – maybe I hummed when I missed the flop, or I looked away from my chips. It was later that I realized I did have a tell, but it had nothing to do with my physical demeanor. It was the way I played my cards.

Poker is often not so much about the cards you have, but knowing the way your opponent plays. Keeping track of which hands your opponent raises with - and the position from which he raises with them - is a large part of the game.

In a live game, it is hard to remember exactly what cards your opponent has raised with over the years and, if they're good players, those hands will change from time to time. But many poker players are creatures of habit, playing the style they are most familiar with. Online, there is no excuse not to have this knowledge at your fingertips.

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While playing on Full Tilt Poker, I get to write notes on players and it is a great help. I am always referencing my notes, and they will often tell me which hands an opponent has played in the past. The color-coding makes it even easier for me. I use one color to mark the players who only bet when they have a strong hand, and another color to mark the action players.

When I see a player marked with a certain color, I can safely assume that he's going to overplay his hands. This is a guy I am more willing to call with a hand that might be a little weaker, or a drawing hand after the flop. Why? Because I know that if I hit my hand, he's going to pay me off; I have implied odds to call. With another player, I'll play a little tighter because not getting paid off means my implied odds aren't there. This one bit of information has both increased my winnings and minimized my losses.

Self-awareness is an important part of any endeavor. But in poker, knowing your opponent is just as important as knowing yourself.

World Poker Tour takes action against ESPN in court

2005-09-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

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World Poker Tour owner plays hand in court
MORE

By Jesse Hiestand

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The parent company of the "World Poker Tour" has sued its outlet, the Travel Channel, for allegedly interfering with plans to develop a new poker series on ESPN.

WPT Enterprises Inc. sued the Travel Channel and its owner, Discovery Communications Inc., for alleged breach of contract and intentional interference. The case, filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks unspecified damages and various court orders, including a declaration that WPT upheld its side of the contract, while the defendants breached their obligations.

Travel Channel spokesman David Leavy said the outlet continues to recognize that "WPT" is an important franchise.

"We are planning to very vigorously and aggressively defend and protect our rights under the existing contracts," Leavy said.

According to the suit, WPT had the right to develop other poker-related programming, provided it gave the Travel Channel the first opportunity to license the show and the last right to refusal.

WPT said it proposed such a show, "Professional Poker Tour," in July 2004 but that negotiations with the defendants were not successful in the 60-day exclusive window.

WPT said it then shopped the show to other networks, including ESPN, which proposed to license the show September 12. That triggered a 15-day "last refusal" period for the defendants, who allegedly sent threatening letters to WPT and
ESPN.

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One such letter allegedly threatened ESPN with legal action because the Travel Channel said it already had licensed the show, something WPT denied.

"The letter to ESPN had and continues to have the effect of disparaging WPTE, interfering with its pending and anticipated contract and relationship with ESPN and causing severe and significant damages," the complaint said.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

5 Great conventional tips to better yourself at poker

2005-09-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

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By Charles Mousseau
pokerfan.com

Great article that you won't find in any poker books.

No. 1: Watch a few hands unfold at your table from a different physical location.

You hear athletes and poker players alike talk about a situation known as “being in the groove.” You're almost seeing things before they happen, letting intuition take over the micromanaging so you can start absorbing things in the big picture.

It can be very effective, but the danger is this: It isn't a big step from being “in the groove” to being “in a rut.”

To combat this, I have developed a little trick which I first used back in my chess-playing days, where for a few of my opponent's turns, I would stand behind him and observe the game “from a distance,” in an effort to force myself to see the game not just as my game, but simply, a game.

The next time you are at the poker table, and you're going to get up and go for a stretch, or to get a soda, stand back from the table and watch the action. Pretend you aren't even involved. When they're about to deal, sit down and get your cards, play the hand if it is worthy. When you're out of the hand, stand back up. Walk around and watch.

This helps you with your viewpoint, both in the figurative and in the optical sense. By standing up, you might be able to see things that an obstruction would otherwise prevent, such as one player having a lot more chips than you thought, or someone else acting generally irritable under certain circumstances. It might help you down the road.

Even without such a revelation, the forcing of the point of view from your table to a generic table and back again can help keep you fresh and observant, two things crucial to succeeding in a poker tournament.

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No. 2: Track one highly specialized statistic from tournament to tournament.

Most internet poker sites offer the ability to track general stats about how often you call in certain positions. I've never seen how these can be useful, except in the most abstract of senses, because of the amount of extrapolation required beyond just the number. Seeing the flop 50 percent of the time only tells you that you've seen the flop half the time, but says nothing about why you have done so, and there's something worse as well:

How do you put a goal to that? What percentage of flops, all things equal, do you want to be seeing? Again, it is very, very difficult to answer this without answering a lot of assumptions beforehand.

If you are going to track a statistic in poker, then track one that has some specific and immediate value, and one that has a goal for comparison purposes. Change it from time to time as you focus on different areas of the game you would like to analyze more closely.

Most recently, the statistic I have been tracking involves how often I make an egregious overbet preflop (say, a raise to over 10 times the big blind), how often I get called, and how often I have a big edge (at least 3:2 by my definition).

So far, in the past 12 times I have made such a bet preflop, I have gotten action on 11 of them. One of those times I was only an 11:9 favorite (when I ran my queens into ace-king), and the other 10 featured me being at least a 3:2 favorite.

The reason I came about tracking this statistic was when I made a sizable reraise preflop with pocket kings, and the original raiser had aces. Although in retrospect I didn't see how I could play that differently, it did suggest to me that I should focus on this, as I was curious if I was overplaying hands preflop too much. I can look back on this percentage and see that I have been making a healthy profit with my haphazard-looking preflop play. This is because I have been careful about who I make such a play against, which of course segues nicely into our next bit:

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No. 3: Categorize the other players by first focusing on them as “opportunities”

In no-limit hold’em, as I've said in the past, the name of the game is "opportunity," as opposed to "efficiency" in limit hold’em. In limit hold’em tournaments, I do something very analogous, and I think about each player in terms of how I would play a hand against them in the most efficient manner. A player who always tries a river bluff if you raise the flop and check the turn, for instance, gives a strong suggestion on the most efficient way for me to play my medium-strength holdings. A player who will check-raise the flop and bet the turn with as little as top pair will be the one against whom I bet out my big made hand on the flop.

In no-limit hold’em, playing your opponent is just as big a factor as playing your cards, and arguably more so. Naturally, you will be observing your opponents, how they play, how they react to certain situations, and so forth.

For instance, you see a player with a huge chip stack call under the gun, then call an all-in raise to nine times the big blind with as little as ace-seven offsuit. Traditional thinking holds that you start classifying him as a loose player, a passive player, a calling station and so forth.

The first thing that pops in my head is this: Seat No. 3's opportunity: Big preflop edges.

In essence, I've synthesized this information into a more usable form. I find personally that by doing this, I can access this precompiled information a lot faster, and this is the most important thing to know about players.

This doesn't stop until each player at the table is categorized as an opportunity, and then I can start focusing on more subtle and specific things.

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No. 4: Look for opportunities to make “unpaid advertizing”

Most everyone knows what is meant by the term "advertizing": the voluntary showing of hands to "tell people" what kind of player you are.

I'm a fan of simply playing the game in what looks like the most profitable way, and letting the other players decide what kind of player I am (so I can, naturally, be the exact opposite at a strategic time). Nevertheless, from time to time, I do like to influence my image in subtle ways.

Raising preflop and showing everyone you had pocket aces is a nice way to show people you are capable of raising with aces, but most people will bear in mind with a grain of salt that they are seeing something which you are showing them for their own benefit.

Instead, if I want to convince my opponents I am tight, I do this: Find a hand where a textbook bluff would most certainly succeed, or would most certainly be attempted, and simply not take it. A good example would be where the flop comes paired low, pairs again on the turn, and nothing comes on the river. They check to me on every street, and when they check to me on the river, I announce my hand and turn it over, as natural as can be.

Yes, it probably did cost me the pot to play the hand that way. It's no more than I would have had to spend playing a bad hand aggressively for the expressed purpose of showing it down at the end, and I think it's a far more effective way to do it.

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No. 5: Stay positive.

I don't mean just being able to say "yeah, I like poker" at the end of the day. I mean having your aces cracked — or running your kings into aces — and forcing yourself to release that energy in a positive way.

Joke about your bad luck. Joke about the other guy's good luck. Roll your eyes, faint and act as if you had been shot through the heart with a harpoon. I go the self-deprecating route, along the lines of "Yeah, I play that garbage, I get what I deserve; if only they were suited!" Do whatever you need to do to get it out of your system, but get it out.

If you don't think it can be done reasonably indoors, then go outdoors, muffle your mouth with your fist and scream as loud as you can. The passers-by might wonder why you are apparently trying to swallow your own arm. No matter.

However dumb you look, however dumb you sound, and however dumb you might feel, it is clearly nowhere near as dumb as you will look, sound and feel if you go on tilt and spritz away more chips. A crisis of bad luck shall last exactly one hand — the hand it made you lose. Once it starts influencing your play on further hands, then it's gone from bad luck to bad play on your part.

It's not easy, and it's a goal I still fail to meet on a regular basis. But I recognize it as something that I must improve if I want success in poker.

What book should you buy, if you want to improve your poker game?

2005-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

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In recent months, many of our players have asked for suggestions on what poker books provide the best insights into the game. Being curious ourselves, we put the question to our pros and the answers we got back included some long-time favorites, along with a few surprises.

While our pros all have poker books that they like, not all of them believe that reading about poker theory is essential to improving their play. In fact, a few of our pros expressed sentiments along these lines:

We're not big fans of poker books. Once you get the basics down, is there something you can read that will drastically change your outlook on poker? Probably not. If there were a secret formula that would guarantee you'd always win, or one certain technique to win the most money, wouldn't everyone be playing that way already? The best teacher is experience. Choose a playing style and game mentality that fits your style, then get out there and actively think about the game. See what works for you and what doesn't. No book will be as effective as your own thought process.

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Still, many of our pros do have some suggestions about which titles you might want to add to your personal library.

Chris Ferguson believes David Sklansky's Hold 'em for the Advanced Player and Theory of Poker are perhaps the two best books out there. Both of Doyle Brunson's Super System books, and Mike Caro's Book of Tells have helped his game, too.

Steve Brecher agrees with "Jesus" about Sklansky's Theory of Poker for its idea of the semi-bluff and its analysis of the concept of odds in poker. Sklansky's Hold 'em for the Advanced Player and the rest of the Advanced Player series are also solid reads.

Brecher also likes Doyle Brunson's chapter on No-Limit Hold 'em in his Super System for its emphasis on the importance of implied odds (although that's Sklansky's phrase, not Brunson's).

Erik Seidel notes that he hasn't read many of the poker books out there, but his all-time favorite is The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez.

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Being friendly with Phil Gordon, Perry Friedman has gotten to read an advance copy of Phil's Little Green Book (due out in October), which he thinks provides the best example of how to teach people to think about the game. He adds that both of Dan Harrington's books are filled with incredible advice for tournament play.

When it comes to "non-strategy" books, the pros' choices are as varied as their playing styles at the table.

Howard Lederer says, "I've recently started reading some books on Zen Buddhism. Zen has always been associated with the fine arts of flower arranging, calligraphy, and tea making. But there is also quite a tradition of Zen in swordsmanship and archery. Through reading these books and, in particular, Zen in the Art of Archery, I have a greater understanding of the process one goes through to master an art form. And poker is most certainly an art form."

Other more poker-related titles on our pros' bookshelves include Positively Fifth Street by James McManus, The Professor, the Banker and the Suicide King byMichael Craig and the recently published Tales from the Tiltboys by the Tiltboys. They're also looking forward to reading Nolan Dalla's biography of Stu Ungar, One of a Kind.

It's safe to say that the books listed above will provide you with an eclectic and comprehensive view of the strategies, techniques, and personality traits that can help you become a winning player. So enjoy these books, and good luck at the table.

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2005-08-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

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Crunching the numbers - No limit texas holdem poker strategy

2005-08-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

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by Andy Bloch
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I get asked a lot of poker strategy questions, from beginner to advanced. Some are easy, but some involve the kind of math I can't always do off the top of my head. When that happens, I rely on one of a number of free tools to calculate the probability of winning the hand.

Here's an example based on a hand posted on a website I run:

Our hero was playing at a small stakes No-Limit table online, with $.25-$.50 blinds. At the start of the hand, he had $44. He was dealt Ad-Td and raised to $2. Both blinds called. The flop was Kd-Jd-2c, giving our hero a royal flush draw. The big blind bet $2, hero raised $2 more, the next player called, and the big blind (with more chips than our hero) re-raised all-in.

Should our hero call with his last $38? Let's assume the third player will fold. If our hero were to call and win, he'd be up to $94 (the $18 in the pot, plus his $38 and his opponent's $38). If he wins the hand four times out of 10, on the average he'd have $37.60 after the hand ($94 multiplied by four, and divided by 10). In poker, it's the long run that matters, so he should only call if his probability of winning is greater than 40%. Now he needs to figure out the probability he'd win the hand.

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The first step is to put his opponent on a range of hands. Sometimes, you can figure out exactly what your opponent must have by the betting or tells. Most of the time, you're left to guess a little. In this situation, the other player probably has a very strong hand, but there's a chance he's bluffing or even semi-bluffing.

The strongest hand our hero could be facing is three kings. He has 11 outs to win the pot - every diamond but the 2d, and three queens. But even if our hero makes his flush or straight, his opponent could still win by making a full house or quads on the last card. I could calculate the probability by hand, but I don't need to.

Instead, I head to the Internet and one of the many free poker odds calculators, such as the one at twodimes.net. Enter "Kd Jd 2c" in the box labeled "Board" and "Ad Td" and "Ks Kc" under "Hands", and click submit. The result says that Ad-Td wins under 34% of the time - less than the 40+% that would make a call the right play. If our hero knows that his opponent had three kings, he should fold. The probabilities for the other possible three-of-a-kinds are the same.

But what if he's up against two pair - kings and jacks? Using the poker calculator again, his probability of winning would be 44%. That's enough to make calling correct. Our hero might also be against other two pairs, which he'd beat a little less often (42%), or A-K (46%). He might even already be ahead if he's against an aggressive player who would semi-bluff with something like Q-T (81%) or Qd-9d (82%).

Having calculated the probabilities of winning, our hero is now left with the subjective part of the answer, guessing the probabilities of what the other player has. I would guess that it's more than twice as likely that the player has two pair, or A-K, or even some weaker hand than that he has three of a kind. And I would guess that maybe 5% to 10% of the time, Ad-Td is actually ahead. I told our hero that, based on the numbers, I would have called.

Our hero did call, and the other player had K-J, giving our hero a 44% chance of winning the hand. The turn card was the 2d, but the river was a jack and our hero's flush lost to a full house. The river card was a tough break, but playing by the numbers, he still made the right play.

It's good to know the numbers, but it's equally important to know how to get them. And if you use the available tools whenever you aren't sure, you'll start to remember them when they come up at the table. In poker, every tool in your toolbox brings you one step closer to mastery of the game.

Ask the pro's is a free publication to all poker players registered and playing at fulltiltpoker.com Sign up now to get poker tips and strategies from the poker professionals.

Poker is about managing your money vs how you play your poker hands

2005-08-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

By Aaron Bartley
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One of the most important poker lessons has nothing to do with how to play Aces in late position or how to adjust for the maniac in seat three. It's how to manage your money in a way that will make it grow as quickly as possible with minimal risk.

Some of the most highly skilled players in the game have gone broke (repeatedly) simply because they played too high, too fast, too often. How can we make sure this problem never happens to us? It isn't a matter of smarts, but rather, one of discipline.

The most important step is to be honest with yourself. You should know your relative skill level at all times. Suppose you're a $1/$2 No-Limit Hold 'em player who's had a great night, and you're toying with taking a shot at the $5/$10 game. Your bankroll is up to $1,500, but you would need to bring at least $500 to the table in order to play comfortably at the higher level.

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Why would you risk putting a third of your bankroll on the table to play in the $5/$10 game? For starters, your bankroll isn't big enough for the stake; more importantly, you also need to consider that the skill level of the $5/$10 players is greater than the competition you're used to. (That's not always true, of course. There are some very skilled $1/$2 players and some weak $5/$10 players, but it's not unreasonable to assume that the higher-level games are filled with better players.)

This is where self-control comes in. One slip-up can spell disaster for a bankroll, and watching six months of hard work disappear in six hours of foolish play is enough to crush anyone's spirits.

The safest course of action is to continue doing what you're doing. You're beating the $1/$2 game for a tidy profit every week - stay right where you are. Continue proving that you can beat the game. While you're doing that, your bankroll should grow accordingly. Beating a game for six days is proof of very little. Beating the same game for six months is better evidence that you are a winning player.

Start tracking your results. You can buy tracking software or easily create a database of your own. Put in all of your information after each time you play - limits, time at the tables, profits/losses. Go over your information every few weeks, both for your recent play and for your entire poker lifetime. Try to spot bad trends before they get out of hand. If you've been playing well at a certain level over a long period of time, only then should you consider moving up to the next highest level.

Above all, know where your money is at all times and how it is being used. Ask yourself, "Is this too much risk for me considering my current bankroll?" If the answer is yes, do the responsible thing and change tables. Months later, you'll be thankful you did.

Poker explodes in the college scene, college kids playing poker on the rise.

2005-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

More young adults are making online poker a career choice, but is the risk of addiction too high?
By AMY ELIZABETH OSGOOD, Courier Lee News Service

MADISON, Wis. --- Brett Hartfiel, 22, is his own boss this summer. He wakes up at about 10 a.m. and works sporadically throughout the day.

If his friends go to the beach, he can go with them. If he wants to work in his pajamas, he can. That's because Hartfiel has turned online gambling, a pastime that has recently exploded among college students, into his summer job. In the past six or seven weeks, he has made more than $6,000.

"I told my friends, 'I'm going to be a poker pro for three months and see how it goes,' " he says.

Professional poker has its perks for the recent University of Wisconsin at Madison graduate. Hartfiel job-hunts and fills out applications online while he plays. Plus he can enjoy the college lifestyle for one last summer.

"There's something to say for getting to work in a pair of shorts and a 'Got Brett?' T-shirt," says his roommate, Luke Louison, nodding to Hartfiel's personalized loungewear.

Hartfiel plays no-limit Texas hold'em, the most popular online poker game "because it's the fastest and the riskiest," according to Hartfiel. He mostly plays on Pacific Poker, but he also plays on PartyPoker and PokerStars.

He has won most of his money playing "heads-up" matches against one other person. Each player puts in $100, the Web site takes $5 from each person, so the pot totals $190. Winner takes the pot. He has just started playing $100 buy-in tournaments. He says winners of those events make about $25,000.

Hartfiel says he has made more than $15,000 since he began gambling online last November. He has been playing live poker with friends since high school.

"I was skeptical at first, but a few of my friends started winning a lot of money, and I knew I was better than them," Hartfiel says.

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What about work?

As he began making money gambling, his job as a fitness consultant for the university's recreational facilities became less attractive.

"First semester, I was working like 20 hours a week. Second semester, I went down to working four hours a week," he says. "Now I don't work at all."

Maybe not in the conventional sense of the word, but Hartfiel does take gambling seriously. He gambles for about 50 hours a week, and he plans to pay taxes on his winnings.

He uses an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of his games. Columns list opponents' names, their wins and losses (he has played some more than 20 times) and each opponent's playing style.

A player can be aggressive or "tight," according to Hartfiel.

"I change my style depending on theirs," he says. "If they're aggressive, I like to play tight, only my good hands. I can take advantage by acting like I'm weak when actually I'm strong. When a player is tight, I will be more aggressive. You can take most of the pots when they're really tight."

Hartfiel keeps in mind when players might be most vulnerable, like late at night, when they've probably just come home from a night of drinking.

"I find that when I come back from the bars, that's when they play the worst," he says.

He also keeps track of when easy opponents habitually play.

"There are guys that go on there certain times a day every day who I know where to find," he says.

Hartfiel thinks his system gives him an advantage. "It's always smart if you can get an edge on the game, write stuff down about people," he says.

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Studying the game

The Internet changes the game of poker in many ways. Games go a lot faster than the friendly Sunday afternoon games at Aunt Martha's because things such as shuffling and conversation are eliminated. Players can make more money because they can play more hands per hour, and they can play at high-stakes tables, which most wouldn't otherwise have access to unless they were in Las Vegas.

In addition, players don't have to worry about their poker faces when they're sitting in front of their computers.

More than 1.8 million people play online poker each month, wagering an average of $200 million a day, Sports Illustrated reported in May. Although the U.S. Department of Justice considers online gambling illegal, the government essentially looks the other way. Individuals aren't normally prosecuted, according to the magazine.

Web sites are hosted overseas in "tax havens" such as Gibraltar and Costa Rica to avoid U.S. law, the magazine reported. Many college students have taken advantage of this legal gray area. Online poker's anonymity and high stakes contribute to its popularity among today's Internet-savvy students.

"It's the chance to hit it big," Hartfiel says.

The University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center found the number of 18 to 22-year-old college males who play cards for money doubled in the last year, according to Sports Illustrated.

Online statistics are hard to come by, however. Brian Rust, administrative program specialist at the UW-Madison's division of information technology, had no information regarding online gambling on campus. An unscientific trip to the library, though, illustrates online poker's popularity. While studying for exams in a computer lab on the UW-Madison campus, Hartfiel often saw poker games on students' monitors. He also played while he studied.

For some students, however, online poker can become more than a study break. It can become an addictive, expensive habit. Successes like Hartfiel's accompany sadder stories.

Poker room - Win a seat at the bellagio Las Vegas for $6 win an entry to the $18,000 world poker tour tournament

2005-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

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2005-08-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

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POker Poker - What online poker room has the loosest players, or what is the best online poker room to play at?

2005-07-25T20:22:00.000-07:00

Pokerstars: tight, but populated
enough to find good games, beware the sharks, great tourney action, second
busiest online site

Ultimate Bet: tight, this is Annie Duke's/Phil Hellmuth's/Devilfish
Ulliott's/Antonia Esfandiari's site, best interface IMO, you can often find Phil
playing high stakes Triple Draw or Hold'em here late at night, if you have
issues with the random card generation most sites use, UB might be worth a try

Paradise poker: tight shark tank, one of the originals

Party poker: loose, busiest site out there, cartoonish interface, best site for
finding loose games 24/7 because to traffic

Pacific poker: very loose and fishy, but aggressive, and because you can only
play one table at a time here, players tend to make impatient mistakes, lengthy
payout process

Planet poker: one of the first poker sites, low traffic, but many of the
regulars are happily consistent contributors, I often make more here than on
Party in a given day, friendliest site

Doyle's Room: New site, I've heard a great deal about loose play here,
but have yet to try it, perhaps someone else can comment on this one

Gaming Club: loose play, horrible interface

Poker Champs: Gus Hansen's new site, slick but somewhat confusing new
interface, micro freerolls every hour, the micro limits I played there (from my
micro freeroll winnings) were very loose

Absolute Poker: loose play, high but slow paying bonus, the only
interface I've seen where you can order from a large menu of food/drink/smoke
items and see them placed beside you while you play, average traffic

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2005-07-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

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2005-07-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

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Poker Poker - Doyle Brunson to bid $700 Million for World Poker Tour Stock

2005-07-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Poker icon Doyle Brunson has launched a $700 million cash bid for WPT Enterprises Inc., which owns the popular World Poker Tour television show, the company said Friday.

News of the unsolicited bid, made by Brunson with a team of financial backers, sent WPT (Research) shares surging over 60 percent to a record high of $27.60 on Nasdaq.

The bid offers a 100 percent premium over WPT's closing price of $17.75 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of about $357 million.

"This was a total surprise," company spokeswoman Jackie Lapin told Reuters. "The board will review this bid."

She did not know when the board planned to meet. The bid was received Thursday.

Brunson, one of the best known U.S. professional poker players, was not immediately available for comment.

West Hollywood, Calif.-based WPT Enterprises, which was founded in March 2002, went public in August last year at $8 a share, raising $32 million. Its shares rose to their previous high of $24.40 last month.

The company develops products based on gaming themes. World Poker Tour airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 60 markets worldwide.

About 70 percent of the company is owned by two stakeholders; Lakes Entertainment Inc. owns about 62 percent of the company and co-founder and Chief Executive Steven Lipscomb owns about 8.2 percent, according to company data from April.

Brunson, 71, has won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) twice -- in 1976 and 1977 -- and this month won his 10th WSOP bracelet which are awarded to winners of tournaments on the World Series of Poker circuit.

About 25 years ago he cowrote "Super/System," which explained his secrets to winning poker.

Poker Poker - Winner of World Series of Poker 2005 - Joseph Hachum

2005-07-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Five remain from the original 5,619

Chip leader Andrew Black had $21.7 million
Tex Barch had $12.5 million
Aaron Kanter $10.3 million
Steven Dannenmann $6.5 million
Joseph Hachem $5.1 million.

Last hand of the world series of poker 2005
Report: Steve Dannenmann raised to $700,000 and Hachem called. The flop came 4-5-6. Hachem checks and Steve bet $700,000,
Hachem re-raised to $1,700,000 ans Steve flat called. The turn was the As. hachem bet $2,000,000 and Steve raised to $5,000,000.
Hachem went all in and Steve instantly called. Hachem held the 7-3 and Steve the A-3. Hachem had flopped a straight and Steve was drawing
to a tie with one of the 3 remaining sevens on the river.
The river was the 4 and Joe Hachem becomes the new World Champion winning $7,500,000

Poker Poker - Chris Moneymaker ventures with Playboy

2005-07-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Chris Moneymaker, winner of the World Championship 2003 World Series of Poker, has turned his winnings into a new, lucrative career. Moneymaker, a former accountant, used his $2.5 million payday to jumpstart a career as a pitchman for PokerStars, known for their television poker tournaments such as "Poker Royale: Battle Of The Sexes".

He started Moneymaker Gaming, which offers gaming collectibles, poker chips and other gambling related accessories. So far, he’s secured exclusive contracts with Death Row Records, FHM model Vida Guerra and several NASCAR drivers such as Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Now Moneymaker Gaming has added another feather to their cap. It was announced that Playboy Enterprises and Moneymaker Gaming have partnered to create merchandise branded with the special Playboy touch. The collection will include a variety of items from collectible poker chip sets to tables and other such memorabilia.

"Poker is a logical brand extension for Playboy, and Moneymaker Gaming is a natural partner," remarked Sarah Haney, Director of Entertainment Licensing for Playboy Enterprises. "Chris' overnight success reflects the aspirational Playboy lifestyle and Playboy Poker offers both amateurs and professionals an opportunity to partake in the good life."

"Poker and Playboy go hand in hand," said Moneymaker. "It's a match made in Las Vegas heaven, and I am proud to bring the two together. We're committed to making Playboy a dominant player at the poker table."

The new products will be featured at the World Series of Poker lifestyle show, running during the play of the Main Event and at MAGIC Las Vegas in August. Products will also be available at PlayboyStore.com, MoneymakerGaming.com and at the Playboy Concept boutique in Las Vegas.

World Series of Poker Day 1 2005 - Big Name Players Eliminated

2005-07-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Phil Hellmuth
Daniel Negreanu
Phil Gordon
Men the Master
Todd Brunson
David Williams
Annie Duke
Cyndy Violette
Allen Cunningham
Hasan Habib
Erick Lindgren
Josh Arieh
Erik Seidel
Scott Fischman
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson
Ted Forrest
Johnny Chan
Mike Sexton
Humerto Brenes
Devilfish
Barry Greenstein
Martin De Knijff
Freddy Deeb
Phil Laak aka "The Unabomber"
Carlos Mortenson

Poker update - World Series of Poker Payouts for 2005

2005-07-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

WSOP 2005 Official Payouts
Total Entries: 5,619
Total Prize Pool: $52,818,600
560 places will get paid

1st Place:$7,500,000
2nd: $4,250,000
3rd: $2,500,000
4th: $2,000,000
5th: $1,750,000
6th: $1,500,000
7th: $1,300,000
8th: $1,150,000
9th: $1,000,000

Last place pays $12,500.

Absolute Poker - Poker Bonus Code ap100

2005-07-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

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Paradise Poker - No Limit Poker Tournaments

2005-07-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Join Paradise Poker - Online Poker Tournaments Daily including no limit poker!

Almost $1,000 in new poker player signup bonuses

2005-06-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

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