Casino Buzz

If you want to go out tonight and ring in 2006 in high style, you'll probably have to part with a big chunk of your holiday bonus money. But those who spent a large chunk of 2005 in the casinos will be lavishly entertained - without having to pay a dime.

New Year's Eve is the night the gaming halls throw money-saving schemes into the ocean and pull out all the stoppers to make sure their favored customers have the time of their lives. Showrooms and arenas will be transformed into themed party palaces filled with over-the-top decorations.

Champagne and hard liquor will flow like the Delaware River after a rainstorm. Lobster tails, lamb chops and jumbo shrimp will be there for the taking. The desserts are so decadent, they'll ruin guests' weight-loss resolutions before the new year begins.

If you're not a big gambler, you can still get in on the action. Several casinos throw parties for the common folk, but you'll have to pay to get in the door. Prepare to shell out big bucks if you want to sleep in Atlantic City tonight - if you can find a hotel room at all.

# Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort - Premium players will take home a Vera Wang silver bowl as a souvenir. The party in the theater, headlined by Kool and the Gang, will be part of CNN's New Year's broadcast.

# Bally's Atlantic City - The buffet for invited guests will be topped off with a decadent dessert table featuring Godiva chocolate flan.

# Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa - Multicolored jelly beans will get guests through the holiday from getting dressed for the party to nursing the New Year's Day hangover.

# Caesars Atlantic City - There will be plenty of champagne as guests celebrate a "Fire and Ice" theme.

# Resorts Atlantic City - Regular people can disco-dance in the theater while invited players party like it's Carnival in Rio.

# Sands Casino Hotel - Remember Guy Lombardo on TV New Year's Eve? Invited guests will be brought back to those days at a party in the Copa Room.

# Trump Marina Hotel Casino - Players can attend one of two parties or dine in the gourmet room of their choice.

# Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino - "Cirque Dreams" performers will dazzle favored players with their seemingly impossible feats.

# Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort - Prime customers will feast in the Mark G. Etess Arena while regular folks dance until dawn in the Casbah nightclub.

Many Texas Hold 'em players hate getting dealt two jacks because they feel they're unlucky with them. Well, chances are it isn't that they're unlucky with these cards. They're simply overvaluing the hand and misplaying it.

In Hold 'em, the best hands you can get are A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and then J-J. However, there is a significant difference between the strength of the jacks and the queens.

With queens, there are only two overcards — cards higher than a queen — that could hit on the flop and make Q-Q vulnerable.

With J-J, there are three overcards that could flop, making the hand more difficult to play.

If an overcard doesn't flop, you still have a whole new set of potential worries, such as a coordinated board: 4-5-7, 3-4-5, 6-7-8. If an opponent is playing a little pair, slow-playing a bigger pair or is lucky enough to flop a straight, you're doomed.

The J-J is the one hand that seems too strong to fold yet not strong enough to hold if there is much action ahead of you. If you're playing a structured Limit Hold 'em game, the impact isn't as severe, but in No Limit Hold 'em, where your entire bankroll is in jeopardy, pocket jacks must be played carefully.

Know when to fold
In fact, in a No Limit game, it's easy to picture situations where you should fold them before the flop. Think about it for a second.

Let's say an early position player raises the blind, and then a tight competitor re-raises all-in right behind. As you look down at your pocket jacks — the fourth-best pair in the deck — you have to ask yourself, what in the world could they have?

They could have a hand such as A-K, in which case you'd be getting good odds on your money. More often than not, though, one of them will be holding a pair bigger than yours.

It's not a stretch to imagine that the first player might have a hand like A-Q, and the all-in raiser is sitting with a pair of kings in the hole. In this case, you'd be a 4-to-1 underdog to win the pot, and that's not a good thing.

You will face countless dilemmas when holding a pair of jacks, and it's the reason so many people despise the hand. Frankly, unless a jack hits the flop, you'll never feel too safe.

Now, that's not to say that you should automatically fold on the flop if you don't catch a third jack. Instead, try to protect your hand on the flop with a good-size bet. But if someone does call, you should be willing to abort the mission.

Flop makes it, breaks it
For example, if you bet and the flop comes A-9-4, make one stab at the flop, trying to gauge information about your opponent's hand. If he calls or raises in this spot, what do you think he might have? Chances are he's holding an ace, which only gives you a 7 percent chance of winning the pot.

However, if the flop comes 9-6-2, it's tough to fold your pocket jacks. The only playable hands that can beat you are 2-2, 6-6, 9-9, Q-Q, K-K, or A-A. In this scenario, bet your hand aggressively. But if your opponent raises, then you have a tougher decision to make.

The key here, as with most poker problems, is sizing up your opponent. If he holds aces, kings, or queens, would he have raised big before the flop? Is he the type of player who calls with small pairs before the flop? When he flops three of a kind, does he usually bet it aggressively or play it slow to suck more people in?

In the end, you'll have to make a judgment call. Playing pocket jacks makes for some of the toughest decisions you'll face in poker. But, hey, no one ever said this game would be easy.
BY Daniel Negreanu

While Texas Hold'em is clearly the most popular poker game in the world today, most people don't realize that it's actually a variation of another game: seven-card stud.
As anyone with a television knows, in Texas Hold'em, each player is dealt two cards, face down. Players then share five community cards that are eventually placed in the middle of the table.
In seven-card stud, everyone gets his or her own personal seven cards. The game starts with an ante, and then each player is dealt three cards to start. The first two are face-down cards, and then an up card, known as the door card, is dealt.
At this stage, there is a betting round, initiated by the lowest card on the board. The lowest card in the deck is the 2 of clubs, followed by the 2 of diamonds, 2 of hearts and 2 of spades.
In a typical $15- to $30-limit game, the ante is $3 per person, and the low card must start the betting with $5. The other players can simply call the $5, fold or raise to $15.
Once that betting round is complete, the next card — fourth street — is dealt face-up. On fourth street, the bet stays at $15, unless a player pairs his door card, which gives any player the option of betting $15 or doubling the bet to $30.
Another card is then dealt face-up. Not surprisingly, it's called fifth street. On fifth street, the minimum bet becomes $30. Sixth street plays the same as fifth street. Finally, seventh street, or the river card, is dealt face-down.
Players end the hand with four cards face-up and three cards face-down. There is one last round of betting, in $30 increments, and then the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
For years, a debate has raged about which game is tougher to play, Texas Hold'em or seven-card stud. Stud players have always looked at Hold'em as some kind of a crapshoot lottery, while Hold'em players feel the same way about stud!
Frankly, both games can be tough, and each requires a very different skill set. For example, in order to make good decisions throughout a seven-card stud hand, it's imperative to keep track of what cards have been dealt out.
Let's say you start a hand with a three-card flush: (3h 9h) Qh. It's smart to look around at the other players' up cards to see how many hearts are out. If you notice that there are no hearts visible, obviously your chances of completing the flush increase greatly.
Keeping track of the board cards also makes it easier to figure out your opponents' holdings.
Here's another hand. You raise with (7d Qc) Qs, and a solid player calls you with his 7h showing. Then the remaining five players fold their hands with the following up cards: 6c, 7s, 9s, 8d, 7c, leaving you with just one opponent.
If you'd taken note of those board cards, you'd have a good sense as to what your remaining opponent holds. You know that he doesn't have a pair of sevens, because you have a seven in the hole, and two of the remaining sevens were already discarded.
He probably doesn't have a three-card straight because a 6, 8 and 9 are dead.
So what then is his most likely holding? Well, think back a moment.
Did you see any hearts out there? No. OK, so his most likely starting hand is a three-card flush. The other possibility, of course, is a concealed pair, but the three-card flush is more likely.
Now suppose your opponent catches a 3h and the 10h. If you weren't paying attention to the board earlier, you might think your pair of queens is the best hand. However, because you were able to narrow down his hand by keeping track of the dead cards, you can safely fold on fifth street and save yourself three more bets — a total of $90 in a $15- to $30-limit game.
I love seven-card stud, but that said, I love all different forms of poker. If all you ever play is Texas Hold'em, do yourself a favor and explore the many other interesting forms of the game.
If you hope to play with the big boys, you'll have to become a strong all-around player in order to survive. Texas Hold'em skills alone just won't cut it.
by Daniel Negreanu

I talked about playing in a $120,000 buy-in tournament in Monte Carlo, a seven-player affair carried live on Fox Spots Net and Sky Sports. We flew over there for just two tournaments, the first of which I covered in recent columns.

The second tournament was the $25,000 buy-in Monte Carlo Millions, to be shown on FSN and Sky Sports at a later date, with a sell-out field of 120 players and a first-place win of $1 million.

Because we started with $50,000 in chips, and the blinds were moved up slowly and incrementally, there was a lot of play (and thus skill) in this tournament. With 60 of us coming back for day two, I was feeling pretty good about my chances, still holding almost $100,000 in chips. We would play down to the final nine players, and I was feeling at or near the peak of my game. I was on!

On the third hand, with the blinds at $500-$1,000, the defending champion, Player X, made it $4,000 to go in first position. In the big blind, I looked down at 2-2, and pondered my decision. Normally, I would merely call, to try to flop trip deuces, but my radar was on, and I felt some weakness from Player X.

So I raised it up $12,000 more, and Player X called. The flop was 8-8-5, I bet out $16,000, and X folded quickly.

On the very next hand, all hell broke loose! The player on the button raised it up to $3,500 to go, and I looked down at J-J.

What to do? I could smooth call, trying to trap the big blind as well as the original raiser, or I could go ahead and reraise. I opted to smooth call.

Now the big blind (Player X again) proceeded to make it $15,000 more. I was watching him closely as he announced his action and threw his chips into the pot. The whole time I was asking myself, ``Can he beat pocket jacks? Does he have pocket queens, kings or aces?''

As he acted, I knew that he wasn't expecting me to be reading him, because I had given no indication of strength at all. This gave me an edge, not to mention the fact that I had just read him right the hand before. I felt pretty certain that I had the best hand, so when the player on the button folded, I announced all-in and pushed my imposing stack of around $105,000 into the pot.

My opponent then began to study, and ponder, and finally he called. I flipped up my jacks, and he flipped up A-K. I was a bit shocked that he had called with A-K. I mean, what kind of hand did he think I had? Did he think I had A-Q, or what? No way am I going to risk my whole tournament with A-Q on the fifth hand, with the blinds that small.

In any case, I was a 13-to-10 favorite. The flop, 9c-8c-6s, was pretty good for me, and I had the jack of clubs. The turn card, the Kc, rocked my world, giving him the best hand, but giving me a flush draw.

At this point I needed a jack or a club on the last card to win the pot. When the 5h hit on the river, I lost the pot and all semblance of control.

The Poker Brat in me came out saying (on camera), ``You're the defending champion? I cannot believe that the defending champion would call off all of his money with A-K! . . . Just out of curiosity, what in the world did you think I had?''

Everything I said was true, and I do hate his call, especially against someone like me, who is known for his conservative play. But, as usual, I wish I had handled myself with some class. I should have smiled and said ``Nice hand.''

In any case, I picked up A-A two hands later, and lost a small pot when I just called the $1,000 bet before the flop, checked on a flop of 9-8-6, and then watched in horror as the player behind me bet and the big blind check-raised all-in, in front of me. I was forced to fold. Two hands later I picked up Q-Q and moved all-in for about $16,000 vs. my opponent's Kh-6h. Expecting to lose because of the way the day was going so far, I stood up, put on my jacket, and then watched as the board came down 2h-2s-10h-6c-Ks.

Bye, bye, Phil. Jacks, aces, and queens, all in the first round!

What a dream -- or in this case, a nightmare. Phil Ivey went on to win the million.
By Phil Hellmuth

LL Cool J was playing the House of Blues. A few blocks away, rapper Jay-Z's new nightclub was rocking. Fredericka Jones, 42, out on the town for a Friday night with her girlfriends, was determined to hit both, then try her luck at a casino.

She used to make the one-hour trip from her Philadelphia home once every couple of years. Now, she goes several times a year. And she has noticed some changes.

"The crowd is getting younger," she said. "You don't see the older crowd as much, the grandparents. Now you see the younger people."

Rejuvenated by a saucy new casino, trendy clubs and beach bars and a vibrant music scene, Atlantic City is evolving into a nightlife hotspot for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who once saw it as one big neon-lit retirement home for senior citizens who arrive by the busload to play the slot machines.

Atlantic City began making the shift with the opening of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in mid-2003. It stressed sexy fun more than gambling in its advertising, it showcased its racy "Borgata Babes" cocktail waitresses, it offered high-end restaurants, and it booked contemporary stars into its showrooms, instead of the aging crooners and nostalgia acts for which Atlantic City was known.

The moves paid off, turning the Borgata into Atlantic City's most profitable casino.
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The Borgata also bet that blackjack, roulette and craps _ which many Atlantic City casinos were ditching in favor of more profitable slot machines _ could bring in more business.

Its rivals in Atlantic City's $4.8 billion-a-year casino business have followed suit, replacing slots with table games aimed at cashing in on both a poker boom and on younger gamblers' tendencies to favor games with human interaction.

"Tables are hot, there's no doubt about it," said casino industry consultant Joe Weinert. "A lot of that is fueled by poker's popularity and its popularity on TV, which is showing Americans that table games in general are fun.

"Increasingly, we're becoming a society that has grown up with solitary gaming experiences on their computers, TV sets or personal game consoles. And I think people are going to casinos and discovering the community atmosphere on the gaming tables. They're finding out that, hey, it's fun to be around real people."

In the 2 1/2 years since Borgata's opening, the Tropicana Casino and Resort has seen a 20 percent increase in table game play among under-50 gamblers.

Resorts Atlantic City _ which in the past year has booked rapper Snoop Dogg, opened a trendy Nikki Beach bar and switched its piped-in house music from Motown to contemporary _ has experienced a similar shift. Now, 60 percent of the gamblers in the casino's player database are under 50, compared with 39 percent 18 months ago.

Showboat Casino-Hotel, meanwhile, brought in the House of Blues, a chain of restaurant-nightclubs that built a $65 million addition consisting of a 2,200-seat theater, a restaurant, 50 hotel suites and its own mini-casino. Among the acts booked to appear at House of Blues this month: mewithoutyou, Puny Human and Avenged Sevenfold.

"I look at the list of headliners and I don't even recognize most of these names," said Jeffrey Vasser, the 45-year-old executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.

But he isn't complaining. Nor are the entrepreneurs opening nightclubs, name-brand restaurants and sexually oriented clubs aimed at the under-50 crowd.

The influx of younger gamblers has driven down the median age of the Atlantic City visitor from 55 in 1998 to 52 last year, according to a visitor profile commissioned by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.

"There's more to do now," said Frank Whoy, 23, of Egg Harbor Township, who took in the LL Cool J show at the House of Blues. "More nightlife, more shows."

But the mix of old and young has also challenged casinos.

"It truly is a delicate balance," said Audrey Oswell, president of Resorts Atlantic City casino. "You don't want to do anything that's going to offend the older customer, which has been so loyal for so long. We've found that the young people and the old people can exist side by side, although we did have some people ask us who Snoop Dogg was."

Playing a slot machine at the Tropicana, Alexander Ott, 73, of Smithtown, N.Y., said Atlantic City is still "the AARP's playground."

"We've got the time. We're retired," he said. "These other people, they're only the Friday and Saturday night crowd. They're living paycheck to paycheck. We're living Social Security check to Social Security check."

The first land-based casino in Mississippi is now open for business.

The Isle of Capri became the first business south of U.S. Highway 90 in Biloxi to reopen its doors yesterday -- to the beating of steel drums and the delight of hundreds of gamblers.

General manager Bill Kilduff says -- quoting -- "Let the good times roll."

It is the second Gulf Coast casino to reopen since Hurricane Katrina pounded the state, following the I-P, which opened Thursday.

Officials changed the Isle of Capri's entertainment and convention space into game rooms with 728 new slot machines, 29 table games and a poker room with nine tables.

More than 500 hotel rooms and three restaurants also are open.

Dear Mark,
In poker, who is supposed to show their cards first at the end of a hand? Is it the one who calls the last bet, or the player who makes the last bet? Justin B.

Customarily, Justin, if there has been a bet on the final round of betting, the person who makes the last wager, or raise, has to show first; the person who called waits to see what the others throw down before showing the caller's cards.

Occasionally players do check on the final round, so what happens then? Most casinos and card rooms still have the player who made the last bet or raise show their cards first, although, I have seen in a few card rooms that in this situation, the player nearest the button shows their hand first.

Dear Mark,
If you had to make but one bet on a roulette table, what would it be? You've mentioned in the past playing on a single zero wheel if you can find one, but is there any bet that is better than another on that table? Frank S.

Hip, hip, Frank, always go for searching out a single zero roulette game, as that little extra effort -- if successful -- allows you to chop the house edge from 5.26% to 2.63%. Now, that's something; you cut it in half! But your base question still remains: is there one bet that stands out over all others on a single zero game?

Yep, Frank, there's one. The absolute best bet is an "even-money" wager on a French (or single zero) wheel that offers the En Prison (Surrender) option. The house edge with this one wager is slashed to 1.35%.

And what the heck do I mean by En Prison? Guess.

The French phrase "en prison" signifies that if you're betting an even money outside wager like red, and the next number called is green 0, the dealer won't snatch your losing chips. Instead, he or she will put a small marker on top of your bet. It's then en prison, Frank; your bet is temporarily held hostage until the outcome of the next spin. If black or the green 0 appears on the next spin, you would then lose your entire original wager. But if red reappears, the dealer will remove the en prison marker and you are free to either pick up your bet or replay it.

By the way, Frank, when I mentioned above "one bet that stands out over all others," it's important to note that most players erroneously believe that certain wagers on a roulette table are superior to others. Not so. All bets, except one (the five-number bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3) suffer the same 5.26% house edge on a double zero wheel. Switching to a single zero game guillotines the house edge about in half on every wager on the layout except for the En Prison bet.

Dear Mark,
I've noticed that some casinos offer more than two-times odds on the crap table. How much of the house edge am I whittling away by playing 5X or even 10X odds? Duncan M.

Below is the casino advantage on your total bet when taking odds combined with your pass line wager. Without placing an odds bet, the house edge is 1.41%; on 1X odds it's 0.85%; on 2X odds 0.61%; on 5X odds 0.33%, and on10X odds 0.18%.

Dear Mark,
For every new hand in video poker, are you playing on a never-ending deck or is the deck reshuffled? Billie F.

Casinos do not use a perpetual deck in video poker. For example, on a Jacks-or-Better game, each new hand begins with a freshly shuffled 52-card deck. When you press the "play credits" button for the next hand, you're starting over with 52, new, randomly shuffled, cards.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "A tour bus will disgorge another batch of brightly-dressed tourists and you see a kind of glazed, magic in their eyes as they tramp steadily toward an already sealed fate." -- Barney Vinson, "Las Vegas Behind The Tables"
By Mark Pilarski

Before you decide to enter the big-time arena of million-dollar poker tournaments, you might want to practice your craft at home with friends first. All you really need to set up a tournament are some cards, poker chips, a table, and, oh yeah, breathing bodies.

Of course if you want to be a good host, you might want to provide some munchies and beverages, too.

Depending on what your guests are comfortable with, the first thing you'll have to agree on is the buy-in for the tournament. You can play for as little as pride or as much as $100 per person. Not surprisingly, when there's actual money being wagered, the excitement level is usually higher. Playing socially for $20 a head should satisfy everyone's competitive spirit and provide a decent prize to shoot for.

Once you've decided on the entry cost, the next step will be drawing for seats. If you have 10 players, pull out one ace through 10 and have each guest randomly pick a card and take the appropriate seat.

Then decide on the amount of chips to start with, the blind structure, how long each round will last and the payout. Here's what I suggest.

• Starting chips — Start every player with 10,000 in chips, and remember, you don't have to actually play for $10,000 to start with that many chips. Give each player the following: one 5,000 denomination value chip, three 1,000 chips, two 500 chips, and 10 100 chips.
If you don't have enough chips to make this happen, play around with other chip combinations. Having four chip colors will help move the game along quickly.

• Blind structure — You want to make sure that you start the blinds small enough so that everybody gets a chance to play for a while. On that note, I would suggest using the following blind structure:

Round 1: 100 small blind, 200 big blind

Round 2: 200 small blind, 400 big blind

Round 3: 400 small blind, 800 big blind

Round 4: 800 small blind, 1,600 big blind

Round 5: 1,000 small blind, 2,000 big blind

Round 6: 1,500 small blind, 3,000 big blind

Round 7: 2,000 small blind, 4,000 big blind

Round 8: 3,000 small blind, 6,000 big blind

Depending on how much time you have and how skillful you want the tournament to be, you can add or take away rounds accordingly. The more rounds there are, the more expertise is needed to win.

• Length of rounds — One method is to choose a time limit — 10- or 15-minute rounds should do the trick. Another option is to have the blinds escalate after every lap around the table.
For example, if you start the dealer button in seat one, every time the button returns to seat one, increase the blinds. If seat one is eliminated, then raise blinds when the button returns to seat two.

I like this method best because it speeds things up later in the tournament so that eliminated players won't have to wait around too long without playing.

I've played in house games before and we never have just one tournament. Everyone will be anxious to get back in the action, so the faster you raise the blinds, the less time your guests will have to wait around and raid your fridge!

• Spoils to the winners — You'll need to consider how to divide up the money, if you play for money at all. Typically, you'll have three options: winner takes all, pay first and second place, or pay the top three finishers.
If you have 10 players putting up $20 each, you'll have a $200 prize pool. Probably the best payout structure to ensure that your guests don't get hurt too bad financially is to pay the top three places. The first-place finisher gets 50 percent of the prize pool or $100. Second place earns 30 percent or $60. Third place takes home 20 percent or $40.

The best way to decide on the payout structure is to provide three options and have the players vote.

Remember, when hosting a tournament poker party, your main concern should be making sure that everyone is happy and having a great time. Well, that and trying to win all the money.
By Daniel Negreanu

LAS VEGAS Caesars Palace is betting 12 (M) Million dollars on the popularity of poker.
That's the cost of a plush new 30-table poker room the Las Vegas Strip resort just opened.

The resort's return to poker after 16 years comes complete with 11 original LeRoy Neiman art works depicting almost 40 years of Caesars Palace history.

Caesars is now owned by World Series of Poker owner Harrah's Entertainment -- which held most of that marquee tournament this year at the Rio hotel-casino.

The Caesars Palace room has another six-thousand square feet of expansion space that officials say could handle 33 more tables -- and could handle big tournaments.

Officials say that'll come in handy for events like a Heads Up Poker Championship that Harrah's now owns -- and the World Series of Poker Circuit.

With properties like the Las Vegas Hilton, The Mirage and the Golden Nugget have also recently reopened poker rooms.

Australian poker champ Joe Hachem's lucky streak has continued.

He won't have to pay income tax on his $A10 million winnings from Las Vegas because he was pursuing a hobby, not working.

The Melbourne father of four toppled American and European poker heavyweights by blitzing the World Series of Poker in July.

Hachem's lawyers said the Australian Taxation Office had found their client was not in the business of playing poker at the time of his win.

"As a result of this finding, the poker winnings were classified as income derived from a hobby, and thus not subject to Australian tax," his lawyer Peter Donovan said in a statement.

"The distinction between the conduct of a business and the mere pursuit of a hobby is often a difficult distinction to draw.

"However, the fact that you excel at a particular hobby should not be fatal for tax purposes."

Hachem will be a featured player in the Aussie Millions tournament to be held in January at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission gave its blessings Thursday for the Silver Slipper Casino to start building on land and for the Palace Casino to reopen on Dec. 30. Construction on the $43 million Silver Slipper in Hancock County should begin "almost immediately" and be finished by the last quarter of next year, Scott Andress, the casino company's lawyer, told commissioners.

The Silver Slipper will have 1,000 slot machines, 26 table games and 10 poker tables. It will employ between 400 and 500, he said. Although the Silver Slipper will be in Hancock County, it has some hurricane cleanup to do in Harrison County. Silver Slipper Casino Venture LLC had bought the old President Casino barge in Biloxi, which it had intended to tow to Hancock County and put on pilings.

The hurricane hurled the barge onto the Biloxi Beachfront Hotel on U.S. 90. Andress told commissioners that demolition and salvage operations on the barge should begin 'if not this week, then next week.

Dear Mark,
As a former dealer, were you ever instructed to deal "seconds" to winning players at a blackjack table? Charles L.

It’s crucial, Charles, that I address the issue of cheating first, then your question regarding seconds.

In my 17 years working the Green Felt Jungle, I have never been asked to do the slightest thing that borders on deception. Pit Bulls have gotten in my ear to tell me to speed up my hands per hour, but that's to get the math to work in the casino's favor, never to use a sleight of hand technique to swindle the general public.

There is another reason why casinos don't play the flimflam game. Most casinos today are publicly traded companies on the NYSE. They have zero interest in exposing their gaming license to loss with even an inkling of hank-panky.

A more significant reason why casinos have no interest in defrauding the public is the way casinos reap their profits. They pay players less than the true odds. Point being, every game offered, including blackjack, is mathematically in the casino's favor. Paying patrons less than even money on every bet made is a virtual license to print money, so why would they even consider chiseling Charley out of his money by dealing seconds?

Now to seconds: what it is, how it's done, and how to identify a “home-game” dealer doing it.

In seconds dealing, done by a "mechanic" (card manipulator -- aka "deuce dealer", "number two man"), the dealer does not deal the card from top of the deck, but the card just beneath it. A mechanic will hold back that top card because he knows its value and wants an accomplice to have it for winning purposes, or another to have it for losing.

If a charlatan dealer sees the top card is something he or an accomplice on the game can use, the dealer will pitch second cards until he gets to the person where he wants to plant that top card. So how does he know what it is? Could be marked cards, proficiency at card-peeking, or even a shiny ring may aid the deuce dealer in identifying that top card.

Because I had many years experience dealing blackjack, I have decent hand dexterity, so for card trick proficiency ONLY, I became skilled at dealing seconds. Yet, I never became good at identifying that top card to send a recipient their desired card.

Dealers who deal seconds use what is known as a "mechanic's grip," a handclasp of the cards that makes it easier to deal not only seconds, but from the bottom, or even from the middle of the deck. A right-handed dealer holds the deck in his left hand, three fingers on the edge of the long side of the deck, and the index finger on the outer right corner.

But because many non-cheating dealers also grasp a deck this way, the mechanic's grip alone is not enough proof to accuse them, especially the heavyweights, of dealing seconds.

Dear Mark,
Can a poker room ever run out of money and not be able to pay the players? Kenny V.

Your brief question, Kenny, didn't distinguish between land-based and online casinos, so the answer could be yes, or no.

With land-based casinos, it is highly unlikely that a poker room can "run out of money" since the money the players are winning is not the casino's, but that of losing players. Even if you are Doyle Brunson holding a straight flush--King high, you can't break the bank, just your opponent's bankroll, and probably his will to live.

As for internet casinos, since it is a buyer-beware environment, there is a possibility of an online casino being poorly capitalized and running out of money.

Legal issues aside, those that prefer playing from the comfort of their Lazy Boys should stick to the more established operations. Unfortunately, Kenny, all my gaming credentials are land-based, and, since I don't play online poker, my recommendation of where to play wouldn't be worth much.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "This book is purely informational. It is not intended to incite gambling or rioting. It is not to be used against a husband or wife in a court of law." --Tony Korfman, "Slots Playing To Win"
By Mark Pilarski

If someone describes your playing style as weak, you're in lots of trouble. You'd better make changes to your game quickly to shed that reputation.

If you want to win at the poker table, focus on the weak players. Rather than duke it out with strong, aggressive players, you'll risk less and win more — in the long run — playing against timid, passive players.

In order to pound on the shaky players properly, the first thing you'll need to do is identify them. There are generally a few clues that you can look for, that, while not always accurate, could be signs nonetheless.

1) How he dresses. A player who dresses extremely conservatively will generally play poker that way. If he dresses loudly, he'll more than likely play aggressively or flamboyantly.

2) How he talks. This is in line with the previous clue. If a player is quiet or timid in the way he speaks, chances are that's how he'll play poker. Conversely, if you're dealing with a boisterous or overexcited talker, he'll probably be an aggressive player.

3) Does he raise before the flop or just call? If he likes to limp in on a regular basis, you might be dealing with a weak player.

4) Does he like to bet, or check and call? An aggressive player is a bettor, while a weaker player tends to check or just call others' bets.

Once you've identified the weak players at your table, it's time to strategize against them. Playing against a weak player is without a doubt, the easiest type of opponent to face. In fact, your cards often don't even matter since your inferior foe plays so predictably.

Pound him like an anvil! Do it repeatedly — like the school bully who steals his target's lunch money — until he starts to stick up for himself. If he keeps giving it up, you keep taking it. Hey, no one said poker was supposed to be fair.

When you have position on an ineffective player, it makes it that much easier. What you really want to look for are opportunities to get the weak opponent heads up. How do you do that? Well, when the helpless one limps into a pot, you try to isolate him with a decent-sized raise. That will often knock everyone out but the timid player. Now you've got him where you want him. If the player is extremely weak, it doesn't even matter if you have a 2-7 in your hand.

You really aren't playing your hand anyway, you're playing the player.

If you are able to get the weak player heads up, with position, you'll let his actions — or lack of them — dictate what you should do. If he bets the flop, you can be pretty sure he has a good hand. If you don't flop a very good hand, now would be an excellent time to fold. You might be playing the player, but you can't ignore his bet

entirely.

If he checks the flop, then you should bet, regardless of what you have. If, however, your inept opponent check-raises you, run and hide! Unless, of course, you flop a strong hand yourself. The only time you may want to check is if you flop the nuts and want to give him a free card. Otherwise, you should always bet the flop and look to win the pot right there.

The tricky decision comes when the weak player decides to just call, which he will often do. At that point you have to make a game-time decision as to whether your opponent flopped a drawing hand or a made hand.

Since your opponent is weak, he won't give you much information about his hand by the way he plays it. Generally, an inadequate player will check and call with either a made hand (like top pair) or a flush draw.

As a rule, proceed cautiously if a weak player calls you on the flop. If you have a good hand, by all means, bet. But if you are bluffing, lean toward checking on the turn card since the weak player has shown some interest.

There is an adage in poker that I think sums up that last point; "If you bluff a bad player you then become one." Stay aggressive against weak players, but don't get caught running without the ball when they show interest in the flop.

Daniel Negreanu

LOS ANGELES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- On Sunday, December 18th, LG Mobile Phones will sponsor the first-annual LG All-Star Poker Showdown, hosted by Jenny McCarthy. The event will feature professional poker stars Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker providing poker lessons for and playing against the finest poker enthusiasts Hollywood has to offer, and will offer them an intimate look at the new LG phone, The 'V'. The star-studded guest list will arrive at the Palms Casino and proceed to the very new and highly exclusive Hardwood Suite to begin the tournament.

"Johnny and I have had some epic nights of poker playing at the Palms," said Moneymaker. "We're both very excited at the opportunity to teach, and compete against, Hollywood's best poker players at the LG All-Star Poker Showdown."

The Palms Resort and Casino offers a luxurious venue in their deluxe Hardwood Suite which will host a field of poker pros and celebrities competing in the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Tournament, with the winner receiving a complete home technology makeover from LG Electronics. This exclusive event will have music provided by celebrity DJ AM and the myriad of luxuries that have come to be associated will LG Mobile Phones events, everything from an incredibly unique wet bar to thoroughly relaxing chair massages will be available throughout the evening.

"We designed the LG All-Star Poker Showdown to be a unique fusion of music and entertainment which is the essence behind our latest phone -- The V." Said Jon Maron, Director of Marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "The V is the ultimate entertainment device featuring a 1.3 megapixal camera, MP3 player and the world's smallest LCD screen allowing users to watch music videos or their favorite movies."

The 'V' is the most highly sought-after gift at the top of all of Hollywood's holiday wish-lists because of its robust stereo sound, full type-style keyboard, and abundant multi-media functionality including games, MP3 capability, email and streaming video.

LOS ANGELES - Six players will compete in a winner-take-all $60 million televised poker tournament next summer

Fox Sports Net reached agreement on a three-year deal Monday, with the pots growing to $75 million in 2007 and $100 million in 2008 for the one-day competitions at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.

The first tournament is scheduled July 12 and will last at least six hours and up to 10 hours, said FSN vice president of programming and production George Greenberg.

"This event will transcend poker in the United States and take on a global platform," Greenberg said. "It'll be the largest single payday in the history of sports and will turn the poker world on its ear."

Phil Ivey, considered among the world's best Texas Hold 'em players, will be in the field. The other players will be announced later, Greenberg said.

Among the most popular televised poker events is the
World Series of Poker. Joseph Hachem of Australia collected $7.5 million for winning the main event of the 36th World Series in Las Vegas last summer. A field of 5,619 entered the $10,000 buy-in Texas Hold 'em tournament. Each of the nine players who reached the final table won at least $1 million.

There is nothing more exciting than having a monster-sized stack in a No Limit Hold'em tournament. With a big pile of chips, there are so many ways you can use them to gather even more. Sheer brute aggression is one, but that approach can also jeopardize your stack too, if you aren't being careful.

You see, while you want to use a big stack to bully the table, it's equally important to protect your chips so that you can continue to be the dominant force. If you're reckless with your chips and lose a big pot, it will greatly limit the weapons that you have in your arsenal.

Here are six things to think about the next time you're sitting on a big stack in a tournament.

Attack the short stacks. When players are down to very few chips, their options are severely limited. They're forced to wait for any decent hand and then move all-in.

In the meantime, push them around with your big stack, since, even if they do play with you, the damage to your chip fortress would be minimal.

When there are short stacks in the blinds, be very aggressive and raise with a wide variety of hands. Understand, it's not really all that important how strong your cards are. What matters is whether or not your opponents can find a hand strong enough to stand up to yours.

Avoid the big stacks. The last thing you want to do is tangle with another player who also has a monster stack, unless of course you have a premium hand. The targets that you should be bluffing at are the chip-challenged opponents that can't hurt you too badly. Remember, you always want to protect your big stack, so when you're up against a player that could cripple your stack, proceed with caution. Don't get involved unless you have a quality hand.

Don't play big pots. One way to protect your stack is to avoid playing big pots in marginal situations. Your goal is to increase your chip count slowly by avoiding major risks. So, in situations where you aren't totally sure that you have the best hand, play cautiously. Continue to stay aggressive in small pots, but don't risk a large percentage of your chips unless you have the nuts or close to it.

Be creative. One of the luxuries of having a big stack is that you can use every poker trick in the book: slow playing, trapping, bluffing, semi-bluffing and a host of others. While you want to be aggressive throughout, having a big stack affords you opportunities to mix it up, try out new tactics, and play hands deceptively.

When your opponents think they have you all figured out, it's time to throw them a curveball and play a hand in an uncharacteristic style. This will be great for your table image as it makes you an unpredictable player that is tough to put on a hand.

Strike fear in your opponents. You want to be an imposing figure at the table when you're a big stack. Your opponents should fear you whether you're betting, sitting in the big blind or haven't even acted yet. When they're afraid to play with you, you'll control the table.

Be a constant presence. Let opponents know that you're there to play, not to sit on your stack. Use your mouth, but please, don't be rude, cocky or annoying. You need your competitors to believe that you are on a mission. That alone will make you a pain in everyone's side. Cultivate that relentlessly aggressive image and opponents will be convinced that you'll play that way all day long. If players fear you, they'll often throw away hands they might otherwise raise you with.

Following these six strategy tips will help your stack grow higher and lead you to more final tables.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,
In Texas Hold'em, if two players have the exact same hand, is the pot divided evenly? What happens if there are left over chips? Dale D.

Because all five cards on the board (the flop, the turn and the river) in Texas Hold'em are communal, it is not uncommon for two or more players to end up with identical winning hands.

When that happens, players with equal hands split the pot evenly amongst themselves. Bear in mind, Dale, that only the best five cards of a player's hand in Texas Hold'em are used in a showdown. If those best five cards produce a tie, the two additional unused cards on the board, or in a player's hand, do not break a tie, nor does any specific suit.

After divvying up the pot, if an extra chip remains, it is customary to award it to the first winning player clockwise from the dealer.

Dear Mark,
I saw a player double down with a soft 19 against a six, lose the hand, but he still claimed it was the correct play. I'm thinking that can't possibly be right since the player had a near winning hand. Who’s right? Justin A.

Any time your chances of winning the hand are better than those of the dealer, you should always want to double your bet. Doubling down is an offensive strategy that allows you to earn more of a profit than you'd rake in just by hitting the hand, or in the case of a 19 versus a six, just standing pat.

The player you mentioned correctly saw doubling his 19 against a six as a favorable opportunity, but only IF he happened to be on a multiple deck game, and the dealer hits a soft 17. If the house rules force the dealer to stand on a soft 17, than the player should also have stood, even if the dealer was showing a six as his or her up-card. Sticky thing about probability: no warrantees on a single event; he played right and lost. Happens.

Dear Mark,
Your column in the past has recommended surrendering a hard 16 versus a 10 with the exception of a pair of 8s. What are your rules for a 15 versus a 10? Todd K.

Surrender is an option in which the casino allows players to "surrender" half of their original bet total after both viewing the dealer's up-card and examining their own first two cards.

Here is the simple late surrender rule when you have a hard 15 on a multi-deck game: Surrender a hard 15 versus 10 with one exception. If your 15 consists of a 7 and an 8, just hit it. The reasoning is that when you hit a 15, you are hoping primarily for a 5 or 6. Either hand combination: a 9-6 or a 10-5 has one of those needed cards, while the 7-8 uses two cards that you don't want to receive. Therefore, with a 7-8 you are a bit more likely to receive a better hit card, so proceed with just hitting it.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Some players wait until they start to shake and that gives them a warning that they have reached their limit of betting." -- Mike Goodman, "How To Win"
By Mark Pilarski

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- GSN is bringing viewers the first true cash game of poker on television with a $100,000 minimum buy-in. Unlike other poker shows where the most players can lose is their initial buy-in of up to $10,000, the stars on GSN's newest series, HIGH STAKES POKER, have millions of their own cash at stake and will win and lose several hundred thousand dollars. HIGH STAKES POKER premieres Monday, January 16 at 9 PM ET/PT.

"High Stakes Poker is groundbreaking in that it is the first-ever look into the biggest private no limit Hold 'em cash games in town," said Rich Cronin, President and CEO of GSN. "This show is intense because players are winning and losing hundreds of thousands of their own dollars on single hands."

The new hour long series features players from diverse backgrounds from all over the world. From the legends, to cash game players, to the young superstars that have been featured on "The World Series of Poker," HIGH STAKES POKER is going to be the first ever cash game where viewers will see the 'true' game of poker.

Legends of the poker world are joined by elite poker playing businessmen in the 13-episode series recently taped at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The all-star line up features:

* Doyle Brunson -- considered by many the greatest poker player of
all-time.

* Johnny Chan -- tied with Doyle for the most all-time World Series of
Poker bracelets, 10.

* Barry Greenstein -- legendary cash game player.

* Phil Hellmuth -- one of the most recognized and successful players in
the world.

* Daniel Negreanu -- 2004 Player of the Year.

* Dr. Jerry Buss -- Los Angeles Lakers owner.

* Jennifer Harman -- the only woman professional who competes in the
highest cash games in the world on a daily basis.

* Ted Forrest -- five World Series of Poker bracelets.

* Bob Stupak -- one of the most legendary entrepreneurs in Las Vegas.

* Antonio Esfandiari -- A magician and the youngest ever to win over
$1 million in a tournament.

* Eli Elezra -- cashed in 12 World Series of Poker events since 1999,
owns several Las Vegas retail stores and partner in a construction
company.

* Todd Brunson -- one of the top cash game players, son of Doyle.

* Sean Sheikhan -- "Sheiky" a high stakes cash game player and
businessman.

* Dr. Amir Nasiri -- successful Las Vegas physician.

* Freddy Deeb -- a career poker playing professional, recently won
$1 million at a WPT tournament in Aruba.

* Daniel Alaei -- up and coming star, who's cashed in several tournaments
and won the Heavenly Hold'em tournament at Commerce Casino in
Los Angeles.

* Mimi Tran -- ranks in the top 10 among women on the WSOP all-time
leading money list.

* Fred Chamanara -- Chicago restaurant owner.

* Sam Farha -- professional who specializes in high stakes cash games and
was the runner up to Chris Moneymaker in 2003 World Series of Poker.

The cash game has been called the true version of poker due to the fact that players are allowed to buy-in and continue playing with more money if they lose their initial buy-in of $100,000. The chips on the table represent actual dollars compared to chips in a tournament that don't equal the actual value of what is bet. The intensity is taken to a higher level when someone raises $50,000 or $100,000 which is more than the average American's yearly salary in one hand.

Henry Orenstein of HSOR, L.L.C. serves as the Executive Producer of HIGH STAKES POKER. Mr. Orenstein invented the in-table cameras that give the viewers at home the ability to see the player's hole cards. This innovation is credited for paving the way for the explosion of poker's popularity on television.

"For the first time ever in the history of poker on television, viewers will see players playing with very large amounts of their own money," said Orenstein. "This is what makes it exciting, the players can win huge pots that are worth nearly a half million dollars on a single card."

Calling the high stakes action at the tables are two newcomers to GSN, AJ Benza and Gabe Kaplan. Benza will host the series and Kaplan, the former star of "Welcome Back Kotter" and a world class poker player, provides the analysis. Benza has hosted a variety of television shows and has appeared in movies including "Ransom," "Conspiracy Theory," and "The Deli." He is best known as one of the most controversial New York columnists in the 1990's as well as an author who published his memoirs, "Fame, Ain't It a Bitch."

Kaplan has previously provided analysis for the "World Series of Poker" and the "National Heads-Up Poker Challenge." In addition to his hit television series, Kaplan is a successful stand up comedian and has starred in feature films, "Fast Break," "Tulips," and "Nobody's Perfect."

In addition to the play at the tables, HIGH STAKES POKER will also include a look at the players behind the scenes. It will include a look at Doyle Brunson's lifestyle, going with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss to a game and traveling with Barry Greenstein to be a speaker at Michigan State about being a professional poker player. Each episode will also feature a behind the scenes look at one of the players away from the poker room.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.
Website: http://www.gsn.com/

A shootout across a high-stakes players lounge in Harrah's Tahoe casino killed one man, injured two sheriff's deputies and sent gamblers running for the doors Saturday afternoon, authorities and witnesses said.

No one else was in the lounge, just off the main casino, at the time, Harrah's spokesman John Packer said.

Investigators were still trying to determine who fired first and what led to the confrontation. They were questioning a woman believed to have been with the suspect, a man described as about 50 who died at the casino.

"His identity, motive and the manner in which he died are under investigation," Sgt. Tom Mezzetta said. "We're still trying to put the pieces together."

The two deputies had been investigating a report of a suspicious person at the casino.

Deputy Dan Nelson was shot in the hand and hip, and Deputy Erik Eissinger's bullet-proof vest stopped a bullet to the torso. Hospital officials declined to divulge their conditions, but Mezzetta said the injuries were not life-threatening.

The main casino remained open Saturday evening with only the crime scene cordoned off.

Witnesses said the card area wasn't crowded when the shots rang out around 2 p.m.

"I heard a `pop, pop, pop," Jeff Wren, 23, of Sacramento, Calif., told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. "All I saw was a lot of people running for the door."

Packer said most of the casino's gamblers weren't aware of the shooting. He said hotel security had requested the deputies' assistance, but he didn't know why the man was under suspicion

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In a fierce heads up match between "Action" Dan Harrington and Michael "The Kid" Gracz, time and experience was on the veteran's side as he schooled the young blood on poker. After playing in three previous matches and the finale, Harrington took home the grand prize of $50,000, and the POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE AGES crown.

Known for his "action" at the table, Harrington is one of the most recognized players on the poker circuit today. Gracz has also made a name for himself in his young career. Most recently, he won World Poker Tour's PartyPoker.com Million IV in March of 2005.

Harrington and Gracz had tough company at the final table. They beat out veterans "Miami" John Cernuto and Wendeen Eolis and youngsters Jennifer Leigh, and Erin Ness. The stakes were high during the final hand. It came down to poker master Harrington having nearly a three-and-a-half-to-one chip lead over young blood Gracz.

Gracz raised with pocket jacks after Harrington called with king/queen suited, as both players tried to trap one another. Then, both players went all in and headed to the flop with eight/king/nine, giving Harrington a pair of kings. With the turn card an ace, and the river a queen. Harrington emerged victorious.

Other players for the veterans were TJ Cloutier (six World Series of Poker bracelets), Barbara Enright (best all around 2002 Legends of Poker) and Maureen Feduniak (1st Place 2003 World Poker Tour Ladies Night Main Event).

Other young poker stars were Dutch Boyd (tied for 11th place in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event), Evelyn Ng (2nd Place World Poker Tour Ladies Night) and Kasey Thompson (Associate Publisher of All In Magazine).

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN has allowed viewers to play-along with on-air programming via their computers and GSN.com for some time. The recent launch of GSNi (GSN Interactive) has taken interactivity to the next level, affording viewers the chance to play-along with TV shows using only their remote controls. Reaching more than 57 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

Dear Mark,
A while back you wrote a very informative column on Three Card Poker. I have noticed there is what looks like the same game called Four Card Poker. Any chance you can write about their similarities and/or differences? Jim F.

Your question, Jim, is one of many I have received of late regarding Four Card Poker. So today, I’ll address the generalities of the game, with a future column focused on a game plan to lower the house edge.

Rehashing Three Card Poker: it’s a poker-based game that uses just three cards per hand and is played on a blackjack table. Its major differences from poker are that no further cards are drawn, and players do not compete against each other, but rather against either the dealer, or against a posted payout schedule.

Four Card Poker has some similarities to Three Card Poker, Jim, but as its name suggests, four cards make your final hand instead of three. Furthermore, there is no dealer qualifying hand as in Three Card. You get one additional card to make your best 4-card hand, and you can raise your ante up to three times. However, the hook, and you knew there would be one, is that the dealer gets one extra card to form his or her best hand. Thus, all players begin with five cards to make their best 4-card hand, and the dealer starts with six.

Four Card Poker offers three ways to play. You can bet against the dealer, wager on the value of your own hand against a paytable, or both.

When playing against the dealer, game called the Ante wager, the object is to beat the dealer's four-card poker hand with your own four-card poker hand. Once you place an Ante wager and view your hand, you can either fold, or, if you believe your hand is strong enough to beat the dealer's, you make a Play wager. This bet can be from one to three times the value of the Ante bet. If the dealer’s hand is higher than the player’s, both the Ante and Play bets lose. If the player's hand is higher or equal to the dealer’s, then both bets are paid even money. A player who has at least a three-of-a-kind or better is paid a bonus, regardless of the value of the dealer's hand.

Based on the amount of ante, the Bonus paytable, which can vary from casino to casino, is as follows:

Four-of-a-kind: 25 to 1
Straight Flush: 20 to 1
Three-of-a-kind: 2 to 1

When playing against the paytable, (aka Aces Up, similar the Pair Plus in Three Card Poker), the object is to receive a pair of aces or higher. If your hand contains at least a pair of aces, you automatically win the Aces Up wager regardless of the dealer's hand.

Again, depending upon the casino, here is your typical Aces Up paytable:

Four-of-a-kind: 50 to 1
Straight Flush: 40 to 1
Three-of-a-kind: 8 to 1
Flush: 6 to 1
Straight: 5 to 1
Two pair: 2 to 1
Pair of aces or better: 1 to 1

As you can see, Jim, the player who bets both the Ante (including Play) and Aces Up, is playing against two paytables with different payoff criteria. Also, the Ante and Aces Up wagers do not have to be the same amount, and players can wager anywhere from the table minimum to the table maximum allowed on either spot. However, the Play wager can be only one to three times the amount of the Ante.

I’m bustin’ my word-limit here, Jim, so a more detailed column on strategy and the house edge, which is based on paytables and play, is in the offing. For now, memorize these simple rules for a head start.

Fold with less than a pair of 2s.
Raise one unit with pair of 3s-9s.
With a pair of 10s or greater, raise the maximum, three units.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "To have the reputation of being a sucker, with everybody in the world throwing their money at me trying to win mine, would be my idea of earthly paradise." --Doyle Brunson "Super System"
By Mark Pilarski

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 2005--Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. and Jungle Media Group, publisher of Jungle Magazine, today announced plans to host the World Series of Poker MBA Championship at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas January 13-15, 2006.

More than 500 MBA students are expected to play in the tournament in 2006, the first year the competition will carry the World Series of Poker brand and offer the winner a seat in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event.

"The World Series of Poker brand has become the standard in the poker business," said Brad Warga, director of executive recruiting for Harrah's Entertainment. "We believe that by bringing the game's excitement and energy to the MBA audience, we can introduce Harrah's to many of the best and the brightest young business professionals in the country."

The tournament was launched in 2003 in Las Vegas for students and alumni from top MBA programs, with proceeds going to charity. The following year, more than 200 students and alumni from schools including Wharton, University of Chicago, Dartmouth (Tuck), Duke, Harvard, Berkeley, Kellogg, and UCLA participated in the event and raised $25,000 for charity.

"We are very excited that Harrah's has agreed to become a driving force behind the MBA Poker Championship," said Brad Jones, founder of the event. "As the premier company in the gaming industry, a large employer of MBA students and a generous charitable donor, Harrah's is the natural choice to host this event. With networking and social events for players and spectators alike including a celebrity poker workshop with Phil Gordon, the 2006 tournament promises to be the best yet."

During the three-day tournament at Caesars Palace, players will compete for thousands of dollars in prize money and a $10,000 seat at the 2006 World Series of Poker. As in past years, a percentage of the prize pool will be donated to charity. Harrah's and other sponsors will be actively recruiting during the event and many players will leave with much more than a cash prize.

To register for the event, please visit www.jungleonline.com/poker.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 68 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

More information about Harrah's is available at its Web site -- www.harrahs.com.

Just months after winning $10 million, the former chiropractor is now even richer after finishing fifth in a world series event at Bally's Paris casino.

"It was nice to know that the other win was not a fluke," Mr Hachem said.

"It's given me another boost of confidence."

Flushed by his poker success at last week's tournament, Mr Hachem says he plans to move to the US and buy a home in Beverly Hills so he can play more US tournaments.

The 39-year-old father of four said he and his family planned to live about six months of the year in the US and six months in Melbourne.

"I love Melbourne and I love Australia but America is the centre of the poker universe and that's it for me," Mr Hachem said from Las Vegas.

"It's taken me three months to come to grips with the fact that I have to come over here.

"And as long as the family is here with me, that's all that matters."

Mr Hachem said he had applied for a US visa given to those with "extraordinary ability" and high salary potential.

"Hopefully I will get the visa and it will give me three years here," Mr Hachem said.

Since winning the $10 million in July at the Poker World Championship in Las Vegas, Mr Hachem has become a poker celebrity in the US and he and his family are now being flown business class for free to every tournament and put up in the best hotels.

"I'm really blessed," Mr Hachem said. "When I think it wasn't too long ago that me and my mates were playing home games of poker - and now all this.

"This is the biggest dream I could have. It's my time."
By Nick Papps

Van Smith says he doesn’t know everything there is to know about Texas Hold’em.

Only that “it takes a lot of luck.”

Smith knows enough, as they say, to be dangerous -- and good.

”He knows his stuff,” says friend George “Packy” McCombs, the Fortuna barber who competes regularly at Bear River Casino, where Smith won a qualifying tournament that earned him a place in the next World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

Smith, 76, wasn’t sure where (the Rio) or when (July) the tournament is being held, only that he’s earned himself an expense-paid trip, a room with a view and a place at the table.

That, he says, is more than enough.

A resident of Ferndale since being discharged from the Navy in the 1960s, Smith began to get serious about playing poker after the death of his wife seven years ago.

He says he played cards while serving in the military, but that nothing was too serious. Even now, he considers himself a “recreation” player, though the next few months may change that.

The World Series of Poker, after all, is big time, having emerged from a small invitational event in Reno to Binion’s Horseshoe and other mega resorts.

Bear River is hardly a mega casino, though the players can be just as intense there as they are at the Rio.

”Naturally,” Smith said, “it all depends on the cards you’re dealt, and what you do with them. You got to have fun at it ... even the big players seem to have fun.”

Soft spoken, Smith doesn’t recite a line by line, paragraph by paragraph, chapter by chapter verse of the game, only that he likes to use his instincts.

Simple enough.

”As far as I’m concerned, there are no secrets,” he said. “I don’t take myself too seriously. If you play enough, you’re going to win your share and lose your share.”

Smith says his victory was “a matter of being in the right place at the right time.”

”One thing about poker players -- they’re all greedy, they all want to win more,” Smith said, adding that he’s no different, that winning is everything.

But, he cautions, “you got to just move on” when the game ends.

A native of Oklahoma, Smith enlisted in the Navy at the age of 18, in 1946, and wound up being stationed at the Centerville Beach in Ferndale.

He still has family in the area and says he enjoys getting out as often as he can, usually every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- that’s when the poker room is open at Bear River.

”I’ve played at Blue Lake and Trinidad, too,” he said.

But he prefers Bear River, he says, “because it’s only six or seven minutes” from his home.

Texas Hold’em, of course, has become the country’s most popular game, a result of the success of the World Series of Poker and exposure from television.

The game itself was not originated in Las Vegas, but evolved from a small bar in Robstown, Texas, one of those small Gulf state towns that flourished near the end of the 19th century.

Located just north of Corpus Christi, Robstown now has a population of almost 15,000, 95 percent of them Hispanic.

There could be as many as 8,000 or so participants in this year’s World Series of Poker championships, the main event of a six-week tournament held in Las Vegas.

Smith says he plans to keep himself busy for the next couple of months, competing in friendly tournaments at Bear River in preparation for his trip to Las Vegas.

”It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Smith said. “I’m looking forward to it, and I’m going to dazzle them with my footwork.”
By Mike Morrow

TUNICA, Mississippi -- The World Poker Open returns to Tunica for its seventh year and will be held exclusively at Gold Strike Casino Resort. Attended by both nationally and internationally renowned poker players, the Gold Strike World Poker Open begins Jan. 9 and culminates with the World Poker Tour's championship event January 19-23. Considered one of the biggest and most successful poker tournaments in the world, Gold Strike is now the exclusive site for the World Poker Tour's annual televised stop in Tunica.

The World Poker Open will include 10 tournament events, with buy-ins starting from $1000 up to $10,000 for the WPT championship finale. In addition, there will be 10 nightly no-limit hold'em tournaments with a $500 buy-in + $40 entry fee. The popular Ladies No Limit Hold'em tournament is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 21 with a $300 buy in + $40 entry fee. All tournaments start with double chips, including $20,000 in Championship event.

In addition to a million-dollar prize pool, the winner of the final event will receive a championship bracelet and a $25,500 seat in the World Poker Tour Championship at Bellagio in April 2006.

The World Poker Open will be hosted by Jack McClelland, one of the world's most respected tournament directors, and current director of poker tournaments at Bellagio. A 25-year industry veteran, McClelland spent 15 years with the World Series of Poker and was the director for the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles for nine years.

"We are thrilled to once again be hosting the high-stakes action of the World Poker Open," said Kathy Santiago, vice president of casino operations at Gold Strike. "As one of the newest additions to the MGM MIRAGE family, and sister property of the Bellagio and Mirage, we plan to take the tournament to a new level this year. In addition to providing superior service and a first-rate event, by providing double the amount of chips with each buy-in, we are offering the players an opportunity to stay in action longer."

"Gold Strike has hosted one of the largest events on the Tour each season," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. "We look forward to continuing to grow the poker phenomenon in the Southeast together."

The Travel Channel will provide full final-table coverage of the World Poker Open for broadcast during its Season IV telecast of the World Poker Tour. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. WORLD POKER TOUR® airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel.

Gold Strike World Poker Open 2006 Event Schedule

7:15 pm Jan 9th -18th

No Limit Hold'em $500 + $40

Tuesday January 10th

No Limit Hold'em $1000 + $60*

Wednesday January 11th

No Limit Hold'em $1500 + $70*

Thursday January 12th

No Limit Hold'em $2000 + $80*

Friday January 13th

No Limit Hold'em $1000 + $60*

Saturday January 14th

No Limit Hold'em $1500 + $70*

Sunday January 15th

No Limit Hold'em $2000 + $80*

Monday January 16th

No Limit Hold'em $3000 + $100*

Tuesday January 17th

Super Satellite No Limit Hold'em $1000 + $60**

Wednesday January 18th

Super Satellite No Limit Hold'em $1000 + $60**

Thurs. - Mon. January 19th - 23rd WPT Championship Event $10,000 + $200***

Saturday January 21st Ladies No Limit Hold'em $300 + $40

All Tournaments start at Noon.

All Tournaments start with double chips ($20,000 in Championship Event) Nightly Tournaments at 7:15, $540 Buy-in

*Winners receives a $10,200 seat in the WPT Championship on January 19, 2006.

Super Satellites - Offer as many $10,200 seats as possible into January 19th event.

*Champion receives a $25,500 seat in the WPT Championship at the Bellagio April 2006.

Registration and tournament begin January 9, 2006. Gold Strike room rates are $49.00. To make reservations call (888)-24K-Play and ask for the poker room at ext. 1136.

Gold Strike Casino Resort is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE, the premier entertainment hotel and gaming company in the world. Located 30 minutes south of Memphis, Tenn., Gold Strike is providing a new standard of excellence for Tunica casinos. The resort features 1,200 oversized luxury rooms and suites, three restaurants, a refreshing spa and salon, an 800-seat showroom, and 50,000 square feet of gaming space with 50 table games and more than 1,400 slot machines.

Fargo state Rep. Jim Kasper is asking gambling companies to help finance a ballot measure that would make North Dakota the first state to license and regulate Internet poker businesses.

Kasper aggressively pushed the idea in the Legislature early this year, only to have the North Dakota Senate defeat a licensing bill and a constitutional amendment that would have given lawmakers authority to regulate Internet poker.

Kasper said he believes North Dakotans may embrace the proposal if its licensing revenues were used to reduce local property taxes.

"It's a natural," the Fargo Republican lawmaker said. "I believe if we did do an initiated measure, with the fact we're going to reduce people's property tax, I think it's a slam dunk."

Industry officials have been wary of the idea, while describing Kasper as tenacious in his pursuit of it. The Senate's 44-3 vote last March to reject Kasper's Internet poker licensing bill left officials wondering whether the concept would be popular among North Dakota voters.

Kasper said he has asked companies for financial support for an Internet poker initiative, but has not received any contributions. He has not registered a fund-raising committee with the North Dakota secretary of state's office.

"The key is convincing the key people in the industry that it's worthwhile," said Keith Furlong, deputy director of the Interactive Gaming Council, a trade group based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Nigel Payne, group chief executive for Sportingbet PLC, a London company that offers Internet poker and sports wagering, said he would be interested in reviewing any Kasper proposal.

"When the initiative is fully developed, we, as I am sure like others in the industry, will assess it on its merits and make a considered decision at that time," Payne said in an e-mail response to an Associated Press reporter's questions about the idea.

Payne lobbied for Kasper's Internet poker measures during the Legislature, testifying at the Senate Judiciary Committee's initial hearing on the issue.

The federal Justice Department asserts that Internet gambling is illegal in the United States, and no other state regulates Internet poker sites. Payne and other industry officials say they would welcome state licensing and regulation of Internet poker, believing it would help attract more players to the game.

In an interview, Kasper described an initiative as an option he is exploring, instead of making another try at getting the necessary proposals through the Legislature. During the 2005 session, he said he was not interested in leading a petition drive.

"I'm just weighing, should I try to put the energy together next year for an initiated measure," Kasper said earlier this month. "It's a huge time commitment, and I have to find the proper funding."

In e-mails to industry officials, Kasper has been more definite. "I am continuing to move forward here in (North Dakota) to put an initiated measure on the North Dakota ballot next November," he said in one message, sent last week.

The state constitution gives North Dakotans the right to circulate petitions to put proposed laws and constitutional amendments directly on the ballot. An amendment petition would need signatures from at least 25,688 eligible North Dakota voters, while a proposed law would require 12,844 names.

Kasper could circulate petitions for both a state constitutional amendment and an Internet poker licensing law if he chose. An amendment is needed in any case, to ensure North Dakota's licensing of Internet poker sites would not violate the constitution's anti-gambling provisions.

Kasper has been talking up a possible initiative at industry conventions. He said he discussed it last September at the Casino Affiliate Convention in Las Vegas last September, and at the annual Global Interactive Gaming Summit & Expo in Montreal last June.

Kasper plans to attend the Poker Industry Expo in San Jose, Costa Rica, next weekend, where he will be a featured speaker and take part in a panel discussion with Doyle Brunson, one of the world's best-known poker players.

The Montreal conference was organized by the River City Group of St. Charles, Mo., whose chief executive officer, Sue Schneider, helped lobby for Kasper's Internet poker measures during the Legislature.

"To my knowledge, there's never been a state initiative like what he is discussing," Schneider said.

"It really is uncharted territory."
By DALE WETZEL

There is nothing more exciting than having a monster-sized stack in a No Limit Hold 'em tournament. There are many ways to use that big pile of chips to gather even more chips. Sheer aggression is one. But that approach can also jeopardize your stack if you aren't careful.

While you want to use a big stack to bully the table, it's equally important to protect your chips so that you can continue to be the dominant force. If you're reckless with your chips and lose a big pot, it will limit your arsenal of weapons greatly.

Here are six things to think about the next time you're sitting on a big stack in a tournament.

• Attack the short stacks — When players are down to a few chips, their options are limited. They're forced to wait for any decent hand to move all in.
In the meantime, push them around with your big stack. Even if they do play with you, the damage to your chip fortress would be minimal.

When there are short stacks in the blinds, be aggressive and raise with a variety of hands. It's not all that important how strong your cards are. What matters is whether your opponents have a hand strong enough to stand up to yours.

• Avoid the big stacks — The last thing you want to do is tangle with another player who also has a monster stack, unless, of course, you have a premium hand. The targets that you should be bluffing at are the chip-challenged opponents. Remember, you always want to protect your big stack, so when you're up against a player that could cripple your stack, proceed with caution. Don't get involved unless you have a quality hand.
• Don't play big pots — One way to protect your stack is to avoid playing big pots in marginal situations. Your goal is to increase your chip count slowly by avoiding major risks. So, in situations where you aren't totally sure you have the best hand, play cautiously. Stay aggressive in small pots, but don't risk a large percentage of your chips unless you have a pair of aces or close to it.
• Be creative — One of the luxuries of having a big stack is that you can use every trick in the book: slow playing, trapping, bluffing, semi-bluffing and others. While you want to be aggressive throughout, having a big stack affords you opportunities to mix it up, try out new tactics, and play hands deceptively.
When opponents think they have you figured out, it's time to throw a curveball and play a hand in an uncharacteristic style. This will be great for your table image as it makes you an unpredictable player.

• Strike fear in your opponents — You want to be an imposing figure at the table when you're a big stack. Your opponents should fear you whether you're betting, sitting in the big blind or haven't even acted yet. When they're afraid to play with you, you control the table.
• Be a constant presence — Let opponents know you're there to play, not to sit on your stack.
You need your competitors to believe you are on a mission. That alone will make you a pain in everyone's side. Cultivate that aggressive image, and opponents will be convinced that you'll play that way all day long. If players fear you, they'll often throw away hands they might otherwise raise you with.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,
I was playing a form of blackjack that had a bit of a twist to it when it came to the rules. I don't remember its exact name, but I do remember that a blackjack in diamonds paid two-to-one. Do you know what version of blackjack I was playing? I actually won some money. Ed M.

Seeing that you scored some scratch, Ed, you will most likely appreciate its name, Super Fun 21. Although the object of the game remains the same -- beat the dealer's hand by getting as close to 21 as you can without busting -- this mutant of blackjack incorporates a number of liberal rules and bonuses not found in conventional blackjack.

Here are some of Super's specifics and rule changes compared against those of commonplace blackjack.

The game is usually played with one deck, but sometimes two.
The dealer usually hits a soft 17.
Players may double down on any number of cards, even after splitting pairs.
Players may re-split up to four hands, including aces
Players may take late surrender on any number of cards, even after hitting, splitting or doubling down.
A player hand totaling 20 or less, consisting of six cards or more, except after doubling, automatically wins.
A player hand of 21 points, consisting of 5 cards or more, except after doubling, pays 2 to 1 instantly.
A player blackjack always wins, even if the dealer has one.

And finally, that one rule that popped up in your question letting me know exactly what version of blackjack you were referencing: a blackjack in diamonds pays 2-to-1 compared to all other blackjacks that only pay even money -- that rule can make for some fun. But Super Fun, Ed? Hmmm.

Being that the casino isn't in the business of giving Ed free money, the kicker(s) are that all non-diamonds blackjacks pay only even money, and the dealer usually hits a soft 17.

For those of you accustomed to a 3-2 payoff for your snappers, expect even-money payoffs on 15 of every 16 blackjacks, as only 1 of those 16 happy blackjacks, on average, will be in diamonds.

As to the dealer hitting a soft 17, this gives the house an edge of 0.94% compared to 0.75% if the dealer were to stand. When two decks are used, and the dealer hits a soft 17, the house edge is 1.16%.

These two house rules give the casino an advantage higher than in most everyday multi-deck blackjack games, even when incorporating perfect basic strategy. Nevertheless, if you get a hoot and a holler out of playing Super Fun 21, and are willing to give up an extra few tenths of the house edge in exchange for finally getting paid for a Five-Card Charlie, go have some fun, Super Fun.

Dear Mark,
This may come as a surprise to your readers, you not living in Las Vegas, but there are more Catholic churches there than there are casinos. Not surprisingly, some worshippers at Sunday services will give casino chips rather than cash when the basket is passed. Since they get chips from so many different casinos, the churches have devised a method to collect the offerings. The churches send all their collected chips to a nearby Franciscan Monastery for sorting and then the chips are taken to the casinos of origin and cashed in. I thought your readers might want to know this interesting tidbit. Donald K.

Intriguing item, Donald, and my readers thank you. Actually, things have evolved. There are 39 Catholic churches in the greater Las Vegas area now compared to over 80 casinos. But, that still doesn't change the fact that "Chip Monks" do the collection sorting.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Why is it that the people who come down hardest on luck are usually the ones who've already gotten theirs?" -- The Good Luck Book
By Mark Pilarski

"Kido" rocks.

Thang "Kido" Pham, a native of Vietnam who has kept his profession a secret from his parents because they don't approve of gambling, won the top prize of $453,456 in the World Series of Poker Circuit tournament that concluded Tuesday at Bally's.

Including this week's victory, Pham has advanced to the final table in four big poker tournaments in the past 15 months.

"My parents didn't like gambling," Pham, who now lives in Dallas, said. "They didn't want me to be a professional gambler."

But with his success in poker's big leagues, "I proved I can do it," Pham said.

Pham outlasted a field of 134 entrants in the no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament, which carried a $10,000 entry fee and had a total prize pool of more than $1.2 million. Circuit tournaments take place at Harrah's-owned properties in Las Vegas and throughout the nation and serve to promote the annual World Series of Poker, which is scheduled for June 25 to Aug. 10 at the Rio.

Eight players advanced to Tuesday's final table, with Pham eventually getting heads-up against J.C. Tran, also a native of Vietnam who now lives in Sacramento. Pham had about twice as many chips as Tran and used his aggressive playing style to keep pressure on his opponent throughout the one-on-one duel.

On the tournament's final hand, Pham, holding ace-8, made a pair of aces on the flop, or first three community cards. Tran was holding king-queen and made a pair of kings on the flop. The last two community cards were both jacks, improving neither man's hand, and Pham went all-in. After thinking for several minutes, Tran shoved the rest of his chips in with his pair of kings.

"I knew it was 90 percent he would call me, because he'd seen me bluff three or four times in the tournament," Pham said.

"To win a championship, you have to put your money in on a draw sometimes. You can't always play with the best hand."

Tran earned $251,920 for finishing second.

"If he didn't have an ace, I thought maybe this would be my tournament," Tran said.

Pham and Tran had another confrontation earlier in the day, with Tran going all-in and then catching a jack on the final card, making three of a kind to blow away Pham's two pair.

"I felt like he cut my throat," Pham said.

But Kido stayed in the picture, winning a pivotal hand as a sizable underdog against 2005 World Series of Poker champion Joseph Hachem when he made three jacks to crack Hachem's pocket kings.

"That was one pot (where) I admit I was very lucky," Pham said.

Hachem, of Melbourne, Australia, and now a part-time Las Vegas resident, finished fifth and collected $88,172. He earned $7.5 million for his WSOP championship event victory in July.

Other notable players in the tournament were Henderson's Scotty Nguyen (fourth place, $100,768), the 1998 World Series of Poker champion; two-time WSOP champions Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan; former casino owner Bob Stupak; Celine Dion's manager and husband Rene Angelil; and TV poker commentator Mike Sexton.
By Jeff Haney

BILOXI, Miss. - Three of Mississippi's battered Gulf Coast casinos are expected to reopen by the end of the year.

The Imperial Palace, the Isle of Capri and the Palace Casino have all announced reopening dates in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The powerful storm, which struck August 29th, damaged or destroyed most of the 12 coast casinos and a 13th that was about to open.

The Imperial Palace is currently advertising its new look and new offerings with the image of a wrapped and ribboned present. The casino reopens on December 20th.

The Imperial's reopening will be followed by the Isle of Capri on December 26th and the Palace Casino's reopening on December 30th.

The Isle of Capri is putting its casino inside its new hotel tower, while the Palace's initial operation will be smaller than it was before Hurricane Katrina.

The Imperial Palace Casino will increase its slot machines from one-thousand-400 to one-thousand-900, its table games from 36 to 52 and will add a 16-table poker room.

It will also have a new buffet, steak and seafood restaurant, and renovated guest rooms.

MONTE-CARLO, Monaco, Nov. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Phil Ivey beat out British player Paul Jackson to win the 2005 Monte Carlo Millions. Ivey took home $1 million and the coveted championship title of the first poker tournament to ever be held in the illustrious Casino de Monte-Carlo. The tournament will be broadcast across the U.S. on FSN and internationally through its broadcast partners in early 2006.

For the past three days, 112 of the world's greatest poker players from 22 countries gathered in Monte-Carlo to play in the largest prize pool tournament in European history. Prima Network, the world's largest online poker network, guaranteed the $3 million prize pool. The field included 27 World Series of Poker gold bracelet holders and seven World Poker Tour champions. The No Limit Texas Hold'em final table results are as follows:

1. Phil Ivey $1,000,000
2. Paul Jackson $600,000
3. Marc Goodwin $300,000
4. Bengt Sonnert $250,000
5. Richard Herbert $175,000
6. John Juanda $125,000
7. Kenna James $53,000

"Coming to the final table as the chip leader, I couldn't do anything less than win," said 2005 Monte Carlo Millions Champion Phil Ivey. "I feel good; I stayed extremely focused and took my time."

Ivey had amassed a five to one chip lead on the underdog, Paul Jackson, coming into the head's up match. Jackson, who'd previously won a satellite to the Bay 101 Tournament, was no stranger to tough opponents. But in Monte-Carlo, playing in the Private Salon in the most exclusive poker tournament in the world, Phil Ivey was too intimidating a force. In one intense hand Jackson bet $80,000 after the flop turned up J, J, 7. Ivey re-raised for $150,000 followed by another raise of $150,000 by Jackson. An icy cold Ivey contemplated his next move for what seemed an eternity and finally pushed all-in, psyching out "Action Jackson" who instantly folded.

Ivey, a five-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, grew up in New Jersey and began his pro poker career in Atlantic City. In 2000, at the age of 23, he won his first WSOP title besting the likes of Amarillo Slim and Phil Hellmuth in the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament. He has grown to become one of the most feared and respected poker players in the world.

"It was nice to be a part of this and to play here was amazing. I'm looking forward to coming back next year and defending my title. This has been a superb tournament," glowed Ivey.

Dear Mark,
I'm about to make my first trip to Las Vegas. Can you give me your favorite King Midas tip that will turn my trip into gold? Jerome S.

Why King Midas, Jerome? When I think of King Midas my thoughts turn toward greed. In Ovid's Greek tale, Midas was so greedy he wanted everything he touched to turn to gold. To his delight, his wish came true, and he proceeded to gild everything in sight. But like a rapacious player who wants to win every hand, his fate was tragic in the end. He killed his own beloved daughter with his magical touch.
But you probably don't give a hoot about some Roman poet's tale and only want a hot tip for success, so here's my favorite: Only make bets that have less than a two percent house advantage.
You didn't mention what type of casino games you prefer, Jerome, so I'll trumpet my favored plays below. All represent wagers that have a house edge of less than two percent.

Blackjack: With perfect basic strategy.
Video Poker: Again, using perfect basic strategy.
Craps: A pass line wager, odds on that pass line bet and placing the six or eight.
Baccarat: The bank or player hand.
Slots: Yes, even a cybernetic one-armed bandit can be a good play if it's advertised as a 98 plus percent return machine.

Horace once said: "Gold can be slave or master." So can the wrong casino wager.

Dear Mark,
Every time I chip away (no pun intended) at the casino, they return larger chips than those I'm betting. I get the feeling they want me to cash out and keep what I've just won. Why are they being so polite to a winner? Randall C.

Quite the contrary, Randall. The second you get on a hot streak, casinos prefer pit employees to "change color" or upgrade your chips. No, they're not being courteous, just trying to induce larger play. Because most players don't equate casino chips with real money, it's easy to get caught up in the game and forget what you're actually betting. Treat all chips, won or lost, like Friday's paycheck-your hard-earned money.

Dear Mark,
I have a system in roulette where I play all the odd black numbers and if I lose I follow it by playing all the red even numbers. The dealer took note of how I was betting so he knew my style of play. While betting my odd black numbers, I placed $2 on 17 black as the ball was about to drop. Suddenly the dealer reached for my money and handed it back to me. As you probably guessed, it came up 17 black. To say the very least I was extremely upset and demanded to be paid. The dealer said he couldn't pay me because he had already called "no more betting" before I put my bet on 17 black. The pit boss came over and agreed with the dealer's decision.
Even though the ball did not land in a slot yet, and the dealer probably knew my style of play, shouldn't I still have been paid? Tom D.

Your question reminds me of the roulette player who sent home this telegram: "System working well-send more money."
As a rule, Tom, the casino wants the dealer to wait to the final "reasonable" moment before he barks "no more bets." The house wants to get as many wagers per decision as possible because they hold a hefty 5.26% advantage over the player on roulette. The long and short of it, Tom, is that every casino has its own set of guidelines it wants its dealers to follow. Additionally, every experienced roulette dealer has his own sense of timing on when to halt wagering.
In this case, Tom, I side with the dealer (casino). The simple solution is to get your bets in early. Better yet, how about finding a new game that does not have such a precipitous house edge? All you need now is a new system.
By Mark Pilarski

The parent company of the World Poker Tour is building a huge table of players.

WPT Enterprises Inc. and Chipleaders Inc. are teaming up to create an online social network specifically for poker enthusiasts. The network, which will be accessible from www.worldpokertour.com, will allow users to find and interact with other poker players from around the world.

The site will be powered by Chipleaders technology, and will allow users to create profiles, upload photos, communicate with friends, make new friends, e-mail, blog, organize activities, share information, participate in forums, rank profiles, and schedule events, much like services offered by networking sites such as MySpace or Friendster.

"With millions of poker players in the U.S. and abroad, we can now offer them a dedicated online community which they can call their own," WPTE CEO Steve Lipscomb said in a statement.

Chipleaders Inc. is a privately held company based in Toronto. West Hollywood-based WPT Enterprises (NASDAQ: WPTE) makes gaming-themed products and airs its World Poker Tour television show on the Travel Channel in the United States and in more than 60 markets worldwide.

November 20, 2005 -- This ain't Bar Mitzvah money!

Manhattan kid Nick Schulman became the youngest winner in the history of the World Poker Tour Friday night, pulling in $2.1 million as he wiped the table in a game of no-limit Texas Hold 'Em at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

Two months to the day after reaching the legal gambling age of 21, Schulman, a former tournament pool player, beat out 46-year old Tony Licastro with a spade flush.

After being dealt a six and nine of spades, Schulman watched the dealer turn over an eight of diamonds, an ace of spades and a king of spades.

After calling a raise to $300,000, Schulman watched the dealer flip over a two of spades. He thus had a flush and bet his whole stack by going "all in."

He watched as his opponent turned over a hand that held the eight of hearts and the two of diamonds.

Licastro's two pair were not as good as Schulman's flush at that point. But he still had a solid chance to make a full house, leading to a tense moment as the final card was turned.

It was a five of spades, giving Schulman the victory.

"I couldn't believe it," Schulman said a day after his victory, which came in front of a crowd of 300. "That was the money card. It was just so surreal.

"When I got to the final table, I thought I was going to win," he added. "I was nervous, but I was confident . . . I had no doubt I was ahead when I called."

The win also earned Schulman a free ticket to the World Poker finals at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas in April.

Schulman had been gambling at the casino for about three weeks, first ponying up $1,000 to play nine others entrants. That win earned him a seat to the 783-player World Poker tourney.

He showed up at the final table with almost three times the number of chips as any of the remaining contenders — including Lyle "The Godfather of Poker" Berman, a three-time World Series of Poker winner, and Allen Cunningham, the 2005 World Series of Poker player of the year.

Gina and Bob Schulman said they rushed up to Foxwoods after their son phoned Wednesday.

"Listen, things are going well," he told his parents. "It looks like I'm going to the final table. Why don't you come on up? It could be good — you never know."

After Schulman won it all, his mom called his half-sister Jane Miller Rennert in Brooklyn, who said with a laugh, "I was a little worried my mom was going to have a heart attack on the spot. She said that it was the most exciting thing she ever saw." Schulman, who attended La Guardia HS, became a successful pool player at 13, playing in the U.S. Open of pool at 15.

About two years ago, he decided to switch to poker. He played online a lot to hone his skills.

"I saw I could make a lot more money in poker," Schulman said, adding that, with his winnings, "I'm definitely going to buy a car. The rest of it, I'll probably put in the bank."

Dear Mark,
I have never been quite able to understand why certain Indian casinos have full-fledged gambling, while others have what amounts to nothing more than a bingo hall. One that I was in recently said they were not allowed to have slots; yet, you could play bingo on a slot machine. What gives? Then there are other Indian casinos that have gambling just like what you would find in, say, Reno, Nevada. I'm confused? Jack M.

Broadly speaking, without regard to specific details or exceptions, who's got what, where and why, depends on the specific type of compact each tribe negotiated with the state, and what class of gaming that tribe is allowed to provide. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, enacted in 1988 as Public Law 100 497, provides the jurisdictional framework that presently governs all forms of Indian gaming. The Act establishes three classes of games, each having their own regulatory scheme.

Class I gaming is defined as traditional Indian gaming and social games for minimal prizes. Regulatory authority over Class I gaming is exclusively vested with the tribes, not the state or federal government. One example of such a game would be Women's Gambling Dice - Sierra Miwok Style, once played in the Yosemite Valley. Traditionally, a female-only game, it is played with six black walnut half shells, filled with pine resin and charcoal, and ten counter sticks. The object of the game is to win all the counter sticks onto one side. The walnut shells are used as dice and the gambling could consist of play-by-play betting, or end-of-game results.
Who says women don't know nuttin' 'bout craps?

Where you played, Jack, offered only Class II gaming, defined as the game of chance commonly known as bingo. If played in the same location as the bingo, instant bingo, punch board, pull tabs and other games similar to bingo are also allowed. Class II gaming can also include non-banked card games. Non-banked games are played exclusively player-vs-player, and not against the house or against any player acting as a bank. The Act explicitly excludes slot machines, or electronic facsimiles of any of the class II games; hence no one-armed bandits.

Tribes retain the authority to conduct, regulate and license class II gaming, as long as the state in which the Tribe is located permits such gaming for any other purpose. So, if for example Our Lady of Guadalupe in Billings, MT offers a bingo night, then all Montana tribes are allowed to have all forms of bingo, including those bingo slots that you described.

Class III gaming, often referred to a casino-style gaming, is wide-ranging and includes casino games such as slot machines, black jack, craps, roulette, poker, etc.

Before a Tribe is allowed access to your wallet, the following conditions must be met: (1) The Tribe must negotiate a compact with the state and the compact must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior; (2) The particular form of class III gaming that the Tribe wants to conduct must be permitted in the state in which the tribe is located; (3) The Tribe has to adopt a Tribal gaming ordinance that has been approved by the Chairman of the State's Gaming Commission.

As to your question regarding bingo slots, yep, Jack, they are recognized by Uncle Sam as Class II gaming devices, because electronic, computer, or other technological aids used in connection with bingo are allowed. One such company, Rocket Gaming, headquartered in Miami, OK, provides Class II bingo slots to approximately 55 Native American gaming facilities in 13 states. Specializing in wide-area linked progressives, their machines are played in real time, with players competing against each other for major progressive jackpots.

True, Jack, they look and feel like typical slot machines, but technically they're not.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "You can take the man out of the casino, but you can't take the 'looking for an edge' mentality out of the man." -- Bob Dancer, "Casino Player"
By Mark Pilarski

LAS VEGAS -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Progressive Gaming International Corporation (NASDAQ: PGIC), a leading provider of diversified products and services used in the gaming industry worldwide, announced today that it received approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission for its newest table game, Texas Hold' Em Bonus Poker.

Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Robert Parente stated: "We can now begin to fulfill the pipeline of orders currently at approximately 200 and growing for this exciting table game that has gained strong popularity in other jurisdictions in North America. Additionally, we are experiencing better than expected demand for the TableMax product in Oklahoma and expect to begin installing within the next several weeks."

Joe Hachem, the 2005 World Series of Poker champion, will now join the ranks of Eminem, Neil Simon and Michelle Wie.

That's because the 39-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, has signed with the William Morris Agency, a 107-year-old management firm that also represents sports stars, musicians, actors and directors.

As poker has grown, more players have signed with agents.

"So many people want a piece of you that you've got to be able to give the responsibility to someone else," said Hachem, whose July 16 win was broadcast on ESPN on Tuesday night.

Hachem already has an endorsement deal with the online gambling site Pokerstars and expects more deals to come his way.

"There are quite a few deals in the pipeline," Hachem said. "But nothing has been finalized."

Hachem was pursued by poker agent Brian Balsbaugh, who represents the likes of Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu, but in the end he was impressed by the appeal of the size of the William Morris firm.

"They are one of the biggest agencies in the world," Hachem said. "They can open so many doors because of who they are. And it impressed me that I would be their only poker player."

Hachem was first introduced to the agency through a chance meeting in August with Rob Markus, one of the firm's music agents who was in Australia with one of his clients.

Now, executives at William Morris are hoping to turn Hachem into a brand name.

"Poker is the new sport," said Lon Rosen, vice president of sports for the firm, who represented Magic Johnson during his playing days. "Joe has a great personality and we think he's going to have a successful career."

Although it isn't clear how mainstream corporate America will embrace poker, he says Hachem will keep the agency busy.

"We're looking at acting, merchandising and publishing," Rosen said. "Poker is a huge business."

And the fact that William Morris, an agency that once represented Humphrey Bogart and Marilyn Monroe, signed Hachem is further evidence of the boom.
By Darren Rovell

LAST WEEK I played in the Tournament of Champions, along with 110 other players.

Legends Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, along with myself, were all invited to the event as some of the biggest World Series of Poker winners.

The fact we were invited stirred a bit of controversy

within the poker world, which seemed to be split down the middle: One side was saying, "These guys didn't qualify, or try to qualify, thus they shouldn't be playing." On the other side, Harrah's put up the whole $2 million prize pool, and felt it should be able to have a few spots available for exemptions. Also, with Chan and Brunson having a record 10 victories apiece at the WSOP - I am next with nine - Harrah's felt like we were "Champions," and this was, after all, the TOC.

Amazingly, with 12 players left, the three of us were still in the hunt. Also in the final 12 were Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, "Cowboy" Hoyt Corkins, and

European star Tony Bloom, to name a few. With nine players

being paid and $1 million for first, the heat was on!

Chan finished 12th as he was a short stack, and Brunson came to the final 10-handed table, but with only $5,700 in chips, whereas I had the chip lead with $281,000. On the second hand of the final table, with the blinds at $1,000 to $2,000 - and a $200-a-player ante - Brunson was in the big blind. Matusow suddenly announced to the table that Brunson was going all-in no matter what his cards were, as Matusow couldn't see how Brunson could fold any hand with $2,200 of his $5,700 already committed to the pot.

Indeed, I believe it would have been tough for Brunson to fold any two cards here, as he would have left himself in an almost

untenable position - surely it would have been tough to come back from $3,500, with $1,000 in the small blind, and $200 put up as an ante. In any case, a player raised it up with his J-J, and Brunson had Ah-3h in the big blind, which made his all-in call all but academic.

With the cards on their backs, it was announced to the huge

audience that Brunson's Ah-3h was a 2 ½-1 underdog to win vs. J-J. It seemed like the whole room was rooting for the 71-year-old Brunson, as they shouted, "Ace, ace, ace!" The flop was K-3-2, with no hearts, and now Brunson needed an ace or a three, or running straight cards like 5-4.

Of course, at this point the whole room was screaming, "Ace or three, ace or three, ace or three!" The turn card was a deuce, and now Brunson needed an ace or a three on the last card. Thus he had two threes, and three aces, for "five outs" total. With 44 cards remaining, he was now a 39-to-5 underdog, or about 8-to-1. Alas, the last card was a nine, and now the final table was set. On the good side of the coin, I was the chip leader.

After a second-place finish in the TOC in 2004 - to Annie Duke - I had a chance to come back and win the TOC in 2005!

"Outs" are:

a.) the number of cards in the deck that will win for you;

b.) to be on the way to a breakup;

c.) elimination from a tournament;

d.) when you're thrown out of a casino.

Answer: a.
By Phil Hellmuth

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2005--Post Oak Productions, a Toronto-based event production company, announced today the launch of the second edition of Camp Hellmuth, Phil Hellmuth's poker fantasy camp weekend.

Led by nine-time World Series of Poker Champion Phil Hellmuth, Camp Hellmuth will run from February 9th through February 11th, 2006, at Caesars Palace, in Las Vegas, NV. The "Ultimate Weekend of Poker" will be jam-packed with poker instruction, tournaments, workshops and entertainment. Camp Hellmuth promises to improve the poker skills of all those in attendance, whether they are seasoned poker players or novices to the game. The weekend will feature many of the game's top poker stars. Joining Phil will be poker greats including T.J. Cloutier, Antonio Esfandiari, Cyndy Violette, Thomas Keller, Scott Fischman, and former FBI agent Joe Navarro.

"The inaugural Camp Hellmuth was a huge success," said Managing Director Jeff Goldenberg. "Campers received valuable poker instruction and played tournaments with the pros. It was a truly memorable weekend for all who attended."

Added Managing Director Brandon Rosen, "The second Camp Hellmuth promises to be even better than the first one."

The second edition of Camp Hellmuth will be hosted in Caesars Palace's brand-new poker room and poker tournament room, slated to open December 2005. Camp Hellmuth will be the first major event held in their state-of-the-art tournament room.

More information about Camp Hellmuth, including weekend itinerary, poker player bios and sign up information can be found at www.camphellmuth.com or by calling 1-888-HELLMUTH.

It's easy to envy Phil Gordon, but it's hard not to like him.

Best known as the co-host of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, the professional card shark made his first million dollars in the high-tech industry. When the company he helped to found sold out to Cisco Systems, he grabbed a backpack and became an adventure traveler, climbing mountains, swimming with sharks and snowboarding down sand dunes.

Back in the States, Gordon quickly made a name for himself as a top poker pro, winning $400,000 by taking fourth place in the 2001 World Series of Poker. Since then, poker's popularity has exploded: The same finish at this year's event, with more than 5,600 buy-ins, was worth $2 million.

In the casino, Gordon is every bit as charming as he is playing straight man to Dave Foley on Celebrity Poker, which he has co-hosted since its première in 2003. He encourages inexperienced players and is gracious in victory or defeat.

Gordon is also a philanthropist and spokesman for the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.

He will be in Tempe on Friday to sign copies of Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $21) at Changing Hands Bookstore.

Question: There are dozens of poker books out there, including your own Poker: The Real Deal. What makes Little Green Book different?

Answer: My first book was about the poker lifestyle, and although there were some very good strategy tips and techniques in The Real Deal, my readers wanted more. I did hundreds of hours of computer simulations to back up the knowledge that I had instinctually. I wanted to confirm it with a mathematical analysis, and some of the stuff that I found in the book is stuff that no one had ever written about.

Q: You're known as a cerebral player, but you also have a reputation for betting on just about anything.

A: I don't consider myself a gambler at all. Gambling is playing craps, roulette, keno, horse racing. . . . Over the long term, you cannot possibly win. I consider myself a strategic investor. When you see me play rock-scissors-paper on TV for a thousand dollars, I'm playing rock-scissors-paper at an advantage. I truly believe that I have an edge over anyone.

Q: At the poker table, you are the consummate gentleman. How do you deal with the Phil Helmuths and Mike Matusows of the world?

A: In my mind, if you're going to be a professional at something, you've got to act like a professional. I certainly wouldn't call up my stockbroker and chew him out if a stock goes down a few points. Likewise, I'm not going to chew out my opponent for beating me in a pot where he invested his money at negative expectation.

Q: Full Tilt Poker is one of your sponsors, advertising that anyone can come online and play against you. What are the smallest stakes that you play for?

A: The smallest stakes I've played for are 5-cent/10-cent, the smallest on the site, but I also play play money all the time. About two hours a week, I'll sit down in a play-money game and chat and answer people's questions.

Q: Who's the best player who's been on Celebrity Poker?

A: Ben Affleck, James Woods, Hank Azaria - they're definitely at the front of the pack in terms of skill. Tobey Maguire is the best celebrity player out there right now, but he hasn't played on the show. He takes the game too seriously, and he'd be afraid that he'd come on TV and not make good TV.

Q: What was your biggest rush from your adventure-travel days?

A: Probably getting to the top of Kilimanjaro. I'm not going to say that's a rush, 'cause I felt like I was almost ready to die, but when I look back, that was probably the biggest accomplishment as far as physical challenge.

Q: Were you an experienced climber?

A: I had never climbed anything more than two flights of stairs. I met this girl in Zanzibar, and over the course of a couple of cocktails and a sunset over the ocean, I asked her where she was going next, and she said she was going to climb Kilimanjaro, and that made my decision pretty easy: "Hey, that's exactly what I was going to do!"

Q: So did you get the girl?

A: The really crazy thing is we'd been talking for about three hours, and she had never mentioned her boyfriend. I'm thinking, "I'm so in, this is fantastic." Three hours later, this guy walks up, and she goes, "Oh, Trent, let me introduce you to Phil. Phil is going to climb Kilimanjaro with you." . . . Trent and I went out and booked the trip, and when we got back - they'd had a huge fight the night before - her bags were packed, and she went to Nairobi on her own, leaving me and Trent to climb the mountain.
By Kerry Lengel

I'm sick of watching everyone else win game after game on ESPN, FSN and the Travel Channel!

Am I jealous of them?

No, most of the guys deserve to win their events. All-time poker greats Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, for example, each won their 10th bracelet at the 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP), shown on ESPN. Of course, I'm not crazy about the fact that Chan, Brunson and I were once all tied on No. 9 and vying to be first to cross the double-digit mark.

No, I'm just irked that I haven't won a tournament in a while. Yes, I did win the NBC Heads-Up Championships this year, but a big win at WSOP, the World Poker Tour (WPT), the upcoming Superstars of Poker III or another big televised event in Europe (two are being shot in Monte Carlo in late November) wouldn't hurt. A man has his reputation to think of (and not because he's a poker brat).

Feeling hungry to win again, I went to Las Vegas ready to tackle the Doyle Brunson $10,000 buy-in WPT event at the Bellagio. The event began on Oct. 18, and the first order of business was to make it through day one. Making it through that far generally requires playing very few pots, and keeping yourself out of harm's way by avoiding the weaker starting hands.

So what did I do?

I reraised with the super-weak 7h-5h!

With the blinds at $200-$400, the player on my right, Player N (N for nice guy) opened by making it $1,200 to go. I felt he was weak and I reraised it, making it $2,800 to go. He then called my $1,600 reraise. After a flop of As-Qh-9d, Player N checked, I bet out $1,200, and Player N called.

As he called the bet, I sensed again that he was pretty weak. The next card was the 6h -- for As-Qh-9d-6h -- giving me both a straight draw (I needed an eight) and a flush draw.

Player N checked, and now I had a decision to make. I did have a decent draw, but what did Player N have? I had sensed some weakness in him both before and after the flop, so I decided that I had better follow through on my bluff. I bet out $3,000 and he called. The last card was the 3h, yes! (But be careful what you wish for!) I had hit my ''back-door'' flush (back door meaning that I had hit both the fourth card and the last card in completing my hand), and the fact that it was back door meant that it was even stronger than if I had flopped a draw and hit it on the last card.

It was inconceivable that Player N also had a back-door flush -- inconceivable, that is, until he check-raised my $5,000 bet all-in for his last $10,000.

No! I sat there in stunned silence, recounting the hand in my head.

To gain more information from my opponent, before deciding whether to call, I told him I had made a back-door flush, and now he seemed a bit frightened. In that instant I called his bet, and he said, ``Phil, my flush isn't very big.''

Quietly, he flipped up the 10h-8h.

I sat there in disbelief; not only had I lost with a back-door flush in a one-on-one situation, but I had successfully fished around for information by chatting up player N, and he had given me the ''weak tell'' I needed to see, in order to call him.

You see, since Player N knew that I had a flush (I told him), he showed weakness because he feared that I had a king-high or jack-high flush. Talk about great information backfiring.

Was I extremely unlucky in this hand? Sure, but I could have avoided it completely by simply folding the 7h-5h, and waiting until day two or day three to try to outplay my opponents. I blame myself for going against my game plan, namely, to play very conservatively on day one, and make sure I made it to day two!
By Phil Hellmuth

Dear Mark,
Your last week's column describing pips was not totally accurate. It has been my experience dealing in a casino that what you call a pip below the rank of a card is not actually a pip. Could you please clarify your original answer? David B.

Although my casino breeding identifies the suit indication -- the single diamond, heart, spade, or club -- beneath the number or letter as a pip, there are a few in the gaming industry, like yourself, who believe that the smaller symbol beneath the number or letter designating the rank of the card is not a pip, but is part of the index, that number or letter plus the smaller suit symbol beneath it. Using that description, then each face card has two pips, each ace has one, and each 2-10 card, has as many pips as the number that represents its rank.

Incidentally, your feedback, David, is one of the many queries I’ve been sitting on over the years regarding playing cards and the manufacturing of them. Now that my son is a first-year student at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, Queen City side trips to the U. S. Playing Card Company, not to mention Skyline Chili, and the Montgomery Inn for ribs, are shoo-ins. Join me?

Dear Mark,
Can the shooter who controls the dice designate whom he wants to shoot the dice in his place? Also, can you ever increase your bet on Don't Pass wagers? Danny F.

The answers to your questions, Danny, are no and no.

If the game is over on the come-out roll (a 2, 3, or 12 appear), or the point was rolled, the shooter continues to be the shooter for another game, or he can pass the dice if he wishes, but it has to be to the player just clockwise of the shooter.

Bets on the Don't Pass line can always be decreased or removed, but cannot be increased. On the flip side, wagers on the Pass line cannot be removed; they can, however, always be increased.

Dear Mark,
Are there any simplified rules as to when to split cards in blackjack? Shelly B.

Sho' nuff, Shelly. Splitting pairs is an option by which you can increase your original wager. When you receive a pair of cards of the same value, such as two 4's, you are allowed to match your original bet with an equal new one, splitting the two cards into separate hands. Each card then becomes an independent hand, with a new wager of equal value applying only to the hand to which it is attached.

Split hands are then played out one after the other, both receiving additional cards and following the same hit, stand, double or split rules (many casinos allow you to split Aces just once) as would a normal hand of blackjack. Because the two hands are independent, either hand can be won, lost, or a combination of both.

Here are seven easy basic strategy rules that apply to splitting pairs:

$ Always split aces.
$ Always split eights.
$ Never split fours, fives or tens.
$ Split twos and threes only when the dealer has four through seven.
$ Split sixes when the dealer has three through six.
$ Split sevens when the dealer has two through seven.
$ Split nines when the dealer has two through six, and eight or nine.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Believe it or not, the beautiful lights, the around-the-clock activity, and the festivity and fast-paced action can sometimes make idiots of otherwise well-oriented, clear-minded individuals." -- Len Miller, "Playing Games for Fun and Profit"
By Naek Pilarski

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Players Network, Inc. (PNTV.O, the leading media company in the gaming lifestyle category, announced today the official launch of the Players Network channel on Comcast's Digital Cable System. The first Video On Demand channel to be entirely dedicated to the growing gaming lifestyle category, Players Network will offer a lineup of new and original programming including talk shows, poker educational seminars and unique gaming lifestyle entertainment featuring some of poker and entertainment's biggest celebrities. Beginning today, the programming will be available, under the "Players Network" brand on Comcast's Video On Demand service. The channel provides significant distribution to establish new revenues through sponsorship, advertising, merchandising and the promotion of programming, products and services.

"Players Network has created with Comcast the ultimate television destination for the gaming lifestyle enthusiast," said Michael Berk, President of Programming, Players Network. "Whether you are looking to learn tips from the pros before heading to Vegas or want more in-depth information about the hottest gaming destinations, your favorite poker players, and anything gaming- related, fans now have a dedicated channel to turn to and the best part is, they can watch whatever program they want whenever they want to watch it."

The line-up of new programming includes:

-- Three episodes of "Doyle's Room" starring poker legend Doyle Brunson
-- Talk shows hosted by sports and gambling experts Wayne Allyn Root,
Larry Grossman, and poker author Nolan Dalla
-- The First "Poker Dealers Olympics"
-- Round-table poker strategy sessions with the Pros
-- A Tournament featuring ShuffleMaster's 3-Card Poker
-- A "Live From Las Vegas" series featuring Blackjack, Craps, Roulette,
Online Poker, Omaha Hi-Lo, Tournament and Limit Poker and gaming
lifestyle entertainment programs

The programs also include several of gaming and entertainment's biggest celebrities including Jennifer Tilley, James Caan, Gabe Kaplan, Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Bobby Baldwin, Mike Sexton, Vincent Van Patten, Phil Laak, Marcel Luske, Jennifer Harmon, Layne Flack, Clonie Gowan, Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Eric Seidel, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Phil Gordon, John Hennigan, Cyndy Violette, Chris Ferguson and Annie Duke.

Harrah's Louisiana Downs

Guests who have signed up for a Total Rewards Card but never have visited Harrah's Louisiana Downs will receive a free buffet dinner or one free breakfast item and drink from Louisiana Bread Co.

Diamond and Seven Stars Total Rewards Card holders can win $250 cash every 30 minutes between 2 and 6 p.m. Nov. 20 in the $25K Diamond & Seven Stars Day Drawing. To enter, guests can swipe their cards at the Promotions Desk beginning at noon.

Every Thursday in November guests will have a chance to win cash in the $1,500 Rake in the Cash Slot Tournament. Registration begins at 4 p.m. at the Promotions Desk inside the casino, and rounds begin at 5 p.m. The tournaments are free for Seven Star, Diamond and Platinum Total Rewards members and $10 for Gold Total Rewards members. Space will be limited.

On Nov. 26 guests will have the opportunity to compete for one of four Harley Sportsters. To enter, guests can swipe their Total Rewards Card at the Promotions Desk between 5 and 9:45 p.m. Every hour beginning at 7 p.m., five finalists will be selected to compete for cash prizes and one Harley Sportster. Must be 21 or older to enter. Must be present to win.

Eldorado

More than $30,000 will be given away every weekend through Dec. 18 during the $330,000 Golden Opportunity Giveaway. Play during the random Golden Seal Giveaways every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a chance win $250. Also, Club Eldorado members can earn entries weekly into the 4 p.m. Sunday drawings by playing their favorite slots and table games. One player will win $10,000 cash.

Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournaments are held daily. The weekday tournaments require a $50 buy-in, which provides the player with $1,000 in tournament chips. There are unlimited $20 rebuys through the first round with less than $500 in chips. The tournament also features $40 double rebuys. The Saturday and Sunday tournaments have a $100 buy-in and provide the player with $1,000 in chips. There are unlimited $50 rebuys through the first round with less than $500 in chips. The tournament also features $100 double rebuys. Registration for all tournaments costs $15 each and begins at9 a.m. the day of the competition. Tournaments begin at 11 a.m. Call the poker room for details. For details, call the Poker room.

"Manic Mondays" weekly slot tournaments are held every Monday at 7 p.m. for a $3,000 guaranteed prize per tournament. Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. on tournament days. Entry fee is $20. See Club Eldorado for complete details.

Boomtown

Boomtown will give away a new Hummer H3 and more than $12,000 cash in the Win a Key to an H3 Giveaway. Earn points toward entries into the prize drawings by playing your favorite slot and table games through Nov. 27. Drawings take place each day Nov. 24-27, with the grand-prize drawing on Nov. 26.

Guests can earn points to win a $10 certificate for a Butterball turkey in the Get-A-Gobbler Giveaway. Earn 100 points every Thursday before Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. to noon at the Circle B Club.

On Nov. 18 Boomtown will offer its Pick-A-Pie promotion. Earn 50 points in the casino and get a certificate that will let you choose between a pumpkin and sweet potato pie. Pick up your pie by redeeming the certificate between Nov. 19 and 25 at the Cattleman's Buffet

Horseshoe

Horseshoe will offer a No Limit Texas Hold 'em Tournament weekly at 6 p.m. Monday and11 a.m. Wednesday. Registration begins two hours prior to the tournament in the poker room. Buy-in requirement is $60 plus a $15 entry fee. Rebuys and add-ons are $40. The first three levels will last 30 minutes; each level thereafter will last 20 minutes. Players start with $800 in tournament chips. Payout for first place with 50 players or less is 45 percent and 40 percent for tournaments with 51 or more players.

Now through Dec. 16, guests can swipe their Winners Circle Card at the promotions kiosks for their free daily entry in Jack's Lucky Lexus Giveaway. Additional entries may be earned based on slot and video poker play, and bonus entries may be earned each Wednesday. Five finalists will be selected to compete for a Lexus ES Sedan on Nov. 25 and Dec. 16.

Horseshoe Casino will offer a slot tournament in the $35K Reels of Cash Tournament Series on Wednesday. The tournament is open to the public and is free for Diamond and Platinum members and $25 for Gold members. Call to reserve your spot. Registration begins on the day of the tournament in the Riverdome foyer from 8 to 11 a.m. First round begins at 1 p.m. and each participant will play one 10-minute round. Space is limited for this tournament.

Isle of Capri

The Isle of Capri Money Man promotion will take place every Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. in the casino. A guaranteed $10,000 will be given every Saturday to IsleOne members playing their favorite slots or tables with their IsleOne Card.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, IsleOne members 50 or older will receive coupons for double points from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. with $5 off breakfast or lunch in Calypso's buffet, free ice cream cone or large iced tea in Tradewinds.

Hotel guests that earn 250 points Sunday through Thursday or 350 points Friday and Saturday from check-in to check-out on their IsleOne Card will receive a hotel voucher good for a free stay on their current visit. Guests will receive the voucher from the hotel or IsleOne Club.

New IsleOne members who join the IsleOne Players Club and earn 25 points in their first visit are eligible for a choice of a free night's stay at Isle of Capri Hotel or two buffets at Calypso's. One hour of rated table game play is required to be eligible.

Sam's Town

Four Hummer H3 vehicles will be given away Tuesdays in November. Participants earn entries while playing in the casino with their Prime Rewards Card between midnight and 9:45 p.m. Tuesdays in November. Participants must activate their entries each Tuesday between 5 and9:45 p.m. at the Promotions Desk in the pavilion to be eligible for the drawings. At 6 and 7 p.m. there will be drawings for $500. At 8 p.m. the H3 will be given away. There is a second chance to be a winner with $1,000 drawings at 9 and 10 p.m. See the Prime Rewards Desk for details.

Win $1,000 in the Sam's Town $40,000 Progressive Drawing on Thursdays in November. Drawings are every 30 minutes from4:30 to 9 p.m. All Prime Rewards cardholders may participate. Participants earn entries while playing in the casino with their Prime Rewards Card between midnight and 8:45 p.m. every Thursday in November. Participants must activate their entries between 3 and 8:45 p.m. each Thursday to be eligible for drawings. Every 30 minutes $1,000 winners will be selected from 4:30 to 9 p.m. If drawing prize goes unclaimed, that prize adds to the next drawing. See the Prime Rewards Desk for details.

Win jewelry from Sid Potts Inc. in the Sparkle & Shine Jewelry Giveaway. Participants can earn entries while playing in the casino with the Prime Rewards Card between midnight and 7:45 p.m. every Saturday in November. Participants must activate their entries each Saturday between 4 and 7:45 p.m. at the Promotions Desk to be eligible for the drawings. Drawings for $1,000 will be held at 5, 6, and7 p.m. Jewelry drawings will be at 8 p.m. plus $500 Hot Seats every 15 minutes from 9 to 10 p.m. in the casino. See Prime Rewards Desk for details.

INDIO, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Nov 9, 2005 -- The road to a $1 million Grand Prize and national TV coverage begins Nov. 11-13 as Fantasy Springs Resort Casino hosts the Southern California regional qualifying tournament for the Three-Card Poker National Championship. "This will be the largest Three-Card Poker event ever held in the Palm Springs area," said Bob Jones, executive director of gaming at Fantasy Springs. This Palm Springs hotel and casino, the area's premier gaming resort, is presenting the regional tournament in conjunction with Shuffle Master, Inc. of Las Vegas.

Thirty-five top chip count players will advance to the Three-Card Poker National Championship at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas from Nov. 27-Dec. 2 to compete for a $1 million cash prize. Thirty-five regional qualifiers will receive a $1,000 award and the top chip count winner receives $5,000 in cash for trip expenses. Tournament play will be featured on the "Three-Card Poker National Championship" television show expected to air in early 2006. The entry fee is $199. Sign up in person at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino cashier cage or call the Resort box office at (800) 827-2946, ext. 85888.

To book your room at the Fantasy Springs Resort Hotel or for more information about Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, visit us online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com, or call 1-800-827-2946.

The new four-star resort features 250 exquisitely appointed rooms and suites with spectacular desert and mountain views, high-speed Internet access and 27" flat-screen TVs in every room. On-site amenities include a 100-foot swimming pool, tanning pool, cabanas, beach volleyball court, fitness center, room service, free valet parking, and nearby golf and shopping. Enjoy Las Vegas-style gaming in the casino, as well as an on-site bowling center. The Sunset View Lounge features live entertainment with all-around entertainer Tim Burleson, Wednesday through Sunday. Featuring the most fabulous restaurants at hotels in Palm Springs and six lounges throughout, this resort casino offers endless choices for evening and daytime relaxation and entertainment.

Call or visit us online now to take advantage of some of the lowest rates for Palm Springs hotels, starting at $79 per night.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino is an economic development of the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians. For more information about Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, call (800) 827-2946 or visit www.FantasySpringsResort.com. Located at 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio, California, 92203-3499.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Whenever something is "in", Hollywood is sure to be all over it like stink on a monkey. Take poker for example. Today, we've got announcements of two new movies that aren't even about poker, but have just thrown poker into the title...

The first movie, a thriller titled Poker Night, stars Hayden Christensen as a rookie detective who wakes to find himself strapped to a chair in a dim and filthy basement. The cop's faceless abductor is a vicious serial killer who is mercilessly torturing his captive both physically and mentally. Samuel L. Jackson also stars. Star Wars stunt co-ordinator Nick Gillard will direct from a screenplay by Greg Francis. Filming is scheduled to begin next year.

The second movie, titled The Poker Club, focuses on four buddies who discover and accidentally kill a burglar -- who may not be alone -- in the kitchen during their weekly poker night. Their lives and the lives of their families are forever changed by the difficult choices they must make. The movie, based on the novel by Ed Gorman was written for the screen by Johnathon Schaech and Richard Chizmar. Tim McCann will direct with production set to begin in January in Manitoba.

LOS ANGELES, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The World Poker Tour announced today the addition of a 17th Tour stop for Season IV with the inclusion of a second event at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City on January 29-February 1. The Borgata Poker Classic will cap the hotel's 11-day Borgata Winter Poker Open.

The tournament marks a return this year to the Atlantic City hotel and casino, considered one of the finest properties on the East Coast and sure to be the largest poker room on the Atlantic when it more than doubles the size of its poker room in 2006. The 2005 Borgata Poker Open drew a record 515 players with a $4,995,634 prize pool.

"We are excited by the opportunity to give our Eastern players another shot at a WORLD POKER TOUR title this season," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE). "With record tournaments all around our circuit, it is clear that players want more chances to cash in our WPT million dollar prize pools. Borgata is the premier poker destination in Atlantic City. We look forward to this one-time event."

At the same time, the WPT announced that the Gold Strike Casino Resort has become the exclusive site for the WPT's annual stop in Tunica. The dates are January 19 - 23, the culmination of the resort's World Poker Open which begins on Jan. 9. The 1,200-room Gold Strike is an MGM MIRAGE resort and sister property of the Bellagio and Mirage, also WPT member casinos.

"Gold Strike has hosted one of the largest events on the Tour each season," said Lipscomb. "We look forward to continuing to grow the poker phenomenon in The Southeast together."

With the added event, the WORLD POKER TOUR is on track to approach its target of $100 million in prize money in a single season. It took the first three cumulative years of the WPT to reach the first $100 million.

The WPT launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel Channel on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing poker as a major international sport. Viewers and aspiring tour players can log on to www.worldpokertour.com for ways to improve their game or to find out how to register for the 17 WPT tournaments. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. WORLD POKER TOUR® airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel.

WEST PALM BEACH — Two years ago, Chris Moneymaker was an unknown Nashville accountant.

Around the same time, card-room operators at the Palm Beach Kennel Club feared they would have to give up on poker.

On Friday, Moneymaker sat in the recently expanded Kennel Club poker room surrounded by flashbulbs and autograph seekers and sent a few Texas Hold 'em tournament participants home short $45 but happy.

Moneymaker eventually joined those who left empty-handed, finishing 85th in a 150-player tournament.

Moneymaker is in West Palm Beach on the eighth day of a five-city, 10-day road trip of promotional appearances during which players can take a shot at a $1,170 grand prize or a $300 bounty for knocking out the main attraction.

Life for the former accountant has become a whirlwind since he won the $2.5 million grand prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker as an amateur.

He's slated to work just three days in December. But after that, Moneymaker will play in seven professional tournaments during the first three months of 2006. During that time, he'll also make appearances for companies such as Poker Stars online poker, Death Row Records and NASCAR.

"Of course you get tired every once in a while, but I go home when I get tired," said Moneymaker, who is on the road for two weeks each month. "My wife is always pushing me to travel less, but she realizes the amount of money I'm making. It's hard to stop. In a couple years, I'll never have to work again."

As a result of his unlikely WSOP victory, Moneymaker and the poker industry have both benefited, even though Moneymaker finished out of the money in the past two WSOP no-limit Texas Hold 'em main events.

The 2005 WSOP drew 5,600 players, smashing the record of 2,700 set a year earlier.

"It's hard to say how long it took (to realize) the magnitude of what I had done," said Moneymaker, who entered the event by winning an online satellite tournament with a $40 buy-in. "There are a lot of reasons the poker boom took off. I'm one of the reasons, but I don't spend too much time thinking about that."

Noah Carbone, co-director of the Kennel Club's card room, does — so much so that he thanked Moneymaker for his part in reviving poker.

"He's the face the people put with poker," Carbone said. "Once TV and ESPN took over, that was it."

Despite the fact that tournaments televised by ESPN offer Moneymaker higher stakes and a higher profile, he said the smaller events, such as Friday's, give him the most joy.

"Poker for me used to be a hobby. Now it's a job," he said. "When I play for thousands and thousands of dollars it's not fun. That's work. I'm there to make money. I'm here to have fun."
By David Fox

Dear Mark,
In your answer to Doug F. about cards flashed when being dealt, you said if the dealer flashed or exposed a card it would be a dead card. Is it then a re-deal or does that card get buried and the player gets a new card? Also, this question always seems to come up. In heads up play at Texas Hold’em, is the dealer always the small blind or the big blind? Oakie

A card exposed by the dealer is a dead card that goes into the muck, (the dead pile, discards, garbage pile, trash, and many less elegant names) kept off to the dealer’s side. To illustrate what happens if a card is accidentally exposed, Oakie, why don’t we play through one hand.

Let’s say that there are five players seated at the table. The dealer pitches everyone a first card and, as the second card is dealt to the third player, it is unintentionally revealed. The dealer would proceed to finish out the deal, giving everyone his or her second card except for the player whose card was exposed.

The dealer at this point would cut the deck deeper than the eight cards needed for the flop, turn, and river, and burn cards so as not to affect the integrity of the deck. The dealer would then give the player the top card from that cut, replace the cut, and continue on.

As to your second question, in Texas Hold’em a blind bet is a forced wager that must be posted before anyone gets to see his or her cards. Blinds are an alternative to antes for initially getting money in the pot. Blinds are typically used in flop games like Hold'em and Omaha.

In Hold'em, the two players to the left of the dealer button are forced to place blind bets. In heads-up play, the small blind always belongs to the dealer since acting last is a position of power, and a dealer with the big blind would be at such a strong advantage that it would be downright unfair.

Dear Mark,
I’m confused as to the difference between “6 to 1” and “6 for 1.” Could you shed some light on this matter? Billy F.

Anytime you see odds quoted as 6 “for” 1, it means you get a total of $6 back for every $1 wagered. Your net win, Billy, is five units, or 5 to 1. Whenever odds are quoted " X for one", and you win, you will net one unit less than X.

A 6 “to” 1 bet means your return would be $7; the $1 you wagered plus your net win of $6.

Dear Mark,
If the dealer is showing a four and I have a total of 10, should I double down or just stand? June Y.

Surprisingly, June, many players, when dealt a 10, often misplay their hands. When a dealer is showing a four on the felt, the correct strategy would always be to double down on both single deck and multiple deck games.

Likewise, perfect basic strategy requires that anytime you have a 10, you double against the dealers’ 2-9, and hit against the dealer’s 10 or ace.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Most people probably think casino games are for fun and can be played without considering serious things like payback percentage, expert strategy or bankroll management." --Frank Legato "Strictly Slots"
By Mark Pilarski

Now 81 years old, poker pro Tony Grand has been playing the game at a high level of competition for three decades.

Since no-limit Texas hold 'em bullied its way into the public's consciousness in the past several years, Grand often finds himself the senior player at a given table -- sometimes by about 50 years.

But Grand will gladly put his experience on the line against his opponents' youth, he said.

"You got a lot of kids of playing, and some of them are pretty lucky," Grand of Chatsworth, Calif., said recently at the Bellagio. "You'll see a lot of them play any two (starting) cards."

Grand knows as well as anyone that while televised poker events highlight outrageous bluffs and dramatic all-in confrontations, tournament poker remains a game of percentage plays that's won and lost in the trenches.

A glaring difference between old-timers and novices on the tournament circuit, Grand said, is that the youngsters don't hesitate to push all of their chips in on a "coin flip" -- a situation where two players each have virtually an equal chance of winning the pot.

Veteran players will show more patience, Grand said, waiting until they sense an advantage -- even if it's just by a couple of percentage points. To a beginner, a 50-50 matchup might look about the same as a 55-45 matchup.

"No, that can make a big difference," Grand said. "A man with experience -- if he's a good player -- will try to get into a position where he has the best of it by 60-40. An inexperienced player will get his chips in when it's just 50-50, (which is) not nearly as good."

According to "Phil Gordon's Little Green Book," a low pair (say, two 7s) is usually a 51 percent to 49 percent favorite against two higher cards that are connected and of the same suit (a king and a queen of spades, for instance). That's as close to a coin flip as it gets.

Grand prefers to get his chips in with a hand such as an ace and a deuce against two intermediate cards such as a queen and an 8. The hand with the ace is a 58-42 favorite, according to Gordon.

"They can always get lucky, though," Grand said. "If you're lucky, you can win at this."

Grand's calculating style has paid off this year. He won $96,560 for a sixth-place finish in the most recent World Poker Tour event at the Bellagio, then last week beat a field of 275 players for the top prize of $29,210 in a smaller no-limit hold 'em tournament at Hollywood Park Casino, as part of the ninth annual National Championship of Poker.

A New Jersey native, Grand plays frequently in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and California cardrooms. He plans to continue mixing it up with poker's leading professionals for at least a few more years.

"I think you can count on that," he said.
by Jeff Haney

LAS VEGAS -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Many of the biggest names in poker will descend on Caesars Palace next week to compete for $2 million in total prize money at the 2005 World Series of Poker® Tournament of Champions, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) said.

The free-roll tournament is expected to feature, among others, the nine millionaires from the 36th annual World Series of Poker's Main Event final table as they go for another seven-figure payday. A free-roll is an event in which none of the participants is required to pay a "buy-in" or entry fee to compete.

The Tournament of Champions will be played Nov. 6 through Nov. 8. The winner will receive $1 million. ESPN, the exclusive broadcast partner of the World Series of Poker, will provide comprehensive coverage of the event, which is scheduled to be telecast from 1 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time Dec. 24, 2005.

"This is poker's All-Star event," said Jeffrey Pollack, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing for Harrah's Entertainment. "Some of the top names in the game will travel from around the globe to Caesars Palace for a chance at a huge payday and bragging rights."

"The Tournament of Champions will be a great culmination of our World Series of Poker coverage this year," said Fred Christenson, director of programming for ESPN Original Entertainment. "With its high-stakes action and some of the best known players in the game, we expect this event to draw very strong ratings."

"Caesars Palace has a long history of hosting world-class sporting events, and this one-of-a-kind tournament will continue that legacy," said Gary Selesner, senior vice president and general manager of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. "This promises to be a spectacle no poker fan can afford to miss."

In all, nearly 120 players earned invitations to the Tournament of Champions. In addition to the nine players who made the final table at the 36th annual World Series of Poker Main Event, top finishers in five World Series of Poker Circuit events held in the 2004-05 season are also eligible. Among professionals who've committed to play are 10-time World Series of Poker bracelet winners Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, and nine-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.

The World Series of Poker is owned and operated by Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Harrah's Entertainment. Caesars Palace is a Harrah's-operated casino.

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE (PRWE November 1, 2005 -- The name of the game is speed with the new 15 Minutes of Fortune promotion at 7Sultans Online Casino. After a successful testing phase, 7Sultans Online Casino announces the launch of this much-anticipated campaign. In an industry first, the casino, a member of the Fortune Lounge Group, is offering new players the opportunity to have their 15 minutes of gaming glory playing any game they want. Players will then be able to keep up to $200 of their winnings.

Through the test period, 7Sultans gathered players' comments and suggestions to tailor the offer to satisfy the demands of new players. It is designed with a competitive edge meant to stir the sea of casino promotions available on the Web. The result is an offer that's sure to have gamers around the world in a mouse-clicking race against the clock.

"The 15 Minutes of Fortune promotion is a fun and free introduction to the great games at 7Sultans," says John Hughes, 7Sultans Online Casino Marketing Director.

Players can choose from a selection of games ranging from slots and video poker to table games, guaranteeing the most exciting gameplay possible.

To qualify for 15 Minutes of Fortune, new players need only to open a new Real Player account at 7Sultans Online Casino. Players will be given $500 to use during their free time, $100 of which they must bet. At the end of the free play, players can transfer up to $200 over the original $500 starting balance to their Real Player account for future gaming at the casino.

For more information on the Free Time promotion and to view the terms and conditions, visit www.7Sultans.com/freetime/onthehouse.asp.

LOS ANGELES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) announced today that it has inked an agreement for its WORLD POKER TOUR(R) television series to be featured programming when the UK's much-anticipated ITV4 network kicks off on November 1. ITV4 is the latest addition to the powerful ITV family of networks broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The new network is an "entertainment channel providing quality programming to a discerning, up-market audience with a male bias."

"This is a great beginning for our new integrated world strategy," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. "The WPT has found a strong partnership in the U.K. to build our brand and bring our programming to the millions of viewers that ITV reaches. The poker mania that the WORLD POKER TOUR inspired in the U.S. is taking hold in the U.K. with a vengeance and this partnership will continue to make us a driving force in the second largest poker market in the world."

The deal grants ITV4 exclusive rights in the U.K. to broadcast the first two seasons of the World Poker Tour -- widely acknowledged as the show that launched the international poker boom. With the biggest names in poker, millions of dollars in prize money on the line and "A-list" celebrity specials -- the seventy-two hours of programming will be a strong addition to the ITV4 male-targeted lineup.

The ITV4 launch will serve as a springboard for the World Poker Tour's international online poker venture, wptonline.com, in the United Kingdom. The WPT online primary room will be the sponsor of the show. The broadcasts will also bolster its emerging consumer products program in the region.

Launching on November 1, ITV4 characterizes itself as "elegant, stylish and just a little dangerous ... offering challenging drama; comedy that pushes boundaries; and movies that won't stick to the mainstream, as well as live and exclusive UEFA Champions League and World class boxing."

In addition to the World Poker Tour, ITV4 will broadcast the first U.K. airings of a number of series' including Kojak starring Ving Rhames; Crank Yankers (puppets playing havoc with the American public) and William Shatner's send up of Hollywood, the outrageous hoax, Invasion Iowa.

"We are extremely pleased to make the World Poker Tour part of ITV4's exciting launch line up," said ITV4 Channel Editor Steve Arnell. "We have seen what the show has done for broadcasters in the U.S. and abroad. It has developed a large and devoted fan base worldwide and we believe it will be an important addition to the ITV4 schedule."

The WPT launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel Channel in the U.S. on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing poker as a major international sport. Viewers and aspiring tour players can log on to WorldPokerTour.com for ways to improve their game and to follow the Tour. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in more than 120 countries and territories worldwide. World Poker Tour(R) airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel in the U.S. and will air every Friday night at 10:00 pm in prime-time on ITV-4 in the UK.

WPTE CEO Steve Lipscomb jointly made the announcement with WPTE Executive Director of International Sales, Gary MacKinney. Alfred Haber Distribution handles the sale of international rights for WPT programming.

LAS VEGAS — I was a poker virgin in Vegas.

Poker is big here in the gambling epicenter of the universe. Huge. This is where movie stars play in those popular TV tournaments and casinos throw daily competitions for the public.

And poker rooms, once a staple here, are coming back to casinos along the Strip, where tourists sit elbow-to-elbow with professional players, sipping free cocktails. Fold, sip. Check, sip. Call, sip.

That's the come-on. Poker fans say mere mortals will never shoot hoops with Michael Jordan or tee off with Tiger Woods, but amateurs can play poker with the Tigers of the poker world.

Vegas seemed like the cool place to learn the game, like visiting Hershey, Pa., to learn about candy. Several casinos offer free lessons, and after your tutorial you can scoot over to a table and play for money.

Most people I found are smart enough to come with some working knowledge of the game. It seemed everyone had seen poker on TV. Except me. What little I knew of flushes and full houses I learned from Yahtzee.

But poker is not Yahtzee, baby.

I took two of the daily lessons at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino. You just walk up at 11 a.m. and take a seat at the "beginner's table" in front of the giant-screen TV in the poker room.

The Imperial Palace may not be the fanciest casino on the Strip, but it's soooo "Vegas."

In the blackjack pit, "Dealertainers" in heavy wigs and even heavier makeup impersonate old-schoolers like Dolly and Elvis and Cher.

The poker dealers wear black shirts, shiny white ties and white garters around their upper arms, a rare retro look among today's poker dealers.

Vegas casinos began closing their poker rooms in the mid-1990s because there wasn't a lot of money in it for them.

Then suddenly, the public wanted to play poker. For one thing, poker Web sites made it easy to learn. Then the tiny "lipstick" camera mounted along the edge of the table came along, letting us see the players' cards on TV. Finally we could watch and learn how strategies unfold.

Now poker rooms are booming here, with Caesars Palace among those planning to open a poker room next year. The Imperial Palace's room, reopened in May 2004, is rather makeshift, outfitted with made-over roulette tables, which means the dealers have to really stretch their arms to deal the cards.

My fellow students were a sampling of poker mania — an Italian medical student celebrating her 21st birthday, two middle-age couples from the Midwest, a 20-something dude in a ball cap and an older guy from Omaha in Vegas on business.

"People come to the classes because they watch it on TV," said dealer/teacher Robert Chertok, 34, a burned-out bill collector who came to Vegas to be a dealer last year.

"As far as the game itself, by taking an hour class you can't really get the gist of it. But sitting down and playing an hour..."

Lesson No. 1: Never pick up your cards, which was the first thing I did. Yup, raised them right in front of my face like Grandma trying to read a restaurant menu. Instead, I should have just peeled back the top edges of the cards from the table for a peek.

A good player can read her opponents' body language for so-called "tells," or clues to what they may be holding in their hand. Does their hand shake as they make a bet? Do they rub their head in worry? The pros "sit there and try to play the people," said Chertok, the dealer.

Wayne and Chris Lucas, husband and wife of 30 years from Pittsburgh, come often to Vegas to see the shows, but this was their first time at a poker table.

Hard to believe of Chris, an operating room nurse wearing seersucker and a white sunhat with little red lobsters on it. She said the game "is just confusion, the betting and everything," but then went on to win $45 playing at the for-real game table.

Back for my second class at the Imperial Palace, I sat down with no-less a diverse group as the first. My poker compatriots included a middle-aged woman, a white-haired older guy in a Hard Hat Lounge T-shirt, a pretty red-haired woman from England and a guy named Ben, a newspaper reporter from Oklahoma City.

Our dealer was Suzie Irwin, a tiny woman with spiky dark hair, glasses and a propensity for punctuating sentences with "OK."

"All right," she said, scanning her students, "does anybody not know the ranking of hands in poker? What beats what? Everybody kinda know that?"

"I'm pretty sure I do," said Oklahoma Ben, the only one brave enough to speak.

"That's the most important thing," Irwin said. "If you know what beats what you're ahead of the game. OK. Now we're going to, for the sake of it, say that all of those chips are worth $1, no matter what color they are.

"Now, in Texas Hold 'Em there is a dealer button," she said, holding up a white disc. "I'm going to put it right here for now. This tells me where I start dealing, OK?

"This also tells me where the blinds are. Blinds are like antes. They're forced bets. And only two people have to put them in in Hold 'Em, and they're called the small blind and the big blind.

"So you're going to put in $1," she said, pointing to the person sitting at the spot where she'd placed the dealer button.

"And you're going to put in $2," she said, pointing to the next person. "These are the only two forced bets. Nobody else puts any money in if they don't like their cards."

Usually she would have dealt us each two cards face down. But for teaching's sake she dealt the first hand cards up. I got a 2 of spades and 5 of hearts.

Beginner's yuck.

"OK, now the person next to the big blind starts the action," Irwin said. "So you look at your hand. For her to stay in she would have to match this big blind of $2."

But the woman didn't, and neither did the next or the next. I folded, too.

Finally, three people bet. When the game ended, Irwin put in her own two cents' worth.

"Now, here's the most important part of poker," she said. "When the dealer passes you a pot (your winnings), you probably want to tip the dealer something. That's how we make our money, not on what they pay us. We're like waitresses."

OK, OK, we get it. It's a good idea to tip the dealer. Two or three dollars is a decent tip in a low-limit game. Hadn't I heard this in the first lesson, too? The winner slid two chips toward Irwin. She picked them up, tapped them twice on the table with a "thank you" and slid them into her shirt pocket.

The next couple of games helped us get a feel for the nuances.

Are you supposed to knock on the table to signal a check? asked Oklahoma Ben.

"You can knock the table or just say "check' or "good enough.' A lot of people go like this," Irwin said, raising and waving her pinkie like a little flag. A couple of hands later, I tasted the thrill of victory. It came down to me and the redhead.

Still worried about my serious lack of poker face, I bent my head down so she couldn't read me and pretended to write in my reporter's notebook.

And it worked! She threw her cards down and the pot was mine, mine, MINE! Too bad it wasn't real money.

Graceful winner that I am, I yelled out "Yes!" and swept up that big ol' pile of chips.

And then, I forgot to tip the dealer.

VISITING THE POKER ROOMS

A casino poker room can intimidate the amateur. Here's my take on some I visited:

Bellagio: Don't even think about it if you're a beginner. The very look of the room screams money, and if you don't have much, good luck. An elaborate glass chandelier hanging over the entrance and comfy chairs that serious players adjust to just-right heights before they play are enough to scare off the shaky beginner. If you stand too close to watch, these players will give you a dirty look.

Bally's Las Vegas: When you sign up to play, they post your name on a big electronic billboard, so if you want what happens in Vegas to stay here, you might want to use a pseudonym. The best part? Right across the casino you can meet and pose with the pretty chorus girls and boys after the Jubilee show.

MGM Grand: This huge, 4,000-square-foot room with 23 poker tables just opened in June. Seems to attract lots of cute, college-age guys, and the cocktail waitresses are even cuter. A perk: chairside massages.

Stardust Resort & Casino: Though I didn't visit, I'm told by dealers that amateurs might want to steer clear. The serious book players are equally serious poker players.
BY LISA GUTIERREZ

After being eliminated from the World Poker Tour event in Aruba, I was contractually committed to stay another five days.

Normally, the minute I'm eliminated from a tournament, I'm looking to hop aboard the first flight home. But this was Aruba, and my wife was with me, so I was more than happy to hang out. Meanwhile, I decided to play some poker in the side games for a few hours a day, both at the Holiday Inn and at the Radisson.

Late one night, at about 3 a.m. when my high-limit, lowball game broke up, I hopped into a no-limit Hold 'Em side game with $25-$50 blinds. I bought in for $4,000, and the very first hand I was dealt was Kd-Qd, followed by a flop of Qh-Qc-4d. So, of course, I doubled up when someone with Q-J moved all-in.

Within 45 minutes I had 23 dimes (a ''dime'' is a thousand dollars) in front of me, and I was on a rush (which means simply that you're winning a ton of pots).

In first position in a subsequent hand, I made it $100 to go without looking at my cards -- this is called a ''straddle'' -- which gave me the right to raise if anyone else called the $100 bet. Everyone folded to player SA (for super-aggressive!) in the big blind, and he raised, making it $500 to go. I looked down at 7d-5c, and decided to call the bet with this incredibly weak hand, for four reasons.

First, I had $23,000 in front of me, and so did player SA, so I'm thinking that it would cost me $500 to try to get lucky and win a huge pot. Second, I felt like player SA, seated to my right, was the kind of player that might lose the whole $23,000 to me if I did hit my hand; again, he was super-aggressive. Third, I felt I was reading my opponent really well. And finally, I had position, which meant that player SA had to act before me each round.

The flop came down 5s-4s-2h, and player SA bet out $1,100. At this point, I felt he was exuding extreme weakness, but I decided only to call his bet. The next card was the 7h, for 5s-4s-2h-7h, and player SA bet out $2,200.

Now I had an easy raise, since I had just made top two pair, but I decided that I would let player SA take one more bluff at it was the last round of betting. Thus I merely called his bet.

The last card was the 2d, and player SA bet out $6,000. My plan had worked; all I had to do was call the $6,000 bet and take down the $14,000 pot!

But for some reason I could not pull the trigger. I reasoned that if player SA had a pocket pair higher than sevens or a deuce in his hand, then he had me beat. I studied this, and then I made a really bad move: I counted my chips! I saw that I was up at least 16 dimes, and I thought, ``OK, if I quit now I win $16,000.''

I wasn't getting a read one way or another from player SA, but I knew he was more than capable of bluffing (this was, after all, one of the reasons I just called on the last round of betting).

I should have counted the $6,000, put it out in front of me, and spent my time studying my opponent, not counting my chips. Most of all, when I merely called on the third round of betting, I was committing myself to making the call on the last round of betting. Unthinkably, I didn't follow through with my own plans, or spend enough time reading my opponent. Rather, I folded my hand.

Now player SA showed his hand, the Jh-9h, and laughed at me! He had picked up a flush draw when the 7h hit on the turn -- and he needed only a heart on the last card. I played one more hand and quickly quit the game, feeling a bit angry at myself. Sure, I had won $16,000, but I had left $14,000 on the table.
By Phil Hellmuth

Dear Mark,
In one of your archived columns on your website you stated the following: "In the casinos I have worked in, we used Bee Playing cards manufactured by the U. S. Playing Card Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. When you cracked the seal of their cards, you faced the pips and paint of the spade suit directly, not the hinny side. In order from ace, two through the king, diamonds, clubs and hearts follow spades." What exactly did you mean by “pips and paint.” John P.

Paint, John, is a face card, i.e., a jack, king, or queen. At a blackjack table, you’ll occasionally hear a player yell out when he doubles down with an 11; "Let's see some paint."

A pip is a suit spot (heart, diamond, spade or club) on the face of a card. Each face card has four pips; one at each corner (two) just outside the square border and just under the J, K, or Q representing the card's rank. The other two are within the border, alongside each head.

Aces have three pips, one pip directly in the center of the card and one each just under the A at each end.

As for the 2-10 cards, each has two more pips than the number that represents its rank. For instance, for a 10 of spades, you'll find the rank total of 10 pips in the center area of the card, plus one more pip (two total) under the rank number on each end.

As a former pit boss, to thwart card counters, I also counted down the deck, but from a distance. And although from across the pit it can be hard to distinguish the corner number 5, you can become quite skillful at reading the pip patterns on the central part of the 2 -10 cards with just a little practice.

Dear Mark,
I believe only you could probably answer this question as you're Polish and you know a thing or two about gambling. What does the Polish word "pushka" mean, and how does it relate to gambling? Stanley G.

A wordsmith I'm not, knowing a thing or two is questionable, but, Stanley, let me take a whack at it. Here goes.

The first time I heard the word pushka was while dealing blackjack; a player used it when we pushed on an 18. The player said it was Polish for us having the same hand. Although my parents spoke Polish around the house, it was only the curse words related to cleaning my room that I retained, but I figured encyclopedic mom would be a good etymological source to clarify pushka. But no, she said, a push, as in meaning "the same kind", is rodzaj in Polish. So that didn't square.

Years later, I actually came across that word once again, but this time it was related to the game of poker. A poker dictionary said that a pushka was an arrangement between two or more players to share part of the pots they win. But more specifically, it was defined as a box-like container where shared chips are placed. Pushka partners could place a certain amount from each won pot into the container, and split the contents later. That dictionary stated the word pushka supposedly comes from the Polish word for box via a Yiddish translation.

Well, Stanley, that sort of flies because "box" in Polish is puszka (but with z in lieu of h); defined properly, a tin can or a poor box. As for the Yiddish interpretation of the word, a quick Google search acquainted me with the fact that there is a tradition amongst Jews to place pushka (h instead of z) charity boxes in their home, office and children's bedrooms, where individuals can drop coins in on a daily basis.

Of course, Stanley, we all know that casinos have those same pushka "charity" boxes under each gaming table. Your hard-earned money finds its way into those boxes every time you change-up paper into casino chips.

Na zdrowie ---To your good health.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Over an infinite amount of time everyone holds the same cards. Unfortunately, none of us live to experience an infinite number of hands." --Russell Fox & Scott T. Harker, Mastering No-Limit Hold'em
By Mark Pilarski

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Television's hottest game returns to the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for two made-for-television poker games featuring some of the biggest names in poker.

The two televised events -- HIGH STAKES POKER, produced for GSN, and POKER SUPERSTARS III, produced for Fox Sports Net (FSN) -- mark the return of televised gaming to the legendary downtown resort. Earlier this year, the Golden Nugget was home to the WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK, which aired on GSN, Speed Channel's Mobil High Endurance Charity Poker Challenge and NBC's NATIONAL HEADS-UP POKER CHAMPIONSHIP, which garnered solid ratings.

"The Golden Nugget is the birthplace of poker in Las Vegas," said Dan Shumny, vice president of marketing for the Golden Nugget. "We are pleased to host these popular televised poker games, and to be a part of the poker phenomenon."

HIGH STAKES POKER

GSN, The Network for Games, is launching its new series, HIGH STAKES POKER in January 2006. The series will unite some of the top professional poker players with elite poker-playing business executives in an exciting match of skill and money. Also known as a "cash game," each player will ante up $100,000 of his/her own money. The stakes are high, as a player can lose several thousands of his/her own money, making the series one of the most exciting poker shows ever to air.

Among the poker aces scheduled to appear are Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Jennifer Harmon, Barry Greenstein and Phil Hellmuth, among other high-profile players.

The series will be filmed in its entirety at the Golden Nugget, Nov. 2-4. Tapings will be closed to the public. The Golden Nugget also served as the location for GSN's 2005 series, WORLD SERIES OF BLACKJACK, a head-to-head match up of professional and amateur blackjack players.

HIGH STAKES POKER will premiere on GSN Monday, January 16, 2006, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).

THE SUPERSTARS OF POKER

Fox Sports Net (FSN) brings the third season of its popular series POKER SUPERSTARS to the Golden Nugget, November 9-16. The 36-episode series, produced by Henry Orenstein, will feature 24 of the world's greatest poker players, including poker luminaries such as Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Todd Brunson, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth and Chris Moneymaker.

POKER SUPERSTARS III is the latest in poker programming on FSN -- the only US network to air live poker tournaments -- and joins the network's successful line-up of poker series, such as LEARN FROM THE PROS, MONTE CARLO MILLIONS, AUSSIE MILLIONS and the highly rated POKER SUPERSTARS INTERNATIONAL.

The show tapings, scheduled for November 9-16 at the Golden Nugget, will be closed to the public. POKER SUPERSTARS will air on Fox Sports Net beginning March 12, 2006. Check local listings for air times.

About Golden Nugget Las Vegas

Winner of the AAA Four-Diamond Award since 1977, the Golden Nugget Las Vegas is the most luxurious resort in downtown Las Vegas, and consistently receives critical acclaim for exceeding customer expectations. The Golden Nugget offers 1,907 deluxe guest rooms and suites, 38,000 square-feet of casino space featuring the most popular slot and video poker machines, table games, a race and sports book and poker room, nightly entertainment, world-class restaurants, spa and salon, and year-round outdoor swimming pool. In September 2005, Landry's Restaurants, Inc. purchased the nearly 60-year-old hotel-casino. Currently, the Golden Nugget is undergoing a two-year renovation. Hotel reservations and additional information are currently available by calling 800-634-3454, or book on-line on the website, www.goldennugget.com.

Late in 2004 and earlier this year, an acclaimed two-volume set of books on how to play no-limit Texas hold 'em tournaments, titled "Harrington on Hold 'em," was released by Two Plus Two Publishing of Henderson.

Since then the level of play on the circuit of major poker tournaments, already pretty rugged, has become even tougher and more sophisticated, according to professional gambler Blair Rodman.

That's no coincidence, Rodman said.

The two books, written by former World Series of Poker champion Dan Harrington with co-author Bill Robertie, quickly became required reading for anyone trying to compete in the cutthroat business of high-stakes tournament poker.

It didn't take long for Rodman and other poker pros to notice the results.

"Now, a lot of people know certain plays that only a few people used to know," Rodman said.

Rodman finds it more difficult to successfully execute one particular bluff, he said.

The situation arises in a no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament when he puts in a raise on the first round of betting and all of his opponents but one fold their hands.

Then, even if the "flop," or first three community cards, does not improve his hand at all, Rodman often makes a decent-size bet anyway hoping to win the pot right there.

"A lot of times you could win the hand because the flop didn't help the other guy either, so he couldn't call," Rodman said.

But Harrington addressed that precise bluff in his first volume, thereby alerting aspiring tournament experts to the strategy.

"Although the flop missed you, your opponent doesn't know that yet," Harrington wrote. "The flop may have missed him as well."

Harrington advises following your preflop raise with what he termed a "continuation bet" of roughly half the size of the pot. If there's $750 in the pot, a bet of $350 to $400 after the flop should do it -- assuming the other player checks his hand first.

Since Harrington's books arrived, opponents have been much more likely to call his "continuation bets" rather than fold, Rodman said.

"It definitely has made the games tougher," said Rodman, whose own poker book, "Kill Phil: The Fast Track to Success in No-Limit Hold 'em Poker Tournaments," was recently published by Las Vegas' Huntington Press.

It's no surprise poker players considered Harrington's books mandatory reads. Not only did Harrington win the 1995 World Series of Poker, but he also advanced to three other WSOP championship event final tables. He was the only player to reach the final table in both 2003 (with a field of 839 entrants) and 2004 (2,576 entrants).

It is a little jarring to Harrington, though, when his opponents at the tables blatantly use his strategies against him -- and then thank him for teaching them the moves.

"I find people are using a lot of the techniques I wrote about in the books against me," said Harrington, who finished second in last week's Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship at the Bellagio, earning $620,730.

Plenty of beginners and midlevel tournament players are reading the books, Harrington said, not just high-level professionals.

In a recent smaller tournament, a female poker player unknown to Harrington pulled off a masterful bluff to beat him out of a big pot.

"I thought she could not possibly be bluffing in that spot, and it turned out she was," Harrington said. "After it was over, she told me, 'I won that pot because I read your book.'

"What could I say? 'Oh, thanks a lot!' "

Mason Malmuth of Two Plus Two, who published "Harrington on Hold 'em," also believes the books have made the tournament circuit more competitive.

"The books ... really detail how to play tournaments well," Malmuth said. "A lot of people bought the books, studied them, and the word got out that this was something you needed to do (to stay ahead of the game).

"As far as the books affecting one specific play? I don't know about that. I do know they are helping a lot players better understand tournaments, and making a lot of players much tougher."

Don't expect the games to become any easier next year, either.

A third volume of "Harrington on Hold 'em" is in the works.
By Jeff Haney

Dear Mark,
Over the past 20 years I have found great pleasure in making my monthly trip to Atlantic City. My bankroll is limited to $200 and I generally stick with most of the low house percentage bets that you recommend in your column. Sometimes I break even, win every third or fourth time, or lose it all. My question is, will I ever become a "consistent winner" before I join the Angels in a crap game? I'm looking for divine intervention. Sandy G.

There is no real easy way to break this to you so I'll get right to the point: NO!
Though every dog has his day, don't expect a good week. It's not because you're making the wrong bets, nor playing smart, not even because you're not a decent, hard-working person worth more than an occasional bone tossed your way by the casino. You lack the essential component necessary to whip the casino, and no celestial spirit can help. And that, my friend, is a big-time bankroll. Why? Because the casino has a whole lot more cash and staying power than you do. In the industry we call it "gambler's ruin." In essence, it's how long will it take you-with your limited bankroll-to lose everything to a casino, which has a relatively infinite vault of money. You come to the casino armed with X amount of dollars, and the casino has the treasures of Rome. It is the ultimate secret weapon the casino possesses. So even if you do have a short-term winning streak, when the house has this infinite stake, they can, and will, outlast you.
Test this truism out yourself. Sit at your kitchen table and play an even-up game like War with an opponent. You start off with $50 worth of monopoly money, and your adversary-we'll call him Joe Casino-begins play with $50,000. Now start playing at $5 a hand and you will immediately note some normal fluctuations inherent to gambling- like you winning six or seven hands in a row. But without fail, a losing streak will appear and your bankroll will start to deteriorate. You'll quickly notice that your modest bankroll cannot weather the bad streaks that eventually come your way. The casino can, and will, grind away at your wad of cash because their bankroll is enormous in comparison to your bets. Before long you're out of cash. A casino fatality Armageddon style.
So the lesson here is that not even an archangel will help you become a "consistent winner." Only a Catholic Church size bankroll can.

Dear Mark,
I was on a crap game for the first time and asked the dealer what the difference was between a hard 8 and a regular 8. She politely told me the difference when another player started yelling at me because I was holding up the game. Talk about being embarrassed. What did I do wrong? Meg B.

Nothing! There is never a need to be embarrassed, Meg. You are to be applauded for asking for help. All too many players try to cover up their shortcomings and waste their hard-earned money playing casino games they know little about. So no question regarding gambling is "dumb." Well, that's not quite true. I was dealing blackjack late one evening in downtown Reno when a man approached me and asked: "Where are the slot machines for kids?" That was dumb. No, pathetic.
By Mark Pilarski

Doyle Brunson had been a professional poker legend for decades when today's young stars of the game were still learning how to play Old Maid and Go Fish.

At age 71, poker's one and only "Texas Dolly" is an international celebrity who consistently has defeated all comers for more than half a century and has a trophy chest with 10 World Series of Poker championship bracelets to prove it.

The Thrifty Gambler caught up with Brunson recently for a chat about the explosion in the popularity of poker and how he has adjusted to life in the spotlight:

The Thrifty Gambler: You recently returned from a tour of England to play in the London Open and make personal appearances on behalf of www.DoylesRoom.com. How does the European poker market differ?

Doyle Brunson: It's not advanced as it is in the United States, but there's a lot of interest in it. It's not the craze that it is here. It seems like you can't turn the TV on without finding poker games. In Doyle's Room, we've got a lot of Europeans on the site that aren't nearly as good as the American players, so consequently it's a great site for the Americans because they go on there and they can beat the Europeans in Hold'em. If they were playing Omaha or some other game, the Europeans are generally better than the Americans. Hold'em is the game of choice in the U.S., so the Americans are cleaning up on my site.

TG: How has playing before television cameras and becoming an international celebrity changed you or the way you play?

DB: Actually I play like I've always played. I don't pay much attention to the cameras. I don't get out there and try to be a performer. The cameras don't bother me. It would have years ago, but I've been through it so many times now that I almost ignore it. The recognition is extremely flattering. I try to accommodate everybody and I always try to be polite and courteous. I do it for poker's sake because I know I am the elder statesman.

TG: What triggered the public's fascination with poker?

DB: The poker rooms on the internet. People that don't know how to play can play from the privacy of their homes. They can even play for fun until they learn how to play. That's what we stress in Doyle's Room. And we have a sister site, www.Poker1.com, that's got all the information for free. You can go there and read articles, listen to audios and watch videos. It's something the amateur player should do. Then they should play at their own comfort level when they play on the internet and not over-gamble.

I think the other thing that's really triggered the explosion is the hole card cameras that show what the players are holding at the televised events. I think that's what really pushed it out there and got everybody interested. The beauty of poker is that everybody can beat anybody on a given day. It's a great game and America is just now finding out what a great game it is.

TG: How does playing on the internet differ from playing in a 'brick and mortar' poker room?

DB: On the internet you don't know who you're playing, so you have to play in a more straightforward manner. But when you're playing in real games, you're playing the person that you're in the pot with and you form your conclusion about his hand on the way he acts and so forth. So it's entirely different, internet poker and real poker. A poker player needs to be a psychologist. I've often wondered if they'd be great poker players because that's what poker's about. It's about people.

TG: How long does it take you to get a 'read' on another player?

DB: Obviously the longer he stays the more you know about him. Everybody has a different skill level. I form my opinion about people very quickly, especially at the poker table. I think you learn more about a guy in an hour playing poker than you do in a day outside the poker room. I think his true emotions come out in a poker game, his inner self kind of surfaces. That's the reason I think I've been so successful in my life playing poker. I think I can pick up on that.
by Mr. John Brokopp

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. today announced the schedule for the 2006 World Series of Poker. Harrah's will stage the world's richest poker tournament at its Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for the second year in a row.

Satellites and live action begins June 25, 2006, and the $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em World Championship Event starts July 28, 2006. In all, the 2006 World Series of Poker will consist of 44 separate events in which players can compete for coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelets.

Harrah's also announced the Rio will host the Second Annual World Series of Poker Lifestyle Show July 27 through July 30. A trade show featuring exhibitors from around the globe, the World Series of Poker Lifestyle Show will showcase a broad array of new poker products, websites, books and clothing. Last year, more than 50,000 people, including celebrities and athletes, visited the show.

The complete schedule of 2006 World Series of Poker events is as follows:

Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Date Day Time Event # Event Name Buy-In
25-Jun-06 Sunday 9:00 AM Satellites/Live Action
begins
26-Jun-06 Monday 12 noon 1 Casino Employee No-Limit $500.00
Event
27-Jun-06 Tuesday 12 noon 2 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
28-Jun-06 Wednesday 12 noon 3 Pot-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
29-Jun-06 Thursday 12 noon 4 Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
30-Jun-06 Friday 12 noon 5 Short Handed (6/table) $2,500.00
No-Limit Hold'em
1-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 6 No-Limit Hold'em $2,000.00
2-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 7 Limit Hold'em $3,000.00
3-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 8 Omaha Hi-low Split $2,000.00
4-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 9 No-Limit Hold'em $5,000.00
5-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 10 Seven Card Stud $1,500.00
6-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 11 Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
6-Jul-06 Thursday 2:00 PM 12 Omaha Hi-low Split $5,000.00
7-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 13 No-Limit Hold'em $2,500.00
8-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 14 No-Limit Hold'em $1,000.00
w/re-buys
9-Jul-06 Sunday 11:00 AM 15 Ladies Event No-Limit $1,000.00
Hold'em 1 day event
9-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 16 Pot-Limit Omaha $10,000.00
10-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 17 No-Limit Hold'em $1,000.00
11-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 18 Pot-Limit Hold'em $2,000.00
12-Jul-06 Wednesday 11:00 AM 19 Seniors No-Limit $1,000.00
Hold'em 1 day event
12-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 20 No-Limit 2-7 Draw $5,000.00
Lowball w/rebuys
13-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 21 No-Limit Hold'em- $2,500.00
Short handed 6/table
14-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 22 No-Limit Hold'em $2,000.00
15-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 23 Limit Hold'em $3,000.00
15-Jul-06 Saturday 2:00 PM 24 Omaha Hi-low Split $3,000.00
16-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 25 No-Limit Hold'em $2,000.00
Shootout
17-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 26 Pot-Limit Omaha $1,500.00
18-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 27 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
19-Jul-06 Wednesday 12 noon 28 Seven Card Stud $5,000.00
19-Jul-06 Wednesday 2:00 PM 29 Pot-Limit Hold'em $2,500.00
20-Jul-06 Thursday 12 noon 30 No-Limit Hold'em- $5,000.00
Short handed 6/table
21-Jul-06 Friday 12 noon 31 No-Limit Hold'em $2,000.00
22-Jul-06 Saturday 12 noon 32 Pot-Limit Hold'em $5,000.00
22-Jul-06 Saturday 2:00 PM 33 Seven Card Razz $1,500.00
23-Jul-06 Sunday 12 noon 34 No-Limit Hold'em $1,000.00
w/re-buys
24-Jul-06 Monday 12 noon 35 Seven Card Hi Low $1,000.00
Split
24-Jul-06 Monday 2:00 PM 36 Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
Shootout
25-Jul-06 Tuesday 12 noon 37 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
26-Jul-06 Wednesday see below Satellite Day
27-Jul-06 Thursday see below Media/Celebrity Event
and Satellite Day

28-Jul-06 Friday 38 No-Limit Texas Hold'em $10,000.00
World Championship
Event
28-Jul-06 Friday 12 Noon Day 1A 2000 play down to 800
29-Jul-06 Saturday 12 Noon Day 1B 2000 play down to 800
30-Jul-06 Sunday 12 Noon Day 1C 2000 play down to 800
31-Jul-06 Monday 12 Noon Day 1D 2000 play down to 800
1-Aug-06 Tuesday 12 noon A + B 1600 to 700
2-Aug-06 Wednesday 12 noon C + D 1600 to 700
3-Aug-06 Thursday Day off for main event
3-Aug-06 Thursday 10:00 AM 39 No-Limit Hold'em $1,000.00
1 day event
4-Aug-06 Friday 12 noon ABCD Play 1400 down to 600
5-Aug-06 Saturday 12 noon Play 600 down to 300
5-Aug-06 Saturday 10:00 AM 40 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
6-Aug-06 Sunday 12 noon Play 300 down to 150
6-Aug-06 Sunday 10:00 AM 41 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
7-Aug-06 Monday 12 noon Play 150 down to 60
7-Aug-06 Monday 10:00 AM 42 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
8-Aug-06 Tuesday 12 noon Play 60 down to 27
8-Aug-06 Tuesday 10:00 AM 43 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
9-Aug-06 Wednesday 12 noon Play 27 down to 9
9-Aug-06 Wednesday 10:00 AM 44 No-Limit Hold'em $1,500.00
10-Aug-06 Thursday 12 noon Final Table

General Information:

Lifestyle Show begins on July 27 and concludes on July 30. For vendor information, please call 702-777-2756.

Super Satellite Schedule:
$230 buy-in Super Satellites will take place daily at 3 p.m.
$1060 buy-in Mega Super Satellites will take place nightly at 7 p.m.

Super Satellite Days on July 26 and July 27:
$230 buy-in Super Satellite will take place at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
$1060 buy-in Mega Super Satellite will take place at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Second Chance Tournament:
$540 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments will take place daily at 5 p.m.
$225 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournaments will take place nightly at 11
p.m.

For Tournament Information:

Visit http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com or call us at 1-877-FOR-WSOP (1-877-367-9767).

For Room Information:

Please call 1-877-746-5693

The following percentages will be withheld from each buy-in for each
event:

Buy-in Take-Out
$500 10%
$1,000.00 9%
$1,500.00 9%
$2,000.00 9%
$2,500.00 8%
$3,000.00 8%
$5,000.00 6%
$10,000.00 6%

Harrah's reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event, in part or in whole, without notice.

The test of time and experience goes heads up against the hottest young poker players when GSN's POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE AGES premieres with two back-to-back episodes on Friday, November 4 at 10:00 PM ET/PT. Hoping to send the youngsters into an early retirement, the veteran poker masters will showcase their skills against the newest faces in the game.

The seven-episode series features two teams of six players each. During each match, three players from each team play a game of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em and earn points based on how they finish the game. The top three point earners from each team will battle it out at the final table in the two-hour grand finale, with the winner taking home a prize of $50,000.

Representing the poker masters are TJ Cloutier (six World Series of Poker bracelets), Dan Harrington (appeared at back-to-back final tables at the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker where he won over $2,000,000), "Miami" John Cernuto (three World Series of Poker bracelets), Barbara Enright (best all around 2002 Legends of Poker), Maureen Feduniak (1st Place 2003 World Poker Tour Ladies Night Main Event) and Wendeen Eolis (first woman to finish in the money at the World Series of Poker, 4th place at the World Poker Tour Ladies Night II Invitational).

Playing for the young poker stars are Michael "The Kid" Gracz (1st place 2005 World Poker Tour Party Poker.com IV and World Series of Poker bracelet winner), Dutch Boyd (tied for 11th place in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event), Erin Ness (second highest female in the 2004 World Series of Poker and 2nd place in POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS), Evelyn Ng (2nd Place World Poker Tour Ladies Night), Jennifer Leigh (22 year-old who has won five multi-tournaments), Kasey Thompson (Associate Publisher of All In Magazine).

Calling the action will be host John Ahlers. Poker analysis will be provided by professional poker player Robert Williamson III and sideline reporting by Lisa Dergan.

POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE AGES is the seventh installment of GSN's "POKER ROYALE" franchise which has included the WPPA CHAMPIONSHIP, BATTLE OF THE SEXES, CELEBRITIES VS. PROS, YOUNG BLOODS SPECIAL LIVE, COMEDIANS VS. PROS and THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS. The program airs every Friday with two back-to-back episodes as part of GSN's Casino Night.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN has allowed viewers to play-along with on-air programming via their computers and GSN.com for some time. The recent launch of GSNi (GSN Interactive) has taken interactivity to the next level, affording viewers the chance to play-along with TV shows using only their remote controls. Reaching more than 57 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A Las Vegas-style casino has been approved for the Wind River Indian Reservation. Two nonprofit groups and a maker of electronic bingo machines, asked the Wyoming Supreme Court to overturn a judge’s decision that electronic bingo is illegal gambling. Powerball, with jackpots topping $300 million, is making its way right up to Wyoming’s border — literally right up to the border, in the case of one northern Colorado lottery vendor.

More than 100 years after Wyoming lawmakers outlawed gambling, is gambling making a comeback?

It’s a fight Gov. Dave Freudenthal has largely stayed out of. Freudenthal often says he opposes gambling, but that he would honor a campaign promise he made to sign a bill joining Wyoming to the Powerball or other multistate lottery if such legislation is ever approved.

Still, signs are all around that gambling is making inroads into the state — and, in some cases, being shut down when law enforcement catches up:

- Last year, Attorney General Pat Crank issued an opinion saying that poker games in bars — events that have risen in popularity in Wyoming and across the country — violated the state’s gambling law because they allowed the establishment to profit from gambling, even if that profit is just from increased business.

- In January, a judge in Cheyenne ruled that electronic bingo, a high-speed game that allows players to play 10 cards in mere seconds, bore little resemblance to traditional bingo and was an illegal form of gambling. Last week, the state Supreme Court heard the industry’s appeal to overturn that ruling.

- In April, police in Casper and Rock Springs raided businesses that sold long-distance phone cards and Internet time, along with free ‘‘sweepstakes’’ points customers could use to play casino-type games online with the hope of winning cash.

- In June, a judge in Cheyenne ruled that so-called ‘‘instant racing’’ machines, which allowed players to bet nearly blind on past horse races (players did not know what race was being run, nor what horses they were betting on) went beyond the parameters of the state’s pari-mutuel laws and were a form of illegal gambling. That industry, too, is appealing.

- In September, the U.S. Interior Department approved the Northern Arapaho Tribe’s plan for a Class III, or Las Vegas-style, casino on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Now, the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, which shares Wind River with the Arapahos, wants to negotiate terms with the state for their own casino.

‘‘Americans are gambling now more than ever,’’ said Keith White, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit that works to help problem gamblers, but has not taken a stand on legalized gambling.

‘‘We’ve always been a nation of gamblers, but the participation levels now are the highest we’ve ever seen. We believe it’s become much more accepted in society.’’

Despite the growing demand for gambling opportunities, many in Fremont County oppose the Arapahos’ Wind River Casino, which will expand the bingo operation the tribe already runs.

‘‘I have gone on record saying that gambling is a pretty poor economic development tool,’’ said Fremont County Commissioner Doug Thompson, who was named by Freudenthal to join the team negotiating casino terms with the Shoshones.

On the other hand, the tribes say gambling could provide a boost not just to the tribes, but to the entire region. The Arapahos envision a destination casino that attracts tourists on their way to and from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

‘‘It’s our economic engine for jobs, growth and services for our people,’’ said Northern Arapaho Chairman Richard Brannan. ‘‘In fact, it will benefit everyone in central Wyoming.’’

Around the edges of the state, talk tends to center around Powerball — and that talk intensified with Wednesday’s $340 million jackpot drawing. Five of the six states that border Wyoming are Powerball states, and lottery vendors just across the border often make a killing selling to Wyoming residents.

‘‘When I walk through the community, it’s amazing how many people ask me about that,’’ said state Rep. Becket Hinckley, R-Cheyenne, adding that people shouldn’t have to leave the state to buy lottery tickets. ‘‘If people want to spend their money on Powerball Lottery tickets, they ought to be able to.’’

But not everyone on the border thinks selling lottery tickets is a good idea.

‘‘A lottery is the cruelest of all taxes,’’ said Rep. Rodney ‘‘Pete’’ Anderson, R-Pine Bluffs. ‘‘It is bad public policy for the state to get into the gambling business and tell people they can get something for nothing.’’

If gambling does expand in Wyoming, the state may have some extra work on its hands. White said in the first eight months of this year, his organization’s hot line fielded 545 calls from Wyoming, leading him to believe that, even with gambling opportunities in the state still few and far between, Wyoming isn’t doing enough to help problem gamblers.

‘‘We certainly believe Wyoming is remiss about not doing something about their current problem,’’ White said.

‘‘It may be a small number of people,’’ he said, ‘‘but they can create an enormous amount of devastation.’’

HONOLULU (AP) _ Thousands of miles from the nearest casino, in a state where gambling is illegal, people in Hawaii are wagering thousands of dollars in poker tournaments and other games -- without getting arrested.

And they are doing it from the comfort of their homes, where many have high-speed access to the world's largest casino: the World Wide Web. Money flowing in and out of thousands of gambling sites on the Internet is expected to reach 15 (b) billion dollars this year.

Hawaii is one of six states that outlaw online gambling but do little to enforce the law. The others are Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Oregon and South Dakota.

While gambling arrests in the islands are up -- with 205 arrests so far this year primarily for secret casinos and cockfighting -- Honolulu police have yet to charge anyone for betting online at Internet casinos. The crime is is a misdemeanor in Hawaii.

California law professor Nelson Rose tracks online gambling laws. He says only one person has ever been charged in the U-S for online gambling.

Rose says that because Internet gambling is viewed as a victimless crime, federal and state police have little incentive to raid people's homes.

Dear Mark,
My son hit a $20 seven-team parlay that paid $3,900.00. The next week he hit another one for $10.00 that got him $1,900.00. What were his odds of hitting a seven-team parlay? How about 14 teams in a row? Rich J.

A parlay is a combination of bets in which you win only if every one of your selections is a winner. Casino payouts vary, but the mathematical odds of hitting a seven-team parlay are 127-to-1. A casino will typically pay off at about 80-to-1, give or take. A 14-team parlay payoff is usually 900 to 1 and the true odds of hitting it are 16,384 to 1.

I'm sure readers are going to be a bit curious as to the payouts your son received based on the amount he bet. For a $20 wager, most sportsbooks pay anywhere from $1,500 to $1,800 on a seven-team parlay wager. Your son's $3,900 payoff was well over the true odds of 127 to 1. The explanation would be either 1) that he was making single, money line wagers linked together into a parlay, that included some underdogs, or 2) that he bet the Dime Line, which is the money line difference --10 cents -- between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog. If he was betting a ten-cent line, all seven teams he parlayed had to be underdogs.

Just for clarification, Rich, money line wagering is simply wagering based on a given price rather than on a pointspread. And, betting the Dime line isn't to be confused with a Dime bet, which is $1,000.

Dear Mark,
You told Doug last week that when a player exposes his own cards at Texas Hold'em, it is not a misdeal. Could you give me an example of what is? Martin J.

Sure, Marty, what constitute the most common misdeals in most card rooms are cards dealt without being cut or cards being dealt out of order.

Dear Mark,
Who invented the Roulette wheel? Bob S.

The mechanical component of the roulette wheel, that is, its rotating flywheel and its thirty-six black and red slots, came from medieval monks in Venice, a fact which some think resulted in molto prayer. Pascal is credited with the present-day sequence of figures on the roulette wheel.

Dear Mark,
Can you ever make a wager on a sporting bet before the official line is set? David P.

That’s a neat two-pronged query, Dave. You either meant a "futures" bet, a wager on the outcome of a future event, or something seldom used in the sports betting world called the "outlaw line".

Futures bets are made on odds posted on who will win any of various major sporting events well in advance of the contest. Wagers on the winner of the Super Bowl, NBA Championship, the Stanley Cup and the World Series would be examples of futures bets. They are odds of a specific event outcome in the future, not a betting line set a week or so before an event.

An outlaw line exists when a linemaker allows selected bettors to make a wager before the general public gets in on it. It is the input from these selected individuals that sometimes helps create a final opening number. Other names for this manipulative process are "ironing" or "flattening" the line.

Gambling Wisdom if the Week: "Some people are actually paranoid about giving their names and addresses to a casino." -- "Gambling For Dummies"
By Nark Pilarski

Here is my list of the top 10 mistakes rookie players make at the poker table. If you see yourself represented here, it's time to make some changes to your game.

• Bluffing too much. Most rookies have watched too many Hollywood movies and have convinced themselves that poker is all about bluffing. Somehow, they think that if they just keep betting, everyone will get out of their way. That's unlikely, because a habitual bluffer is easily identified by his opponents early on.
• Lack of patience. Playing poker means you'll go through long stretches of boring hands waiting for good cards. Rookies often don't have the patience to wait for quality cards, so, out of boredom, they start playing hands they know they shouldn't. Don't lose your patience, find it.
• Playing unaffordable limits. Nothing is more detrimental to your confidence, and your bankroll, than gambling with money you can't afford to lose. You simply can't make smart decisions when you're also worrying about how you're going to pay the rent if the queen of spades doesn't bail you out on the river.
It's very important to play within a budget you feel comfortable with. You'll be able to focus on the game rather than the financial implications.
• Drinking alcohol while playing. You need to have all of your wits about you in order to make quality decisions at the table. It's no coincidence that casinos offer free alcohol to customers. Booze clouds your judgment and will have you making plays you wouldn't have considered making with a clearer head.
• Quitting while you're ahead. Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no system for figuring out when it's time to pack up and leave. The worst plan that many rookies utilize is the one where they hit and run by quitting after very small wins, but continue to play when they're behind. If anything, that's the exact opposite of what you should be doing.
When you're winning, you have a powerful table presence that you should exploit. When you're losing, that table image is tarnished and can have a negative effect on your confidence.
• Playing in tough games. Beginners, some of who aren't even all that bad at poker, will often place themselves in games against competition they just can't handle. Rather than playing in smaller limit games, against opponents of comparable skill, they prefer to go head to head with the big boys. You can guess how that usually turns out.
• Elevated ego. No, you're not as good as you think you are. In fact, you have a lot to learn. The day you realize that you know too little about poker is the day that you actually might start learning a thing or two. Know-it-alls generally know very little about what it takes to improve their poker game. It's very important to be objective about your skills and where you might need improvement.
• Playing too many hands. Rookies play more hands than they should, not understanding the importance of starting with premium hands in premium situations. Pick up a book or two before sitting down to play, and you'll understand why 9-3 is a bad hand to start with, whether it's suited or not. With all of the information out there today, there is no excuse for lacking fundamental poker knowledge.
• Playing on tilt. Just like a pinball machine that gets banged too hard, a beginner will often short circuit when he loses a couple of bad hands in a row. A tilted player loses all faith in his game plan and will chase bad hands like inside straight draws, even though he knows he shouldn't.
• Playing too many hours. Your brain just doesn't function well after 22 hours of sitting at the table.
Rather than getting some rest and coming back fresh the next day, most beginners end up playing too many hours trying to chase their money back. In the process, they end up throwing away even more.

Your mind plays tricks on you after so many hours, and you'll often convince yourself that you're playing well. Chances are, you're not.
By Daniel Negreanu

Sometimes it's hard to tell. You have to look under the fedora and through the dark sunglasses.

But oftentimes, poker players are full of bunk.

They want you to think they've got a pair of aces when they've got a pair of threes. They want you to think they've got a flush when they've got four hearts and a club. And those sunglasses, that goofy hat and the shirt collar that's wide enough to make the guy look like an extra from "That '70s Show" are all ways of distracting you from the truth.

Don't be intimidated.

There's a reason that poker is experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity right now. That is, it's a good time.

"We have some rowdy fun," says David Serrato, proprietor of Locos Amigos Cantina, downtown, which hosts a game on Saturdays. "They're real spirited players. They play a couple of the games around town and they're always having a good time."

We're not here to turn you into a poker stud. We're still struggling with that ourselves, and there are a dozen good books by the pros for that.

But we can tell you how to look like one and act like one, even if you don't, technically, win like one.

And hey, poker's a game of chance as well as a game of skill. Best of all, the nightspots aren't allowed to charge folks to make them play public games -- not even a cover charge or drink minimum -- so there's really no risk.

So hop to it, sparky.

Look like a pro

Those sunglasses that you see the pros wear on "World Series of Poker" are there for a reason -- and it's not the glare of all the neon in Sin City.

"It's so people can't read your eyes when you get your cards," says Rodney Trotman, 35, who plays at Muldoon's on Wednesday nights, sometimes wearing shades and sometimes not. "Some people may try to use sunglasses as intimidation, too."

The other stuff you'll see folks wearing is just distraction, personal style, or proof that poker players can be colorblind or tasteless. One pro, who calls himself the Unibomber, wears giant, round sunglasses and a hoodie.

Act like a pro

Just like in life, looks will only get you so far at the poker table.

If you're going to know when to hold your cards, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away and know when to run, you've got to start by knowing what game you're playing.

The public tournaments -- and almost everything you see on TV -- is a poker variant called Texas Hold 'Em. In this game, instead of holding five cards in your hand, you hold just two cards, and five more are turned up on the table for all the players to use. Basically, each player assembles his or her best five-card hand from the two in front of you (in the "hole") and the five in front of everyone.

To learn more advanced strategy, "watch 'Celebrity Poker' -- the one with television stars," says Rob Hardy, who is dealer for Locos Amigos' games. "It's a good learning tool, they're constantly talking about the mistakes being made."

If you're getting more serious about it, you might want to look into some strategy guides. "Hoyle's Rules of Games" will give you the basics on endless variants of poker. And any serious Googling will quickly lead you to James McManus' "Absolutely Fifth Street," an entertaining read about a magazine writer's foray into professional gambling that will also teach you great strategy.
BY BRAD BARNES

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- "The National Heads-Up Poker Championship," which brings together 64 of the world's best players competing in a unique one-on-one, single-elimination, bracket-style format, will move to Caesars Palace starting in 2006, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. announced today. NBC will broadcast 10 hours of tournament action over six shows next April and May.

The inaugural edition of the tournament generated solid ratings on NBC and strong buzz in the poker community. This year's event, featuring a total purse of $1.5 million, including a top prize of $500,000, will be contested March 3- 5 in the casino at Caesars Palace.

The first-ever "National Heads-Up Poker Championship," (NHPC), held at The Golden Nugget in Las Vegas in March, generated big crowds at the casino plus an average of four million home television viewers for each of six telecasts (eight total hours) on NBC. Television audiences grew as the tournament progressed, with a total audience of six million watching the finale on May 22, when Phil Hellmuth bested Chris Ferguson in the two-hour telecast.

"This is a terrific addition to our portfolio of sports ventures," said Jeffrey Pollack, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing for Harrah's Entertainment. "We're thrilled Caesars Palace has joined with NBC Sports to showcase this increasingly popular event in Caesars' new poker room."

The 2006 TV coverage will be expanded to 10 hours over six shows to be telecast on Sundays in April and May. Hellmuth will defend his title against many of the sport's most prominent players, with the field expected to include legendary Hall of Famers Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, plus established stars such as Howard Lederer and 2003 Player of the Year Erick Lindgren. Others expected to compete include 2005 Poker Superstars champion Gus Hansen; 2003 World Series of Poker champion Chris Moneymaker; 2004 Player of the Year Daniel Negreanu; 2004 World Series of Poker champion Greg Raymer; and 2005 and National Heads-Up Poker Championship semifinalists Antonio Esfandiari and T.J. Cloutier.

"This event has special qualities that have enabled it to rise in the poker landscape and establish a uniqueness that the public can embrace," said Jon Miller, Senior Vice President of NBC Sports, which created the event. "The head-to-head confrontation between players, who are now legitimate stars, provides compelling competition for players and makes for entertaining television."

A blind draw will put the contestants into college basketball tournament- like brackets that, because of the quality of the invitational field, produce attractive match-ups between some of the best players in the world throughout the competition. Tournament officials will conduct the draw at Caesars Palace on Thursday evening, March 2, as part of a media event to be attended by the 64-player field.

"All the top players were excited last year when the 'National Heads-Up Poker Championship' was announced," said Hellmuth, the youngest player to ever win the World Series of Poker Main Event (24 years old in 1989). "Then the event exceeded our expectations. This is the type of big-time stage that will enhance poker's position as a mainstream institution for decades to come."

Further information on NHPC, including 2005 results, player biographies and informational updates, is available at http://poker.nbc.com/.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 67 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

The first part of reading your opponents is knowing who your opponents are, and what tendencies they tend to exhibit. Essentially, there are four major styles of players in the poker world: the Mouse, the Elephant, the Jackal, and the Lion.

The Mouse is a very timid player. Someone who folds most of their hands, plays only a few pots, and will occasionally win the big one. Their chip stacks remain stable, and they usually are not the first ones out of a table. However, by not being aggressive, the Mouse has trouble down the stretch as they will not have as many chips as some of the more risky players. If you are playing against a mouse, you can bluff him out of most hands, but be wary of any sign of strength.

The Elephant is someone who is impossible to bluff. No matter how much money you throw in the pot, they will not budge. Even if they are sitting on a gunshot straight on the river, they probably won't lay down their hand. Although this is not a play to be concerned about, the Elephant can win big pots off players who try to bluff at them too hard. If you find yourself one on one with an Elephant, just sit back, be patient, and wait for the right cards to come.

Another type of player is the Jackal. They are the most wild and unpredictable of all. Characterized as being extremely aggressive, a Jackal may go all in on the first hand with A-2. Their chip stacks will take wild swings throughout a tournament, but this style of play is what lands many Jackals at the final table; the others are usually knocked out at the beginning of a tournament. When facing the Jackal, don't be frightened by their countless bluffs. Even if you have a marginal hand, you should consider playing if you are in good position. Slow playing is also an excellent strategy against a Jackal, as they may become over-aggressive at bluffing you out of a hand.

The Lion is the final player type, which simply stated is a very strong player. They play more hands than a mouse, but less than a Jackal or Elephant. They don't bluff too much, but will make several well-timed thefts of pots throughout the tournament. Usually finishing near the top of most tournaments, a Lion is someone you should be aware of when playing at a table.

Of course, we would all like to be a Lion, but most of us have tendencies which characterize us as one of the other animals. Now every style of play has its strengths, which makes it important to know how you play, and how the others play around you. For now, good luck and good gaming!
By Jason Fang

1. THE TOUR

Now in its fourth season, the World Poker Tour consists of 16 tournaments filmed at sites throughout the world and televised on a tape-delay basis at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on the Travel Channel, Cox cable channel 66. The season culminates with the WPT World Championship, scheduled for April 18-24 at the Bellagio. Buy-ins for the tournaments range from $5,000 to $15,000, except for the championship, which carries a $25,000 entry fee. Last year's championship event at the Bellagio was won by Tuan Le, who bested a record field of 452 players to win the top prize of more than $2.8 million.

2. THE EVENT

Last year's Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship had the largest prize pool of any inaugural poker tournament -- more than $3 million. Brunson, the World Series of Poker winner in 1976 and 1977 and a WPT champion, said he felt privileged to lend his name to the event. "I guess I've been around so long, they just decided to name it for me," Brunson said in his distinctive drawl. "It is kind of an honor." This year's tournament caps two weeks of smaller, preliminary events. The game is no-limit Texas hold 'em. It is open to professional and amateur poker players, and spectators are welcome.

3. THE NAMESAKE

Brunson, who has called Las Vegas home for more than 30 years, was born in the small West Texas town of Longworth in 1933. Before embarking on one of the most successful gambling careers in American history, he earned a master's degree in administrative education from Hardin-Simmons College in Abilene. In an unconventional way, he put that degree to good use -- by educating millions of poker players through his instructional book "Super/System," published in 1978 and revised this year.

4. DEFENDING CHAMP

Carlos Mortensen, a professional player from Spain, who now lives in Las Vegas, won the $1 million top prize in last year's Brunson tournament. "Your chances always depend on how many players are in it," Mortensen said. "But I am very motivated to play my best game." In last year's final hand, Mortensen called a large bet by Thang Pham, and his king-10 held up against Pham's king-8. "The best hand is always the last one," Mortensen said.

5. HOME ADVANTAGE?

Even with all of his accomplishments in poker, at age 72 Brunson continues to play in the highest-stakes cash games in the world, often at Bellagio's poker room. If there is such a thing as home-field advantage in poker, Brunson surely has it for this week's tournament. "I think there is a certain advantage to be able to stay at your home and work in the environment that you're most comfortable in," he said.

Caesars Indiana offers a seat at World Series of Poker table

Teeing up next to Tiger Woods? Not an option.

Going head to head against Shaq? In your dreams.

Anteing up and throwing down with some of the biggest names in poker? So long as you can pay.

Caesars Indiana is the next tournament stop for the World Series of Poker. The circuit event, which starts today with a special media tournament and begins regular tournament play tomorrow, is an event of high-stakes action that's coming to Kentuckiana for the first time.

"Anyone can play -- just get the money out," said Ken Lambert, director of World Series of Poker circuit events for Harrah's Entertainment, which merged with Caesars earlier this year.

The Caesars Indiana stop "is something that the average Joe is going to be able to participate in," Lambert said. "Expect more excitement than has ever been brought to the mid-South."

According to the Caesars Indiana Web site, beginning in November, admission into the Saturday tournaments is a $200 buy-in. If the tournaments sell out with 250 players, the top three finishers will win entry into the 2006 WSOP $10,000 buy-in Main Event.

The winner of the $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Circuit Championship Event at each venue wins an automatic entry into the 2006 $2 Million Tournament of Champions.

"All the other tournaments that we have … are to win cash prizes," Lambert said.

The $1,000 Hold 'Em first-prize winner, for instance, could walk away with up to $250,000. The winner of the final event qualifies for the tour's grand finale, the WSOP Tournament of Champions, which will take place June 2006 in Las Vegas. This $2 million free-roll event -- which doesn't require players to put up any of their own cash -- pits the 12 $10,000 buy-in circuit winners against nine players for the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event and six sponsors' exemptions for a 27-player shootout. First prize -- $1 million.

The Caesars Indiana stop "is a chance to be able to sit at a table and play with some of the best," Lambert said.

It's also a chance to be the best. Here's a look at two of the expected contenders.

SACRAMENTO - At least four Sacramento groups have canceled or curtailed fund-raisers in recent weeks amid a state Department of Justice crackdown on charity-sponsored gambling events.

The agency hasn't taken legal action against any of the fund-raisers but has made clear in letters and phone calls that only licensed card rooms or tribal casinos are permitted to host "controlled games," such as poker or Monte Carlo-style gambling.

The tougher line comes as card games such as Texas Hold 'Em soar in popularity and a growing number of charities use them to attract a younger crowd.

Sue Petermann of the Franklin High School Booster Club said she had to cancel a Monte Carlo fund-raiser scheduled for Nov. 12 because of fears the event would break the law.

About 550 supporters of the Elk Grove school had planned to spend the evening sipping wine, doubling down on blackjack tables and spinning roulette wheels. She expected the event to raise up to $12,000 for sports and academic programs, such as Science Olympiad.

"It's a shame," said Petermann, who planned the event for nine months. "We have volunteers that've put their hearts and time into this, people who've donated prizes, tickets that have been printed."

Nathan Barankin, a Department of Justice spokesman, said the rising popularity of card games has prompted law enforcement officials to pay closer attention.

The agency is sympathetic to charities raising money through casino-style games, he said, but has to stand by the law.

And, it "doesn't distinguish based on the worthiness of cause," Barankin said.

The letters DOJ has sent and calls they've made to non-profit groups stemmed from complaints from the public, Barankin said.

"We have the choice of turning a blind eye to the law or letting these nonprofits go forward breaking the law," he said.

Nonprofit groups that were aware of the law even before the recent crackdown have called on lawmakers to grant them exceptions.

Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, who authored a bill last year to do just that, said he sees no problem with nonprofits setting up craps tables or roulette wheels to make money, so long as they're properly monitored.

"I don't really consider it gambling; it's helping out worthy causes," he said.

The bill, which didn't get past the Assembly Appropriations Committee, would require at least 98 percent of revenue from gambling fund-raisers to go directly to charitable works. Some critics of the bill have said it would force the state to spend more money on regulation.

Ken Larsen, public policy director of the California Association of Nonprofits, pointed out that not all nonprofit organizations support the bill. "Parts of the faith-based community would rather see nonprofits raising their funds by other means," he said.

Charity-sponsored card games are nothing new.

The Active 20/30 Club of Greater Sacramento has held its Monte Carlo night for 24 straight years. Guests have shown up in "cocktail attire" to raise money for charitable causes, including Stanford Home for Children and Challenger Little League. After receiving a phone call from the state last week, organizers announced that the Saturday event will go on, but without the Monte Carlo-style gambling.

"This is for entertainment's sake only. There's no chance to win anything," said Sheri Graciano a board member of the 20/30 club, a service group of women ages 21 to 39. "I just don't understand this."

The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance and the Developmental Disabilities Service Organization have also had to cancel fund-raisers.

Jon Hutchison, president of the DDSO Foundation, said the group had planned to raise $50,000, money that would help fund job placement, arts and music, and adult day-care programs for the handicapped.

Bill Pence, owner of Entertainment Team, a casino party rental outfit in EL Dorado Hills, said he's conducted Monte Carlo fund-raisers for any number of groups, including the El Dorado Sheriff's Department and the Woodland Police Department.

He said the cancellation of fund-raisers in recent weeks has cost him $18,000.

"The crazy thing is, there's no new law driving this - nothing has changed except somebody down there has decided we're going to reinterpret an existing law," said Pence.

"If I want to spend $5,000 on the lottery, I can do that and the state gets half the money," Pence said. "And the state wants to worry about this?"

Jan Stohr, executive director of the Sacramento Nonprofit Resource Center, said the restriction on charities is unfair, especially in light of the proliferation of other types of gambling.

"You used to have to drive to Nevada to gamble and now there are casinos all over the state," she said. "To say there's something wrong with a nonprofit having a casino night to raise a little money for a cause, well, that's amazing to me."

Though he has earned about $1.7 million playing poker, Phil Gordon insists he isn't a professional gambler. The 35-year-old prefers to be called a "professional strategic investor," or even a teacher.

The co-host of Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" examines every aspect of his approach to poker's most popular game in "Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold 'em" (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 286 pages, $21).

The 6-foot-9 Gordon wore a Bermuda-style shirt emblazoned with AK — the ace-king pair is dubbed "big slick" in the poker world — when he spoke with Bloomberg's Mason Levinson in New York.

Q: You mentioned a correlation between playing poker and Wall Street?

A: I think of playing poker very much like the traders on Wall Street think about their jobs. A Wall Street investor who could pick six out of 10 stocks right would be probably the best stock picker in the history of the world. Likewise, if I can get my money into the pot with the best hand six out of 10 times, I am going to be the best poker player in the world. And it's a very fine line between that 60 percent and break-even that really determines who the best strategic investors are.

Q: The name of your book is taken from Harvey Penick, the Hall-of-Fame golf teacher.

A: Yes, Penick wrote a great book called "The Little Red Book," where he recorded his thoughts and musings of the game that he collected over the course of a lifetime teaching some of the greats. It is the No. 1 sports title of all time. I think it sold almost 2 million copies.

Q: Not a bad one to mimic.

A: Not once in his book did he ever pretend to be the best golfer in the world, or know everything about the game. All he could do is communicate how he teaches and thinks about the game.

I am not the best poker player in the world, but I am a winning player. So, what I wanted to do with the book was to write as clearly and as concisely as possible exactly how I think about the game and play.

Q: You're a television co-host and a player, but you seem to be pretty comfortable as a teacher.

A: In all honesty, I like teaching the game right now more than I like playing. I always envisioned myself as a teacher when I was growing up, and I really enjoy talking about the game, thinking about the game, and figuring out ways to communicate its subtleties to players of all skill levels.

Q: Why is poker so hot right now? Why am I addicted to watching it on television?

A: You can't turn the channel without finding poker. I think it's very popular because everyone that watches and plays in a casual way can envision themselves at the table making those million-dollar decisions like the players on the World Poker Tour or the World Series of Poker.

I think the key moment was Chris Moneymaker winning the World Series of Poker in 2003. This is a guy who never played in a live poker tournament in his life. He comes to Las Vegas, competes against the best in the world and wins $2.5 million. Then comes Letterman, Leno, the fame, the fortune.

Q: How important was the creation of the hole-card camera, which allows television viewers to see each competitor's cards?

A: It's everything. Poker has actually been televised, at least one tournament a year, for the last 15 or 20 years, but no one watched it because it was like watching paint dry. Not until you got to see the hole cards and really play along with your favorite player, or people that you hate, for that matter, did the game really become compelling.

Q: I've watched a lot of the World Series of Poker on ESPN, and saw that you were in charge of the "rock, paper, scissors" (Rochambo) tournament. What's the connection to poker?

A: People say it's a kid's game. But, if you think about it, it all boils down to psychology. If I know which way you are going to go, and I can go the opposite, I am going to win every time. It really is a game of skill, much more so than people would imagine.
By MASON LEVINSON

OK, Phil, no more sour grapes!

You're in the penthouse suite at the Radisson in beautiful Aruba. All your media, including your books tips calendar, are flying off the shelves. You have nine World Series of Poker (WSOP) titles.

Why, then, do you have to act like a jerk after taking a bad beat? Why leap out of your chair, with your arms flailing, and utter, ''What the [expletive] is going on here?'' And then ask your opponent, ``How could you have played this hand so poorly?''

Once more, I'm embarrassed by my own conduct, the more so as this is the UltimateBet.com World Poker Tour (UB-WPT) event in Aruba, and I'm a UB ambassador.

I should have said, ''Nice hand, sir'' and calmly walked away from the table. I should have shown the class that a WSOP champion ought to show. But I am, after all, the poker brat (though not necessarily proud of it).

This, then, is the hand that eliminated me, and it set me off.

With the blinds at $150-$300, I called $300 holding 5s-4s, a player behind me, whom I previously had announced to the table was ''unbluffable,'' raised it $800 to $1,100 to go. Everyone else folded, and I thought, ``I should fold too, but if I hit this hand, then I will get paid off because this guy will call me with weak hands, just as he has been doing all day long.''

So I called because I felt Unbluffable would pay me off if I hit my hand.

The flop came down Kd-5c-5h, and now I checked with my trip fives. Unbluffable bet $1,500, and it was my turn to act. I thought to myself, ``Raise it up, for a few reasons.''

First, if Unbluffable has a king, then he will give you all of his chips. Second, if he has a pocket pair, you do not want him to hit his card because you merely called him on the flop. Calling him here would be giving him, in effect, a free card.

So after seeing that I had $5,125 left, I decided that a $1,500 minimum raise might lure him into the pot. The other option was to move all-in, calling his $1,500 bet, and raising it up $3,625. I felt that moving all-in might scare him off, since that move would show extreme strength. So I announced, ''Raise it up $1,500 more,'' and threw $3,000 into the pot.

Unbluffable called me, and the Qs came off the deck.

I hesitated for a moment, for effect, and bet my last $2,125. Unbluffable immediately called without putting any chips into the pot, which I took to be a bad sign.

Sure enough, he flipped up pocket queens, which on the flop was an extremely weak hand, but now -- after he hit that miracle queen -- was an extremely strong hand. I had been more than a 10-to-1 favorite on the flop! The only way I could lose was if he hit a queen. And worse, since I had only $2,125 left, and I knew he was calling that much on the next bet no matter what. I had lost a $13,000 pot as a 10-to-1 favorite!

That's when I went a bit crazy. All the way to Aruba to lose -- in this way! OK, Phil, for real, no more sour grapes!
By Phil Hellmuth

If you've ever wondered what there is about the game of poker that has captured the public's imagination, look no further than Phil Gordon for your answer.

Gordon, after making a name for himself as a top professional player, became the expert analyst and co-host of TV's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo and has since emerged as the game's most articulate and universally recognized personality.

His background makes him an unlikely figure in the enigmatic world of professional poker. Gordon, a National Merit Scholarship finalist at age 15, graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology at 20 and used his expertise in computer science to become a multimillionaire by the time he was 25.

Rather than continuing on a path to become the next Bill Gates, he answered a calling that would have made Ernest Hemingway proud: Gordon traveled the world solo for five years, visiting more than 50 countries on six continents to partake in perilous adventures that most people just dream about.

During a promotional appearance Gordon made in Chicago earlier this year, I had an opportunity to inquire how a man who has the business acumen and resources to do virtually anything he wanted to do in life becomes enthralled with poker.

"It was one of the only games that I played where I felt I had a significant disadvantage and didn't know enough to win," he responded. "It wasn't the money. It's still not the money that attracts me to play. It's the challenge of sitting down against players that I know are better than me and coming out on top and learning what it takes to be a winning player.

"I played competitive bridge for a very long time but this is different. There is so much psychology involved. The element of luck is compelling to me, and overcoming those obstacles and weaving your way through a big field and winning tournaments is a tremendous challenge and a great feeling."

The natural question then becomes just how long will it take for Gordon -- who admits "I've certainly shown the ability to get up and leave significant aspects of my life at a moment's notice" -- to discover poker no longer holds the interest for him it once did.

"I can't tell you if I'll be doing it five years from now," he said. "I can't tell you if I'm going to be doing it two years from now. What I can tell you is that I'm having a great time, I'm still learning about the game and it still provides ample challenges and ample rewards. Still, if one or both of those things ceases to exist, I'll probably be a poker player the rest of my life."

Finally, I asked him about the stigma which professional sports places on gambling and how this inhibits expanding the "Celebrity Poker Challenge" concept.

"The NFL will not allow their players to be in any way at all connected with what they erroneously view as gambling," Gordon said. "Poker is not gambling. It's strategic investing. When you play poker and play it at a winning level, you're risking your money with positive expectations. It should be treated just like any other intellectual pursuit with monetary rewards. When the poker ratings overtake the NFL ratings on TV, they'll take notice."
By John G. Brokopp

Dear Mark,
I have a couple poker questions that have started arguments at our house poker game. Hopefully you can clear them up for me.

Question 1: We had a player, a relatively new guy to poker playing, get excited and show us his pocket cards before we all were allowed to bet. Some of us agreed that him showing his cards only ruined things for himself, but two of the players demanded that the rules say the hand is called a misdeal and that we re-deal. I claimed that since the player, not the dealer, revealed the cards prematurely, that we should continue the hand as normal, and the rest of us would just have the advantage over the other player. But these two guys insisted that the rules stated the hand is re-dealt. To prove his case faulty, the very next hand when I knew I was losing, I flipped my cards over and said, "Re-deal". What are the rules in this case?

Question 2: This problem, I believe stems from the fact that people are learning Poker from watching "The World Series of Poker,” and view that show as the end all when it comes to the rules for poker. My question pertains to the "burning" of cards. Is that a World Series of Poker rule or typical casino policy? Doug F.

In stud or flop games, if the pocket card(s) that are dealt face down to each player are inadvertently exposed due to a dealer error, the card(s) is ruled dead, that is, not legally playable.

But your question deals with a player who intentionally exposes his cards during play. No misdeal here, Doug. It’s free ammo for all the other players on the game. I state “all” because if any player at the table sees an exposed card(s), all the other players have a right to know what the exposed card or cards were. Even if a player unintentionally exposes his cards during play, his hand will still not be ruled dead, and again, if any player at the table saw the exposed card(s), then every other player at the table has the right to know what the exposed card(s) was. The reasoning behind this rule is to avoid players in collusion from privately showing cards to one another.

As for burning cards, Doug, that’s called burn and turn, where the function of the poker dealer is to burn a card before the draw cards (the flop, the turn, and the river) are distributed. It’s commonplace in all casinos and card rooms and it is done to prevent cheating.

Dear Mark,
I had the biggest bet of my life ($100) on the pass line when the dealer called out, “Seven out, line away.” My gripe is that one dice was leaning against the wall and not laying flat. It looked to me that it could have been any of three possible outcomes, not the three that he paired with the other dice that was a four. Was I robbed of my $100? Ken L.

Sorry, Ken, three/four, and now you’re poor. Your pass line Benjamin belongs to the casino.

Dice that end up leaning against the wall or gaming chips are called cocked dice. A stickman will make his or her call based on the natural lean of the cocked die as if the intruding object were taken away. Of course, you can challenge a stickman’s expertise, but most are skilled at making the correct call to a fault.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here." --Captain Louis Renault, "Casablanca"
By Mark Pilarski

LOS ANGELES, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: WPTE), the creator of the WORLD POKER TOUR® (WPT), will arrive at MIPCOM with a pair of aces. Not only will the company be marketing its worldwide hit series to international broadcasters, but WPTE will unveil its newest venture, the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOURSM (PPT)—a series that capitalizes on the global poker mania, but showcases only the top 250 players in the game. "All pros…all of the time."

Bringing to the screen only fan favorites will insure a built-in audience. Players must first qualify for their PPT Card based on a point system that takes into account previous performances, just like on the professional golf tour. Viewers can expect to see such names as Gus Hansen, Carlos Mortensen, Doyle Brunson, Annie Duke, Daniel Negreanu, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Bobby Baldwin, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, Tom McEvoy, Men "The Master" Nguyen, Layne Flack, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harman, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Mel Judah, Scotty Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Huck Seed, Carlos Mortensen, Chris Moneymaker, Chip Reese, Erick Seidel, Lyle Berman, John Juanda, Kathy Liebert, Antonio Esfandiari, Ted Forrest and T.J. Cloutier to name a few.

The game remains the same, but the television shows will be distinctly different from the WPT. The PPT has a different commentating crew, including Mark Seif, who recently won two gold bracelets at the 2005 World Series of Poker. The PPT shows focus not just on the Final Table, but also highlights in the preliminary rounds….more of the famous faces laying it on the line and going "All-In." The tournaments are $500,000 "free-rolls," which means that the PPT puts up the prize money—the players do not have to "buy-in" with their own cash. Viewers will see a different and more muted color palette—including a navy blue felt table. Play is timed, so that each player must make a decision to call, raise or fold within 90 seconds or the hand is called dead. Count on even more exciting drama from the PPT!

"The PPT gives poker fans non-stop action with the biggest names in the game," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. "We believe the success we have had selling the WPT into 116 countries and territories is only the tip of the iceberg. The PPT lets us hold a great pair and gives our TV partners a winning hand, too."

The PPT will be offered to the international market in time to debut the new shows in early 2006. There will be 48 hours of programming in the package.

"Here's a chance to get in on the ground floor with a blockbuster new product before it's even debuted in the U.S." said Gary MacKinney, Executive Director of International Sales. "We're looking for TV partners with a vision, who can see how marketing the PPT as an exclusive in their territory will give them poker primacy in their market and drive up revenue."

For more information or to make appointments, contact MacKinney at (323) 330 9886 in the U.S. or by cell phone at the show (U.S.) 1 (661) 373 4622.

Many times there's a lot more to playing casino games than meets the eye. Take the popular poker hybrid Three Card Poker as an example. When a casino decides to introduce this game, it has to go through its copyright holder, Las Vegas-based Shuffle Master, Inc., to either lease a table or purchase one outright.

"It's a very expensive game to bring into the casino," said Therrin Protze, Senior Director of Operations for the Majestic Star Casino in Gary. "That's the only problem with a game of this nature. Shuffle Master knows it's a very popular game. They see the numbers as much as we do. They keep hiking the lease up on us every year. You can buy the game if you want, but it costs a ton of money."

In spite of the cost factor, Protze acknowledges that Three Card Poker is a favorite among his table games players. He's even contemplating adding a third table to the casino's inventory of games.

"Three Card Poker is up for the year and it continues to climb in popularity," he said.

Whereas some poker hybrids, such as the new Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, derive their popularity from the poker craze, Three Card Poker, Protze says, seems to have cultivated a following on its own.

The game is played with a 52-card deck. There are three wagering spots at each player position: Ante, Play and Pairs Plus (optional). Play starts with everyone making an ante. Each player plus the dealer is dealt three cards face down. The object is to beat the dealer. Once you take a look at your cards, you can either fold and surrender your ante or play by making an additional wager equal to your ante. If your hand beats the dealer you are paid even money on both bets. The ante also has a bonus pay table for a straight, three-of-a-kind and straight flush.

There is a qualifying rule. If the dealer does not have queen high or better, players win their ante bets but play bets are a push. The ante bonus is not affected by the qualifying rule AND you are paid even if the dealer's hand beats yours. You can opt to make a Pairs Plus wager even if you don't place an ante. You don't have to beat the dealer and neither does the dealer have to qualify. Any pair pays even money, plus there is a bonus pay table for a straight flush, three-of-a-kind, straight and flush. Strategy is easy: Just mimic the dealer and you'll keep the house edge to a minimum. Make a play if you're dealt queen high or better, fold if you aren't.

Shuffle Master makes 12 different bonus pay tables available to the casinos that lease the game. Distinguishing the bad ones from the good ones will make your decision of where to play the game an easy one.

The most liberal ante bonus schedule for players is 5 to 1 for a straight flush, 4 to 1 for three-of-a-kind and even money for a straight, which translates into a 2.01 house edge on the ante/play bet. On tables that pay just 3 to 1 for three-of-a-kind the house edge increases to 2.16. Tighten it up even further by paying just 4 to 1 for a straight flush and it climbs to 2.28.

The loosest Pairs Plus bonus schedule comes out to a 2.30 house edge and pays 40 to 1 for a straight flush, 30 to 1 for three-of-a-kind, 6 to 1 for a straight, 4 to 1 for a flush and even money for a pair. Pay just 25 to 1 for three-of-a-kind, however, and it increases to 3.50. Pay 5 to 1 for a straight and it zooms up to 5.60. The worst bonus table gives players just 3 to 1 for a flush, which hikes the house edge to an obscene 7.30.

"Depending on which pay table is used, Three Card Poker has good odds for the players," Protze acknowledged. "Because of this, it's a volatile game for the casino. Players are very smart, and they know where they can get their best gamble."

As for which bets to make, Protze recommends playing them all to best take advantage of a liberal pay table if it is available:

"Some people just bet the pairs plus, but I personally think it's best to play the game like betting max coin on a slot machine," he said.
by Mr. John Brokopp

ATLANTA - Years ago, ESPN tried showing the World Series of Poker, and someone said it was like watching bears hibernate.

Tonight, it's World Series of Poker time again, but now it's glitz city, baaaaay-bee: hyped-up announcers, high drama, wacko nicknames, huge prizes, everything but cheerleaders. And you won't have to wait long for them, probably.

The difference, introduced a mere two years ago, was the little hidden camera at each player's seat that shows the hidden "hole" cards, the ones the other players can't see. Originally called a "lipstick camera" because of its size and shape, ESPN now calls theirs the "Milwaukee's Best Light (Beer) Pocket Cam." Same device, mucho more macho name. And any outcry that they're over-commercializing poker has been drowned out by the coast-to-coast ka-chinging of the poker craze.

Poker is now the third-most-popular sport on cable TV, after football and cars driving in a circle real fast. It airs on at least six different cable channels with a dizzying variety of shows.

Internet poker sites have ballooned to way over $1 billion a year (despite that pesky illegality), and you can't drive down a major road anywhere without seeing some bar advertising Texas Hold 'Em Night.

All because of that little lipstick cam, which lets the home audience see what the other players can't, and figure out who's bluffing and who has a real hand.

With all the televised poker, though, tonight is the main event, the World Series of Poker, which will be aired over 12 hours through Nov. 15 on ESPN. The 2005 World Series of Poker was held the last two weeks in July, so the winner is widely known to anyone who cares.

BILOXI, Miss. - When Hurricane Katrina finished pounding this seaside city, it appeared the Beau Rivage hotel-casino had escaped serious damage.

It was built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, and initial reports suggested the $800 million crown jewel of Gulf Coast casinos might recover quickly, a bright spot in an economy desperate for some good news.

But a closer look has revealed a gloomier picture. The chairman of MGM Mirage Inc., the Las Vegas-based company that owns the property, predicts the Beau Rivage will be the single-biggest loss of any of the 13 casinos lining the Mississippi coast.

Company officials estimate fixing the 1,740-room resort could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take 12 to 16 months — a frustrating setback for the 3,400 employees who worked there.

The exterior walls appear largely unscathed by Katrina's powerful winds, but the real damage is inside.

The MGM Mirage allowed a reporter inside the Beau Rivage for the first time this week, giving The Associated Press a tour of the damage caused by a tidal surge towering more than two stories — a height the resort's designers hadn't planned for.

The company has hired a small army to revive the Beau Rivage, but debris remains visible in all corners of the expansive first floor, the portion that was literally washed away and has since been gutted.

Large sections of the southern wall facing the Gulf have huge gashes from the giant waves that crashed into them repeatedly, and the first two floors of the parking garage were wiped away.

"When you look at it your heart kind of sinks," said Cindy Nieder, a security supervisor and a Beau Rivage employee since the property opened in 1999 — one of the largest single investments ever made in Mississippi.

What remains of the front desk is a pile of battered computers. The atrium has been reduced to rubble thanks to the heavy equipment tearing up the floors. The only people milling around are constructions workers trying to piece the Beau Rivage back together.

The gamblers are gone.

"It was so pretty in here," Nieder said. "We had flowers and little shrubs. It was beautiful."

MGM Mirage spent millions improving the Beau Rivage, recently adding a nightclub and new restaurants. Those investments were flushed out to sea. The new $4 million club is gone save the center bar and the coral glass above it.

Many seats in the cavernous showroom that holds 1,550 people were yanked out along with the slot machines on the casino floor. Nickels are scattered everywhere.

The popular restaurants have disappeared. George Goldhoff, vice president of food and beverage at the Beau Rivage, said his operation was wrecked. A custom-made smoker for barbecuing the meat has vanished.

"It's not there," he said. "There's no telling where it went."

The brewpub's gleaming, stainless steel beer tanks didn't survive, and the four 10,000-gallon aquariums that held sharks and other marine life were flushed out to sea. He had no idea what happened to the creatures.

"Free Willy, baby," he said.

Architects who inspected the Beau Rivage say it's structurally sound because the design helped mitigate and divert the force of the winds. The barge on which the casino rested managed to remain in place.

Goldhoff knows he has a daunting rebuilding job in front of him.

The thought of it, he said, "makes the hair on my arm stand up."

I'd like to set the record straight right here and now; if you want to win big money playing tournament poker you are going to have to play aggressively. It's simply not a coincidence that all of the players you see on TV winning millions of dollars have one thing in common: aggressiveness.

So what exactly does it mean to be aggressive at the poker table? Well, the idea behind it is to push the limits, fight for lots of pots, and get active in the game.

The opposing strategy would be to sit back, wait for premium hands, and hope that someone plays with you when you do. There are several key problems with the conservative strategy.

1) You won't be dealt enough premium hands to stay afloat. In No Limit Hold'em tournaments the blinds and antes continue to escalate, which force you to gamble. If you just sit there and wait for AA or KK you'll end up anteing yourself to death!

2) You'll become too predictable. If everyone sees that you aren't playing very many hands they'll know when you do enter a pot that you have a monster. Thus, if they have marginal hands they won't give you the action you desire.

3) No one will fear you. If your opponents pick up on the fact that you're playing very conservatively, they will repeatedly attack your blinds knowing that you won't call unless you happen to have a strong hand. That's not the image you want. You'd be much better off known as a pest who won't let the others breathe.

Here's how it's done
The key to being a successful aggressive player is to do so in a selective manner. Going overboard with a hard-hitting approach can easily turn into just being reckless. In fact, let me introduce a new term: cautious aggression. While those two words would seem to contradict each other, they really don't at all.

A cautiously aggressive player will raise more than his fair share of pots. He's looking to pick up the blinds, first, or the pot on the flop, second, while hoping to make a strong hand, third. If he finds any resistance from his opponents, he'll duck and cover by throwing his cards away unless he has a very strong hand himself.

If you think of it in boxing terms, a cautiously aggressive player will throw lots of jabs but will always guard his chin. He's constantly jabbing while dodging his foe's punches. When his adversary gets sloppy and leaves his own chin open, the cautiously aggressive player will send him to the canvas.

On the surface it seems like a brute, chaotic approach, but realistically it's all rooted in basic mathematical rules. Let me show you what I mean.

Numbers game
At a nine-handed table, the blinds are 400-800 with a 100 ante.

Already there is 2,100 in the pot (400 small blind, 800 big blind, and 900 in antes). An aggressive player may decide to raise the bet to 2,000, risking 2,000 to win 2,100 if everyone folds. One thing we know about Hold'em is that it's very difficult to pick up a premium two-card combination. If the aggressive player is up against a table full of conservative opponents, he'll grab the blinds well over 50 percent of the time.

But what about those times when it doesn't work?

If an opponent does call, the aggressive player must now proceed with caution. Moreover, if the conservative opponent re-raises, the cautiously aggressive player must make a key adjustment by cutting his losses, throwing away the hand, and trying to steal the next pot. That is, of course, unless the aggressive player himself has a premium hand. When that occurs, he gets a chance to throw that knockout punch. Since he's been playing so many hands, the aggressive player is more likely to get action even when he has a hand that can't be beaten. So again, it's jab-jab-jab, duck and cover, then throw the knockout punch.

Everybody hates playing against an aggressive player, and for good reason. They are difficult to read and they're always putting the pressure back on you. Why not be that guy? Why not be the bully pushing everyone else around?

You are there to win after all.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,
I don't play a lot of poker, but at the family games a controversy over who has the winning full house hand has been destroying these once peaceful fun games. For example, there are two full house’s, one has three eights and two aces, the other has three kings and a pair of threes. My opinion is that the aces prevail notwithstanding that there are trip kings and only two aces. I have looked at poker references but these don't answer the question. Please help us keep peace in the family. Angelo T.

A full house (also called a full boat) is poker hand consisting of three of one rank plus two of another. As to hand strength, a full house ranks above a flush and below a four-of-a-kind. A full house is often identified by the contained three-of-a-kind. For example, one hand that you described, three kings and two 3s is often known as kings full, and sometimes more specifically as kings full of 3s. Seeing that a full house is stated that way, the superior three-of-a-kind (triplets, tricon, or trio) hand wins, even if someone is holding a pair of bullets.

May peace now reign at Angelo's table.

Dear Mark,
I have a Brother-in-law who recently started playing in our weekly home game. One of our rules is that rather than each player anteing, the dealer antes up for everyone. When it came to my Brother-in-law he passed the deal so he didn't have to ante. He believes since he is passing the deal, and choice of game, he is at a disadvantage so he doesn't need to ante when it's his turn. I don' believe he can do that, but he claims he can. Please respond quickly as I will present your answer at our next poker night. Jeff P.

What you are describing, Jeff, is called "pass the deal", whereby players deal for themselves as opposed to something you would see in a poker room, where the game is dealt by a house dealer. Ordinarily, a player can refuse to deal, opting instead to pass the deck to the next player on the left. But at your home game you noted that rather than each player anteing each hand, a dealer antes for all. With the game played this way, your cheapskate (you don't mind, do you?) brother-in-law is not permitted to pass the deal.

Dear Mark,
In last weeks column you stated; “Skilled players can cut the house advantage to near zero, or, dare I say it, swing the odds in their favor when they play perfect basic strategy on select video poker machines.” Any chance you can share which machines those are? Max F.

Payouts on video poker machines are determined by; 1) the pay schedule and, just as importantly 2) how you select discards, since selecting the wrong cards to deep-six will reduce your overall payout. Even if I clue you in to the best-of-the-best machines to play, it won't help you to swing the odds in your favor unless you learn how to play each hand correctly.

Below are three "full pay" machines that, if played with perfect basic strategy and maximum coins per hand, will return over 100%, with but (there's always a "but") one caveat. There is a gambling chance you won't even find these machines in your gaming jurisdiction, especially if there are only a few casinos in pursuit of your hard-earned dollars.

1) 7/5 Jokers Wild: 5-of-a-kind pays 1000, Quads pays 100: Return 100.64%.
2) 9/5 Deuces Wild: Return 100.76%
3) 9/6 Double Double Jackpot Poker: two pair pays 1 coin: Return 100.35%

To decode, Max, the first two numbers reflect the payouts for a full house and a flush with a single coin inserted. Example: a 7/5 Jokers Wild machine would pay 7 coins for a full house and 5 coins for a flush on a one-coin bet.

Once more, to get those types of percentage returns, you’ll need to find these full-pay schedules, play the maximum coin amount, and use perfect strategy when playing them. I never said it was going to be easy.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Most dealers I knew secretly rooted for the players." John Soares, "Loaded Dice"
By Mark Pilarski

LOS ANGELES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Can the sensational success of the World Poker Tour be duplicated around the world -- with local nuances, in languages as diverse as Chinese, Russian and Arabic?

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) is betting that it can. With deals for Canada and the Philippines already inked, WPTE is setting up shop at MIPCOM (Booth Number: R37.13) to formally entertain offers for launching its branded format in markets around the world. In the U.S., that format involves 16 tournaments open to pros, amateurs and talented celebrity players, captured for broadcast with a compelling mix of expert commentary, explanatory graphics, 16 cameras, top flight production values and great storytelling. The World Poker Tour introduced table-top cameras to reveal hole cards on U.S. television, which in turn ignited the worldwide passion for poker.

"We have a proven format and a proven brand," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. "Our shows are already a hit in 116 countries and territories where our syndicated shows from Seasons One through Three are airing. Networks airing them are seeing a substantial bump in viewership, just as our broadcaster, the Travel Channel, did in the U.S. Just think what kind of success a locally produced World Poker Tour will have -- both in regional participation and -- for a network or global media player -- in viewership, promotional opportunities, advertising revenue and more! It's like launching a local version of the NBA in the early years when more creative deals were possible."

WPT Enterprises, Inc. has maximized the value of the WPT brand globally with worldwide publicity; an internationally viewed World Poker Tour website, ; its recently launched international gaming website, WPTOnline.com; and an extensive lineup of licensed consumer products, now selling in Europe, Asia and Australia. Strategic alliances to create regional tours of the World Poker Tour series will benefit from solid groundwork already established, and a blueprint for a success. Lipscomb will be attending the show in Cannes, along with Gary MacKinney, WPTE Executive Director of International Sales, to meet with prospective partners.

"We believe that localization will attract greater fan loyalty to the WPT and WPTE partners," noted MacKinney. "Regional format partners will be able to showcase their own hometown heroes, local celebrities, women poker stars, commentators, regional rivalries and cultural nuances. Broadcasters will have homegrown WPT-brand shows that provide enormous promotional, publicity and sponsorship opportunities."

While at MIPCOM, Lipscomb and MacKinney will also be working with Alfred Haber Distribution to continue the sale of international rights to the WPT's previous three seasons of shows.

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Gather up your very own Dream Team because the Palms Casino Resort will unveil the ultimate suite for the basketball enthusiast, later this month! The "Hardwood Suite" is the only suite in the world with an indoor basketball court and just one of the amazing new mega-suites in the new 347 room "Fantasy Tower" at the Palms. The $600 million expansion project includes a recording studio, a new pool, a 2,200-seat showroom and a 50-story condo-hotel and spa.

The Hardwood Suite is located on the third floor of the new tower and is a two level, 10,000 square foot party room complete with your own basketball court, locker room, scoreboard, pool table, poker table and dance floor. The suite will also include three NBA sized Murphy beds, dining area, living/media room, jacuzzi tub and 42" plasmas.

Be a Real Baller and customize your stay in the "Hardwood Suite" with your very own team jerseys and fully-stocked bar. If that isn't enough, dribble with excitement when your cheerleaders take on the sidelines. Contact the Palms Sales Team at (866) PALMS-RES to tailor your party.

The Palms will uncover the secrets of the new suite on October 27, when the Sacramento Kings take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Thomas and Mack Center. Please call Amanda Schuon at 310-550-7200 for more information on the press unveiling.

"The Palms set the standard for themed hotel rooms by creating the world-famous Real World Suite," George Maloof said. "With our expansion, we will design some of the most extraordinary and unique luxury suites ever built in the world."

About Palms Casino Resort

The Palms Casino Resort, heralded as one of Las Vegas' hippest resorts, offers guests a major destination get-away with a relaxing, affordable resort atmosphere. Owned by the Maloof family, the $265-million, 430-room property boasts a diverse mix of restaurants and bars and a 95,000-square-foot casino. This boutique resort also offers the Palms Spa and AMP salon, Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre Cineplex and IMAX Theatre, Rain Las Vegas, ghostbar, Skin Pool Lounge, Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company and over 20,000 square-feet of meeting space. The resort is home to the Real World: Las Vegas, Bravo Celebrity Poker Showdown, E!'s Party at the Palms and A&E's Inked. The Palms features the hottest specialty suites including the Playpens with a dancer pole, the Real World Suite as seen on MTV and NBA suites with extra-large furniture. E!, VH1, CSI and MTV feature the Palms on a regular basis and the Victoria's Secret Angels made the Palms a featured destination during their "Angels Across America" tour. The Palms Casino Resort is located just west of the Las Vegas Strip and I-15 on Flamingo Road. For room reservation information, call toll free at (866) PALMS-RES, (866) 725-6773, or visit www.palms.com. For groups of 10 rooms or more, contact the Sales Department at (866) PALMS-MTG or (866) 725-6768.

NEW YORK - October 6, 2005 - BravoTV.com will launch the "Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament" where consumers can play to win a trip to Las Vegas and the chance to appear on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown." Also on Thursday, October 13 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), "Celebrity Poker Showdown" returns with an all-new tournament featuring twenty-five stars competing for the series' highest prize pot ever with a total of one million dollars going to charity. From Thursday, October 13 to Saturday, November 19, qualifying rounds of Texas Hold 'Em will be played online daily, potentially advancing hundreds of winners to the final round. On Sunday, November 20, those lucky winners from the qualifying rounds will compete in the grand finale game online at BravoTV.com. The last five eligible players remaining at the virtual table will win a trip to Las Vegas to battle it out face-to-face and one of them may get the chance to sit at the poker table with celebrities for the taping of the hit series "Celebrity Poker Showdown. "

"The 'Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament' provides a fun and engaging way for Bravo to develop a deeper connection with its viewers through a show and game that they already love," said Lauren Zalaznick, President, Bravo.

Coinciding with the launch of the "Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament," will be the premiere of "Celebrity Poker Showdown's" seventh tournament, also on Thursday, October 13 (9:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT). Six all-new, two-hour episodes, hosted by Dave Foley joined by poker expert Phil Gordon will include celebrities such as Carlos Bernard, Joey Fatone, Gina Gershon, James Woods, Kevin Nealon, Kelli Williams, Oksana Baiul and Dean Cain all competing for serious cash. The premiere episode of tournament seven will star the men of "Desperate Housewives" Mark Moses (Paul Young), Steven Culp (Rex Van De Kamp), Ricardo Antonio Chavira (Carlos Solis), James Denton (Mike Delfino) and Doug Savant (Tom Scavo).

On Thursday, September 22, Bravo launched its first online poker games on www.bravotv.com. The poker games are currently up and running on the site allowing visitors to compete for fun in live matches of Texas Hold 'Em at Bravo's virtual table. Those wanting to get a feel for the site before joining the tournament can play these games 24-hours-a-day.

Entrants of the "Celebrity Poker Showdown Online Tournament" must be legal residents of and must physically reside in the continental United States and must be 21 years of age or older as of the date of entry. Details rules for the tournament can be found at www.bravotv.com/Celebrity_Poker_Showdown/Online_Poker/.

"Celebrity Poker Showdown" is produced by Picture This Television in association with Bravo. Marcia Mul?, Bryan Scott and Lisa M. Tucker are executive producers along with Andrew Hill Newman and Joshua Malina ("The West Wing"). Cadillac is the official sponsor of "Celebrity Poker Showdown."

Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, culture and pop culture with original programming, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities. Currently available in more than 79 million homes, Bravo is known for breaking exciting new personalities, shaking up the way we look at style, media, fame and Hollywood, pulling back the curtain on the creative process and making influential and inventive original programming. Its critically acclaimed and award-winning original programming includes "Inside the Actors Studio," "Celebrity Poker Showdown," "Project Greenlight," as well as the 2004 Emmy winner for Outstanding Reality Program, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The network's other hits include "Project Runway," "Blow Out" and "Being Bobby Brown."

Bravo is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBC Universal one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Bravo has been a NBC Cable Network since December 2002 and was the first television service dedicated to film and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980.For more information visit www.bravotv.com.

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Absolute Poker ( http://www.AbsolutePoker.com ) one of the world's largest online poker sites, is moments away from dealing its 200 millionth hand. One lucky player, who must be online when the 200 millionth hand is dealt, will win a trip for two to Costa Rica, including airfare, accommodations for six nights, Absolute Poker apparel, and $500 spending money.

Four other players active on the site that day will also win prizes.

Hand 199,980,000 - Hand Winner - AP Polo, Hat and $500 Cash! Rest of Table
- AP Hat and $50 each

Hand 199,990,000 - Hand Winner - AP Polo, Hat and $500 Cash! Rest of Table
- AP Hat and $100 each

Hand 200,000,000 - Hand Winner - Trip for 2 to Costa Rica, AP Polo and
Hat! Rest of the Table - AP Polo and Hat, $100 each

Hand 200,010,000 - Hand Winner - AP Polo, Hat and $500 Cash! Rest of Table
- AP Hat and $100 each

Hand 200,020,000 - Hand Winner - AP Polo, Hat and $500 Cash! Rest of Table
- AP Hat and $50 each

"Dealing the 200 million hands is an amazing achievement, especially considering that it was just last March that we announced our 100 millionth," said Gian Perroni, poker room manager for Absolute Poker. "Absolute Poker has a loyal following and our rapidly growing community has helped us reach this milestone in an amazingly short time period. Anticipation is building as the clocks ticks down to the day and we predict record levels of players will compete for the prizes."

The following are the terms and conditions: This promotion is open to all real money players at Absolute Poker from now until the 200th million hand is dealt. Please note that in order to win, players must be playing at a real money ring game with blind levels of at least $1/$2 Limit or $1 NL or higher. The hand winner from the qualifying table is determined as the winner of that table's raked pot for that hand. There must be at least three people active or playing the hand for the hand to count. Participants who are eligible are those who are "active" in the hand. "Active" denotes participating as a raked player in that particular hand -- regardless of hand outcome. Participants who are simply sitting at a table or fold their cards before the flop will not qualify for a prize if the table is selected. Please note that if any of the prize level hands do not occur on a real money table, the next hand dealt that qualifies with at least $1/$2 Limit or $1 NL or higher and at least 3 people playing an active hand will be determined as the winning table. Absolute Poker does not tolerate fraudulent activity in any promotion. We reserve the final decision regarding the legitimacy of all hands that qualify. Winners will be announced on the website, via system messaging and in the lobby.

October 6, 2005 -- The Peppermill Hotel Casino, already Reno’s premier casino property, has outlined plans for a $230 million expansion project that promises bring the opulence, luxury amenities and design sensibilities of the most luxurious Las Vegas resort properties to Northern Nevada.

The Tuscan-themed expansion, slated to open in late 2007, will have several components including a 600 room all-suite hotel tower, a 50,000 square foot clear-span convention and entertainment center, a new pool and entertainment area, a new 1,610 space parking garage, a luxurious spa and salon, a large grand entrance and porte cochere, and a new 10,000 square foot, two-story nightclub. In addition, many existing areas of the Peppermill, including the tower rooms and hotel lobby, will be remodeled and updated to match the Tuscan design theme of the new buildings.

The expansion will center on a new 17-story glass hotel tower which will offer Peppermill guests stunning mountain and city views. The tower’s 600 elegantly appointed Tuscan-themed suites will be available in a variety of floor plans, featuring upscale amenities such as foyers, large plasma screen televisions in both the living and bath areas and oversized marble bathrooms with separate water closet, shower and whirlpool tub. The Peppermill will have 1,700 guest rooms upon completion of the expansion.

With the addition of the 50,000 square foot convention and entertainment center the Peppermill will be able to offer 90,000 total square feet of convention and meeting space. The new clear-span structure will be able to accommodate 276 10X10 trade show booths, banquet seating for 3,000 and concert seating for 4,000, and it will also be equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual system suitable for an array of events, including headliner concerts.

The new pool and entertainment area will offer a beautiful Tuscan-styled oasis for Peppermill guests. Situated between the existing Peppermill hotel towers and the new all-suite tower, the pool and entertainment area will feature private cabanas, a poolside area that may be reserved for special events, and light and fountain shows choreographed to music for poolside entertainment. The cabana level rooms on the first floor of the new hotel tower will open directly onto the pool deck, as will a new espresso bar and restaurant located by the convention center.

The new 10,000 square foot spa and salon will be a luxurious retreat for Peppermill hotel guests and locals alike. The salon will be Tuscan-themed, offering an array of spa treatments for men and women, a full-service hair salon and a full specialty nail salon. There will be a convenient parking and a special entrance to the spa so local guests may enter without passing through the casino.

The new parking garage will increase Peppermill’s parking capacity by 1,610 spaces, offering speed ramps for more convenient access and an enclosed skyway connected to the main hotel tower and check-in area. In addition to the parking garage the Peppermill’s entrance will get a face-lift with the construction of a new grand entrance and eight-lane porte cochere. The casino will expand into the area occupied by the existing porte cochere, increasing in size by 14,000 square feet.

The addition of a new 10,000 square foot nightclub will bring Las Vegas style nightlife to the Reno area. The two-story club will build on the Fireside Lounge theme, complete with poolside fire pits, water features and light shows. A 10,000 square foot arcade will also be added to the expansion area. The arcade will feature an interactive game rooms and the latest in video game technology.

Other aspects of the expansion project include moving Romanza Ristorante Italiano to a new and bigger location in the new hotel tower, adjacent to the convention center; remodeling the hotel lobby area, adding escalators that will lead up to a new mezzanine area on the second floor; and the addition of new retail outlets in the hotel lobby area.

The Peppermill expansion is a fantastic plan that shows the confidence Peppermill’s management has in the Reno market. Peppermill Director of

Casino Marketing Bill Hughes says, “Our owners have always been very committed to the Reno-Sparks area and to providing an outstanding experience for our guests. We’re very excited about this expansion, and we believe it will be a great addition to the Reno marketplace.”

With this project the Peppermill will truly set the standard for hotel casinos in northern Nevada. A luxurious resort property, the new Peppermill will be on the same level as the luxurious hotel resorts found in Las Vegas and other major tourist destinations, and it is a project the people of Reno will be proud to have in their community.

“Hey Dave,” I whispered into my cell. “I need you for a second.”

It was just then that I realized what an interesting turn of events my life had taken after I made an innocent deposit of $50 into a PartyPoker.com account two years earlier, while living in my Blackwell dorm room. I was seated in a mafia-owned card room in downtown New York City. My hands were glossed over with grease from a filthy, worn-down table and poker chips that had probably been in use for fifteen years without being washed.

The other four players at the table were all down significant sums of money, and it was all because on this night I couldn’t miss. Everything was just working. Every time I bluffed, they folded. When I was dealt big hands, I got paid off.

They were all not happy, and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and a little scared. I had an army of chips in front of me that spanned from elbow to elbow. I was beginning to worry about actually turning my near-semester-sized-tuition win into cash.

I mean, my future kids need food, clothing, and shelter, right?

“Just come down to the room,” I said to Dave. “I’ll buy you food.” I hung up.

It was almost lunch break for normal people, and I had been there since 11 the night before. I turned back to the table, threw my phone in my pocket, and looked at my next Texas Hold’em hand which was a pretty pair of black kings.

The tired, irritated owner of the club, who was down far more than anyone else, raised to $40 from the small blind before I made it $300 from the big blind. He called me right away which was nothing unusual. He was, and still is, the worst player I have ever played with at these stakes.

The flop came down with a king, a nine and an eight, all with different suits. To my astonishment he stood up, pounded his fist on the table and said one of the most horrifying things I have ever heard.

“You little [expletive],” he bellowed in his eastern-European accent. “You always beat me, but I’m not letting you [expletive] kid beat me again.”

He then shoved his chips all-in for just over $2,500 and began to stare at me. I paused for a few seconds and carefully weighed my options knowing that I had the best hand. Then I folded.

“I’ve had enough tonight guys,” I said cautiously.

Thankfully, Dave arrived shortly and stood by my side while I collected my money. I guess two physically unimposing engineers are better than one, because we walked out onto the busy streets of the city without any problems.

My academic and social experiences at Duke have been awesome, but I have gotten the added bonus of finding this card game that has opened new doors for me. I’ve been able to travel to Vienna, Austria, Paris and London on trips funded by poker. I was forced to learn on the fly how to invest money and pay taxes, and I have also met many of my friends through poker.

After hearing a story like this, you can probably safely rule out the fact that it will be on some pamphlet the admissions office hands out to high-school seniors.

But in my opinion going to college and finding something like poker is what it’s all about, regardless of where it takes you. Many people fill the same void in their life with stuff like sports, a love for movies, academic research or religion. It’s what makes college special.

Now if only I could get that $3,000 back.
by Jason Strasser

Belize, TX, October 03, 2005 --(PR.COM)-- It's out with the old and in with new for stalwart brand 7Sultans Online Casino (http://www.7sultans.com). This leading casino is a renowned online establishment that is attached to the prestigious Fortune Lounge Group. The website has received a dynamic make-over that is set to make it more appealing to the gambling public and it is definitely more alluring to the eye.

7Sultans Online Casino is one of the oldest and most respected online gambling establishments on the Net and it has wracked up its famed reputation as the most spectacular casino because of its mystique and enchanting presentation. You're almost swept off on a magic carpet ride when you download the easy-to-use software which can be done while you surf the 7Sultans Casino website. This will save you time because you no longer have to wait hours to play because registration has now become an almost effortless process.

"Securing players is the art of our game and the upgrade of the 7Sultans site allows us to give players what they want and by so doing, we're making the player experience more memorable. That way players will want to come back for more," says the Director of 7Sultans Marketing, John Hughes.

The new appearance is more magical and gives you a modern look at an Eastern getaway that is the 7Sultans Casino. The website's software has been upgraded and the Fortune Lounge Group has used the feedback taken from its playing public to improve the site. This makes 7Sultans Online Casino more player-friendly and easier to use because it essentially is gambling made simple.

New features on the 7Sultans website include a player's very-own personal assistant, which will be rolled out across all the Fortune Lounge brands. With the Personal Messenger, players will no longer have to open their installed casino software to view important gambling information such as, checking your casino account balance, the 7Sultans Online Casino support team's contact details which features live chat, email and call-back & call centre numbers. You will also be able to link directly to the Fortune Lounge Players Club, review your points balance and redeem your loyalty bonuses. Players can also use the quick-link buttons to review the Fortune Lounge winners' wall and be kept up-to-date with all the latest Fortune Lounge news. The Personal Messenger has also been redesigned to make messages easier to read.

All efforts have been made to enhance the player's experience of the 7Sultans Online Casino site. The idea is to keep their appeal young and fresh and thereby, allow more people to engage with this popular brand.

At 96, Chuck Elrod is an original.

He's the last founding member of a group of mailmen who gathered regularly to play poker starting the 1950s.

He still plays twice a month, joined now by family and friends.

ADVERTISMENT

In an age when poker has been turned into TV reality shows, and high-stakes online gamblers spend millions, Elrod and the seven others who play twice a month say they are baffled by the newfound popularity of the age-old game.

Playing is one thing, watching another.

"I think it's stupid. It gets tiresome to sit there and watch them," Elrod says. "There's not a lot of action."

That's precisely what keeps him and his group coming together every second Wednesday for a night of cards, camaraderie and competition.

Today, the group spans generations and welcomes women, but the original poker group started with eight mailmen, Elrod says, give or take one.

Other details are foggy. But Alvin Brudvig says he joined a few years after the original group formed, and the two men have been poker buddies ever since.

As they gather on Wednesday for poker night, Elrod is winded after climbing the stairs to the home of Robyn Anderson, who hosted the game. He inhales deeply from the pale green oxygen tube tucked in his nostrils, then adjusts his hearing aid while his son slings the portable oxygen tank over the back of his chair. He scoots his chair slightly and smooths his plaid shirt.

"I haven't lost a dime," he jokes before the game starts.

Brudvig, 90, arrives amid a chorus of greetings, sets his quad cane aside and slips into a chair next to Elrod. They greet each other with a smile and a nod.

The rest of the group finds their way to chairs and settles in. They recount the past in fits and starts, but dates and particulars are hazy, easily embroidered and frequently contradicted.

"We're an inbred group," says Ilan Kinsley, 83, laughing. But it works.

The club history runs sort of like this - awhile after the group started, Elrod brought along his son, Skip, 69, and he stayed. When the original guys started dying, Brudvig brought in his daughter-in-law, Jeanne Brudvig, making the set officially coed in the 1980s (or thereabouts).

Jeanne Brudvig brought in her mother, Kinsley, and her sister, Anderson, 59, who brought in her daughter, Kristen Bolger, 39, the baby of the game.

Milt Ellis, 66, is a friend and rounds out the group.

With a fan twirling overhead and knees nearly touching under a round oak table, the eight players slap cards, trade jibes and toss chips.

Two bucks worth of red, white and blue chips are stacked in front of each player. Flipped chips create hollow clinks on the table while the match flows effortlessly through games called Red Rooster, Fargo Hootnanny, 1333, and 49 or Nothing.

"Our family played cards our whole life," Kinsley says. "I remember we had kids around the table playing for jelly beans."

Brudvig played penny ante when he was 18. "I stayed with a Catholic family and, boy, did they like to play poker. If you went home with a nickel, you felt pretty good."

The past-time was so pervasive in Jeanne Brudvig's family her kindergarten teacher questioned her counting skills when she recited her numbers: "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine-10-jack-queen-king."

Besides being a competitive outlet, the game is a springboard for the friendships that have brewed over the years. Jeanne Brudvig's philosophy is straightforward: "It's the people you play with," not the game. "We've been playing for years and years and we're still friends."

The players razz each other and offer tips with every hand. But as the game wears on, Kinsley's luck hasn't kicked in yet, and she's down to a couple of tokens. Tossing a losing hand she grouses, "I guess I won't be eating tomorrow."

"Awww," moaned the others.

"A lot of whining goes on at this table," Kinsley cracks, "and there's no sympathy."

None of them play for the money. "The most I ever won was $8," Elrod says.

But the others quibble.

"Well, maybe it was $18," he says, pulling a pile of chips toward the stack after a winning hand.
By Dorene Weinstein

While this might seem silly to some, there is actually merit to the question, "Where is the best place to sit at a poker table?"

I'm not talking about closest to the bathroom or to the fridge; I'm talking about where the best place is for you to sit at the table in relation to certain types of players.

If you've played poker, you know that people approach the game in different ways. You have experienced players and novices, aggressive types and conservative competitors. Eventually you'll meet them all at the table, and knowing which seat offers you the best chance for winning can only improve your game.

There is a general rule when picking your seat that you should abide by: You want the most difficult players on your right. With that understood, here's where you should try to be for each type of player.

• Conservative or tight players — These rocks are no real threat to you, so, abiding by the general rule, you shouldn't really care all that much where they sit. Ideally, you'd want these players to your left so you can pick on their blinds. If they happen to play with you when you've entered the pot, you can be sure they have a strong hand. Act accordingly. That wouldn't always be true with the next group of players.
• Aggressive players — These are the players you need to worry about. An aggressive player on your left means you're somewhat handcuffed. You have to play a little more conservatively because having that monster behind you means you don't know what he'll do until after you've acted.
You'll always prefer the aggressive players on your right so you can keep an eye on them and then punish them when they get out of line. Basically, you'll be able to use your position to exploit the aggressive player.

If you have a seating choice, when facing both an aggressive and a conservative player, sit right between them with the tighter player on your left.

Things get trickier when you're figuring out where to sit when playing either a novice or an experienced player because you'll want both on your right to some degree.

• Novice players — If you are playing with a rookie, chances are the rook is going to make lots of mistakes, and you want to be in there. By sitting on the left you'll have the opportunity to see whether he or she enters the pot. Because you'll have position, you can manipulate the novice much easier and force him or her into even more mistakes.
According to the general rule, you'll want players you worry about on your right. But in this case you aren't worried about the novice because you can control or exploit him better if you sit on his left.

• Experienced players — It depends on how good the experienced players are, but generally they surprise you less often than a novice player. They most likely will play fundamentally sound, which, while more predictable, doesn't necessarily make it easier for you. You'll want a tough, aggressive experienced player sitting on your right. You'll want the conservative experienced player on your left.
You're not always going to be able to pick your seat — especially in a tournament — so it's important to know how to play against novice and aggressive opponents when they are seated to your left.

With a novice on your left, you'll have fewer opportunities, but you don't need to change strategy.

With the aggressive player on your left, however, you'll need to respect the fact that position is power, and because this competitor has it you must concede your relative weakness a little bit and play accordingly.

From time to time, look to set traps for the aggressive player by slow-playing strong hands. This should help keep him or her from breathing down your neck on a regular basis. Other than that, just tighten up a bit and wait for a better situation to arise — such as switching seats.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,
Does it make any difference on a slot machine if I pull the handle or
push the spin button? If a machine recently hit for a decent sized
jackpot, should I avoid that machine? Lastly, if I get up from a
machine and the next player hits a jackpot, would that have been mine?
Jean B.

Readers are either going to nod in agreement with what I’m about to
write, or stay in defiance. The choice is yours, my friends, but I’m
still going to debunk three of the most common slot myths there are.

First of all, pressing the spin button or yanking the handle has no
bearing on the outcome of a spin. The handle is nothing more than a
connection to the switch that operates the spin button.

As to your second question on the machine that just hit: is it still
just as worth playing as it was before the hit. The answer, Jean, is
Yes, and that it makes no difference. Although the laws of probability
dictate that the more any machine is played, the closer it comes to a
jackpot hitting, it is equally likely that a jackpot could hit at any
given moment, including the very next spin.

Finally, as to the "Just whose jackpot is it?" question -- well, Jean,
it’s not yours, it’s the dude’s who’s parked in front of the machine
and who pressed the spin button. "Why?" she screams, "I’m the one who
set it up!" Because, I reply somberly, all modern slot machines come
equipped with random number generators, with symbol combinations
constantly changing every millisecond from the time you insert the coin
until you hit the spin button. That makes the jackpot his, not yours.

Dear Mark,
Your column recently mentioned average payback percentages of slot
machines across America. What you didn’t mention, but I’m guessing to
be true, is that it is better to play video poker than slots. Am I
right or wrong? Susan L.

Choosing between video poker and slots is a no-brainer. A video poker
machine will spit more silver your way. Even WAG (wild-ass guessing)
play on a video poker machine will generate a better return than is
available through most "reel" slot machines.

Every video poker and slot machine has a built’in house edge working in
their favor with each coin inserted. This is how the casino goes about
extracting money from players in order to stay in business. Skilled
players can cut the house advantage to near zero, or, dare I say it,
swing the odds in their favor when they play perfect basic strategy on
select video poker machines. Compare this to the “up to” 15% hold the
casino can have with slots.

The bottom line, Susan, is that the lesser the house edge, the more
favorable the game is for the player. Video poker, in general, carries
a much smaller casino advantage than almost all slot machines do.

Big Correction: My mailbag informed me that there was much confusion,
and rightly so, over my answer to Sam’s question about laying the four
for $100, which he claimed gave him 2 to 1 in his favor when the seven
hits. He also stated that he finds this an easy way to make a $100.

Recapping, with a Lay bet you are betting against the player and with
the house and hoping that a 7 appears before the point number of 4
rolls out. Lay bets are paid off at true odds, minus the house’s 5% on
the amount won. When Sam Lays the 4 (or 10), Sam would have to Lay $200
to win $100, minus a 5% commission. As for “2 to 1” in his favor, I
should have been more descriptive in stating that the seven can appear
in six different combinations with a pair of dice as opposed to only
three combinations with the four. That’s the 2 to 1 in his favor. I
went off on some tomfool tantrum that Sam couldn’t buck the 2.44% house
edge with that wager and missed some obvious errors in his question.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "It's not easy losing $10,000 because an
eighteen-year-old freshman choked on two free throws late in the game."
--Chad Millman, "The Odds"
By Mark Pilarksi

BEFORE I GET into it, you should know that, from here on in, all the words and phrases in this column surrounded by quotes are the - much beloved by me - local London lingo. For those of you who have already guessed it, "bloody right,'' this piece is about a little UK poker!

While in London last weekend shooting three parts of a reality show (the "UltimatePoker.com Showdown''), I thought it would be a treat to make an appearance at a poker club, out of respect and "honour'' for the United Kingdom's poker scene and its players. So at 3 a.m. on Sunday night, after filming the reality show's finale, I strolled into the Gutshot Club in London's west end to say hello. By the way, a "gutshot'' is an inside-straight draw, or more precisely, a one-card straight draw. (You may remember when your granddaddy told you, "Never draw to an inside-straight,'' and wondered what he meant.)

Once I arrived, I found the club quite "lovely,'' and they even had a regular table named "Hellmuth,'' which I thought was absolutely "spot on!'' Of course, the players and management urged me to play in the local game, which was a blind pot-limit Hold 'em game, with a 50-"quid'' (pounds) buy-in. I sat down, threw four $100 bills to the dealer and said, "Deal me in!'' The $400 amounted to 222 quid, and the game was on!

Player X opened for 7 pounds, and I called with 10d-7d. Three other players called, and the flop came down 8d-6s-5d, which was a huge flop for me. I had an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw, and a nine would make me the deluxe end of the straight.

Player X bet out 25 pounds into the 35-pound pot, and it was my turn to act. I certainly wasn't folding this hand, which left calling or raising it up as my only options. If I called the bet, I might be letting Player X hit a card like an ace or a queen, which might make him a pair or two pair, and then I would be forced to call his next bet (perhaps a pot-sized bet) as an underdog. But if I raised it up, then I would have a good chance to win the pot right then and there; and even if he called my raise, or moved me all-in, I still had a ton of winning cards. I mean, how much of an underdog could I possibly be here?

So I called the 25-pound bet and raised it up 85 pounds more - the biggest possible raise, because in pot limit you only can bet the size of the pot. Player X now called me fairly quickly, which meant he had something fairly strong - he certainly had 10-high beat! The next card was the 10s, and Player X checked. The 10s wasn't my best card (a non-diamond nine would have been better), but it was certainly "emm,'' an "excellent'' card for me. Now I could beat any other pair on the board, like eights, sixes, or fives, and I still had my straight draw and flush draw working for me.

So I moved all-in for my last 110 pounds, and Player X called me. By the rules of Hold 'em in the States, we flip our hands face up when we are all-in, but this was London. I flipped my hand face up, and waited while the last card was dealt. Because I didn't know what Player X had in his hand (he had opted to keep his cards face down), I didn't know what I was rooting for, or against, on the last card! The last card proved to be the 5c, for a final board of 8d-6s-5d-10s-5c. Now my opponent said, "Emm, that's good,'' meaning that I had won the pot.

"Gutshot'' is:

A) an inside-straight draw;

a poker club in London;

C) a hand grandpa said you should never play;

D) all of the above.

Answer: d.
By Phil Helmuth

LAS VEGAS -- The Nevada Gaming Commission on Tuesday approved the sale of the Golden Nugget casinos to Landry's Restaurants Inc., marking the dining company's first foray into the highly competitive gambling industry.

With the commission's OK, the Houston-based company will take over the Golden Nugget properties in downtown Las Vegas and Laughlin. Landry's paid $140 million and assumed $155 million in debt for the hotel-casinos.

The sale, announced in February, was expected to be completed Tuesday, Tilman Fertitta, Landry's chairman and chief executive, said after the commission approved the deal.

Fertitta said his company would begin renovating the Golden Nugget Las Vegas immediately and start an expansion next year that could cost $150 million to $200 million.

Fertitta wants to expand the casino's gambling floor, add upscale restaurants, a 1,200-seat showroom and a build 400-room hotel tower. He expects work to be completed within the next two years.

The Golden Nugget Las Vegas will be Landry's biggest asset, and Fertitta, a brash but affable Texan, said it will get "a lot of tender loving care."

Built in 1946, it's the largest of the 14 hotel-casinos in the downtown area.

The commission, which licensed Landry's key executives including Fertitta, seemed upbeat about Landry's purchase of the properties from the previous owners, Timothy Poster and Thomas Breitling of the Poster Financial Group.

Under the Poster Group, gambling analysts said it had been underperforming because the pair had embarked on a risky strategy of luring high rollers who exposed the casino to serious losses.

Fertitta told the commission that he would discontinue that strategy and go after the "masses and some of the classes." He was adamant about improving the bottom line at both properties.

"The Golden Nugget does not operate at a very high level right now and it hasn't for years," Fertitta said.

"We definitely need to take it up a notch and we're going to try to do it. We talk the talk but we will walk the walk," he said.

Fertitta said he expects to increase Golden Nugget revenues by 25 percent by 2008. He assured the commission that the properties would be successful. Management, he said, will be held accountable.

"If these horses aren't able to do it, I'll get some new horses," he said.

Fertitta told the commission that success would take time.

"It ain't going to happen overnight," he said. But "I think y'all are going to be pleasantly surprised."

Landry's owns and operates more than 300 restaurants, including Landry's Seafood House, Joe's Crab Shack, Willie G's Seafood & Steakhouse and The Chart House. It employs 36,000 people and had $1.2 billion in revenue in 2004.

NEW YORK, Sept. 26 /PRNewswire/ - After battling 3,900 opponents online, Lee Biddulph, a 28 year old chef from Blackpool, England has walked away with $1 million dollars, the winner of ParadisePoker.com's first Million Dollar Free online poker tournament. This is the world's largest online poker tournament prize ever, and it was absolutely free to participate!

The final table, which was played out in a mystery tropical location, was made up of nine amateurs, eight from the U.S. who beat out almost four thousand players at ParadisePoker.com. In the end, it came down to a showdown between Biddulph and Mike Darweesh, a software engineer who processes images from Mars, and lives in Tempe, Arizona.

After seven hours of play at the final table, Biddulph revealed the tension. "Even my teeth are shaking," he said as he played the final hand.

On the second to last hand minutes before, both players checked right through to the river, facing a board with four diamonds. Darweesh led with a bet of $200,000. Biddulph thought for a moment before reraising it up to $600,000. Darweesh called, and flipped over a 9 of diamonds. Biddulph turned over the 10 of diamonds and took the pot with a higher flush.

Darweesh rose to his feet as the final hand caused an eruption from the previously silent crowd. Both players were all in before the flop, and as they revealed their hole cards the crowd saw that Darweesh had queen/nine and Biddulph had the dominant ace/ten. The first card from the deck was an ace, which sent the crowd into a further frenzy. The remaining cards on the flop were a 6 and 3. The turn card produced an 8 - sending Biddulph into shock and sending tears streaming down his girlfriend Debbie's face. The river showed another 6, and it was over.

"Paradise Poker is a great experience at the best of times, but throw $1 million in to the pot and make it a freeroll for amateurs and you discover a whole new crowd able to challenge the best of the pros", said Bruce Stubbs, marketing director, Paradise Poker. "Lee played brilliantly, he started the final table with less chips -- $1.58 million to Mike's $2.72 million and came out a winner.

"In the end - the $1 Million Freeroll Tournament has been a historic event, lots of fun and ample opportunity for online poker players who want to try out their skills with the best of amateurs. Our second $1 Million Freeroll Tournament is already in progress," Stubbs added.

All finalists received an all expenses paid weekend to a five star resort in Costa Rica for themselves and a guest, as well as receiving $10,000 just for making it to the final table.

To find out more about ParadisePoker.com and the how to participate in the second $1,000,000 Freeroll Tournament visit: www.paradisepoker.com

Lately, it seems poker is everywhere. From how-to books and cable channels to the Internet, odds are if you're hankering to learn, play or just watch poker, you'll be able to do it anywhere - in Arizona or London.

Which is exactly what Jason Smith, 28, of Chandler, is banking on while he is in England this week playing in the World Speed Poker Open, where he has the chance to win $90,000.

"It's really the competition," he said, just before his trip. "Being able to outthink someone else, making a play when you don't have the best hand and winning, just being able to do that is the most appealing" about the game he has been playing for eight years.

His experience, and that of other top players in the world, will be chronicled by the English satellite network and the tournament sponsor, the Poker Channel.

Smith, a self-employed truck driver who works with FedEx, won his chance to take part in the London tournament in August, when he entered a $20 no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament online at Party poker.com. He and five others won a five-night trip to London, the $3,000 entry fee and $1,500, which he used on airfare for him and his wife, Terri. "It's a short trip," said Terri, 30. But hopefully, we're going to do some sightseeing."

Until now, Smith had mostly played with his buddies, with the hobby growing from "nickel-and-dime" games to the now popular Texas Hold 'em tournament style.

"It really evolved from a bunch of guys playing once a month to a bunch of guys and their families playing every weekend," he said. "We have a group of about 20 people. It's the husbands, the wives, girlfriends, it's everybody; we even got the mothers and the mothers-in-law playing."
By Lars Jacoby

09/25/2005, Minneapolis, Minnesota -- Pokerbeat, an exciting, informative and fresh new television show, is now in the final stages of production in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than two years in development and orchestrated by experts in gaming content, Pokerbeat offers a stylish and unique glimpse into the world of professional poker play. The episodes will showcase top competitors and industry insiders while delivering up-to-the-minute poker news in a fast-paced, magazine-style 30-minue format.

Pokerbeat takes up where poker tournament programming leaves off, taking an innovative approach that is not be found in traditional poker coverage.

“We’re not TV people making a poker show, we’re POKER people making a TV show.” explains Michael Hochman, one of the show’s creators. He, along with content developer Annie Adlin and co-creator Matthew Kaphan are assembling some of the hottest names, and hottest players in the business.

“What makes this show so incredibly unique is a combination of insight and innovation that cannot be duplicated with smoke and mirrors”, says Adlin. “This show is produced by poker enthusiasts for poker enthusiasts. Everyone involved, from the ‘gopher’ to the executive producers – All poker players. “We all knew what we were looking for, and were very precise about the information we are packaging. We are confident that all poker fans will embrace this distinctive style of programming.”

Dan Goldman, vice president of marketing for PokerStars.com, attempts to explain the red-hot phenomenon documented by this show. “There has been a lot of poker on TV in the past few years, and a lot of online and print news stories about poker, but no one – until now – had managed to catch on to a fundamental missing piece: Covering poker as news in a light-hearted, TV newsmagazine format,” he says. “Pokerbeat is as exciting and as revolutionary, in its own way, as the World Poker Tour.”

Among the first season’s guests on Pokerbeat are familiar names and faces: Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, Chip & Karina Jett, Russ Hamilton, Linda Johnson, Tom McEvoy, Matt Savage, Howard Schwartz from the Gambler’s Book Club, and Evelyn Ng. Pokerbeat is primarily being filmed in Las Vegas at Wynn Las Vegas, Sunset Station, and The Plaza. A studio produced newscast will add up-to-the-minute tournament results and industry news to an impressive array of guests, events and comedy sketches.

Producers of PokerBeat include: Annie Adlin, Michael Hochman, Matthew Kaphan and Lisa Tenner.

Pokerbeat is scheduled to premiere in November of 2005.
Airing on FSN New England Sundays at 4pm EST
and America One Sports on Wednesdays at 11:30pm EST
For more information visit Pokerbeat at www.pokerbeat.com.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., Sept. 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- College Poker Championship(tm) (http://www.collegepoker.com), the world's largest online college poker tournament, introduces its third annual competition today at Penn State University. The search is on for the world's best college poker players as College Poker Championship III launches with its largest prize package ever, including $200,000 in scholarships, $10,000 in charity donations and four brand new cars.

College Poker Championship is a free online tournament open to registered college and university students worldwide. With weekly Sunday night qualifying events now through May 7, 2006, the third annual event is the largest, fiercest collegiate Texas Hold'em, No Limit competition held to date. Students from around the world will battle for the coveted title and scholarship funds.

"Poker has exploded in popularity especially among college students," said Lou Krieger, host of College Poker Championship. ``Each year, College Poker Championship allows thousands of students to practice and hone their poker skills in a safe and fun environment.''

For the first time in the third annual tournament, College Poker Championship will be segmented into 10 conferences: North America (Canada, Northeast, Mid Atlantic, Midwest, South, Southwest and West), United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the rest of the world. Each Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EST, students will play to become part of the top five percent who will advance to their online conference semi-finals, and ultimately, the one person who will go on to represent their conference in the championship tournament where the remaining $135,000 will be on the line.

Students will also have the opportunity to compete against other schools within their conference and on a conference-to-conference basis by earning points in the Campus Rivalry Challenge. In the 2005 competition, Penn State outplayed 2,400 other schools and is now known as the campus with the strongest poker players and the one to beat in this year's rivalry.

Other new additions in the tournament include the Win-A-Car Points Challenge, which will award a brand new car or the cash equivalent to four lucky students every eight weeks throughout the competition. In North America, players will also have the opportunity to win a wild card entry into the North American Conference Final.

Look for Chad Flood, a junior at the University of Minnesota -- Twin Cities, to defend his title as the World's Best College Poker Player. Last year, Flood outplayed 25,000 students from 55 countries earning a $41,000 academic scholarship and a $1,000 donation to the American Diabetes Association.

"I'm already logged on and ready to play," said Flood. "The College Poker Championship has been a great experience for me in the last couple of years and the tournaments are a lot of fun. I look forward to defending my title."

About the College Poker Championship

The College Poker Championship(tm) (http://www.collegepoker.com) is open to registered college and university students worldwide to determine the World's Best College Poker Player. Entry into the tournament is free of charge, with all events being played with tournament chips. No purchase is required. College Poker Championship supports students' educational endeavors with scholarships worth $200,000, charity donations and champions the use of poker as a strategic learning tool.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The joke was on the comedians when Phil "Unabomber" Laak showcased his poker skills against jokers and poker aces in the finale of POKER ROYALE: COMEDIANS VS. PROS. Laak triumphed and took home the final pot of $50,000.

The series came down to a heads-up game between Laak and fellow poker pro Kathy Kolbert. Kolbert had gained momentum by winning the second to last hand, but needed to quickly double up. On the last hand, Laak was the first to act with pocket sixes, then flopped three of a kind with a 6/4/A, leaving Kolberg with pocket queens. After getting no help from the turn, she needed a queen on the river to stay in, but a ten came up and Laak won the hand and game.

Playing against Laak and Kolberg at the final table were Linda Johnson (third woman in history to win a World Series of Poker bracelet), Tammy Pescatelli ("Last Comic Standing"), Sue Murphy ("Wanda Does It," "The Jeff Foxworthy Show"), and Mark Curry ("Fat Actress," "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper").

POKER ROYALE: COMEDIANS VS. PROS is part of GSN's Casino Night, airing every Friday at 10:00PM ET/PT. Laak will be featured in the upcoming THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS IN POKER ROYALE premiering on Friday, October 7 at 10:00PM ET/PT.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN has allowed viewers to play-along with on-air programming via their computers and GSN.com for some time. The recent launch of GSNi (GSN Interactive) has taken interactivity to the next level, affording viewers the chance to play-along with TV shows using only their remote controls. Reaching more than 57 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

Dear Mark,
In a poker room, is a player ever allowed to make decisions regarding rules of the game? I have actually seen it happen where a dealer let a bossy player settle a dispute. I am curious as to who is in charge settling disagreements. John P.

You didn’t mention, John, the particular cardroom or casino where you witnessed this occurrence, but I can tell you with reasonable certainty, that the inmates don’t get to run the asylum.

In gamblese, this type of overbearing meathead is called a " Table Captain,” a tongue-in-cheek term denoting the player who takes it upon him-or-herself to mediate all disputes and officiate in all other matters requiring interpretation of the rules and the wise crafting of decisions.

Those of us who enjoy a private game around our kitchen table all know, and quite possibly dislike, such an officious player. Fortunately in a cardroom, games are dealt by house dealers, whose handicraft is not only to pitch cards, but also to settle squabbles. If his or her decisions are challenged, a floor supervisor is always there to arbitrate any quibbles players may have.

Dear Mark,
At our Thursday night "friendly" poker game, we play just about every form of poker imaginable. A newcomer to our game introduced a new version when it was his deal and he called it Tahoe Pineapple. The dealer stated you play it the same way you play Pineapple (which I’ve never played) and only the name Tahoe is added. Being that you once lived at Lake Tahoe, have you ever heard of such a game, and is it exactly the same as Pineapple? Dusty R.

Ah, Tahoe! "Every day a picnic, every night a party," -- a quote, by the way, I coined years ago, perhaps eventually to appear on my tombstone, and the only quotation I would ever want attributed to my name. Damn, do I miss the Lake. Back in the day, it was like living in a beer commercial.

Anyhow, yep, Dusty, there is such a game, also aptly called, for those of us ski bums who live/lived there, Lazy Pineapple. And yes, there is a difference, so it's best I first describe the rules of Pineapple, then sketch in the slight distinction of the variant.

Pineapple is a form of Hold 'em in which each player begins with three downcards, followed by a round of betting. After the first round of wagering has occurred, each player discards one of the downcards, and then the first three community cards are flopped. At this point, the game resumes like run-of-the mill Hold 'em.

The variant of Pineapple called Tahoe Pineapple has the exact same rules with but one exception. Players do not discard any of their three downcards. At the showdown, players can use none, one, or two of their downcards, but not all three to form, in combination with the five community cards, their best five-card hand.

Tahoe High-Low is Tahoe Pineapple played high-low split. When played this way, a different set of cards can be used for each direction, but no more than two for either direction.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “There are card players and racetrack betters who are genuine professionals, but no one makes a profession out of shooting craps.” Peter L. Bernstein, Against The Odds
By Mark Pilarski

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The third day of action at the Borgata Poker Open, part of the World Poker Tour, saw another round of intense battling as the field tried to make moves and secure their position in one of the top six final spots. Sixty-two players began the action at 11 a.m., but it wasn't long before players began to drop like flies.

The drama of the event was heightened throughout the day by the looming fact that only 45 players would make the money. Unfortunately for 17 players, their three day efforts became all for naught as they watched their dreams of a World Poker Tour title slip away.

With a $1.5 million first-place prize awaiting the winner, players adjusted their game performance and did their best to capitalize on the opportunities to advance as they presented themselves. Several players lost big hands on questionable calls, which only intensified the action as players focused on playing both their opponents and the random cards they were being dealt.

As players were eliminated, the action became more of a chess match than a wild all-in blowout. The poker faces of some of the best players in the game eventually cracked as the night wore on and several prominent pros made exits that clearly left them unsatisfied.

The action continued until 4:54 a.m., when J.C. Tran was eliminated in a three-way pot. His queens were not enough to take down Al Ardabelli's aces, giving him the seventh place spot and almost $200,000.

The crowd cheered as the final six players of the WPT main event were announced. Leading the pack is David Singer, best known for his ninth-place finish in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, with $3,200,000 in chips. Close on his heels is pro John D'Agostino with $2,295,000.

Robert "Action Bob" Hwang of Clark, N.J., who earlier in the week won the 2005 Borgata Poker Open $1500 buy-in event collecting $129,600, is sitting pretty with $1,795,000 in chips.

Al Ardebili, who finally ended the almost 18-hour marathon, has $1,425,000 in chips while Kathy Leibert, currently ranked second on the women's all-time money list, is set for another huge cash win as she hopes to carry over her stellar play to the final table. She will start with $1,045,000 in chips and poses a serious threat to the bigger stacks.

The short stack at the table is Richard Festejo with $540,000. Festejo is best known for finishing in the top ten in a number of lower buy-in events across the country.

The final table begins today at 5 p.m. and will air on the Travel Channel in the coming months.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- It's an old-fashioned "choose up sides" poker showdown between Hollywood superstar James Woods' team and poker pro Phil Laak's team in THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS IN POKER ROYALE. Premiering on Friday, October 7 at 10:00PM ET/PT, poker enthusiasts will now be able to enjoy two hours of the best poker players in action every Friday night on GSN.

In THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS IN POKER ROYALE, veteran actor James Woods ("Pretty Persuasion," "Rudy," "Casino") and Phil "The Unabomber" Laak (placed 1st in the 2004 World Poker Tour Main Event and host of E!'s Hollywood Hold 'Em) choose their own teams to battle it out over seven episodes.

Filmed at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California, the series features a prize-pot topping $75,000 and bragging rights as to who captained the best team.

On Woods' team are Kathy Liebert (ranked in the top 20 players of all time, winner of POKER ROYALE: BATTLE OF THE SEXES), Bob Goen (Entertainment Tonight), Ted Forrest (five World Series of Poker bracelets), Susie Isaacs (two World Series of Poker bracelets) and Nicole Sullivan (Mad TV, The King of Queens).

Playing for the Unabombers are Jennifer Tilly (2005 WSOP Women's Final Table bracelet winner), Cyndy Violette (1st Place 2004 World Series of Poker Seven Card Stud), Danny Masterson (That 70's Show), Hassan Habib (2nd Place 2004 World Poker Tour Championship) and Gail O'Grady (NYPD Blue, American Dreams).

In recent years Woods has taken the world of poker by storm, and is a force to be reckoned with not only on the big screen. He plays regularly in Hollywood home games and has respect among his poker peers.

Laak is known on the poker circuit as "The Unabomber" for playing in hooded sweatshirts and sunglasses. He is one of the most animated players at the table, jumping around and kneeling beside the dealer while waiting for the river. He coined the term "I felted him" -- leaving the last person at the table with just the felt in front of them and recently finished second in the 2005 World Series of Poker Pot Limit Hold'Em event.

Returning as host is John Ahlers with sideline reporter Lisa Dergan. Providing expert analysis is professional poker player Robert Williamson III.

The team captains decide which players participate in each match at the coveted final table. All players play a minimum of three games, earning points based on where they finish, hoping to bluff, call and check their fearless challengers. First place in each match earns ten points, second place receives eight points, third place is six points, fourth place is four points, fifth place receives two points. The team with the highest points from the qualifying matches has a chip count advantage going into the finale.

THE JAMES WOODS GANG VS. THE UNABOMBERS IN POKER ROYALE is part of GSN's poker franchise POKER ROYALE. The series airs every Friday at 10:00PM as part of GSN's Casino Night and has included COMEDIANS VS. PROS, YOUNG BLOODS SPECIAL (LIVE), CELEBRITIES VS. PROS, BATTLE OF THE SEXES and THE WPPA CHAMPIONSHIP.

POKER ROYALE is produced by Jeff Mirkin Productions in association with ArmFitz Productions. Maureen FitzPatrick, Jeff Mirkin and John Faratzis serve as executive producers.

ATLANTIC CITY -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Energy levels among players and guests at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa rose early Monday morning as the hotel welcomed players of the World Poker Tour (WPT) main event.

The highly regarded tournament series recorded the largest turnout of players in the history of Atlantic City casinos with over 500 players ponying up $10,000 for a shot at the biggest pool prize in Borgata Poker Open history.

Spectators were treated to some intriguing tables as a number of top pros matched up the first round of this four-day event. Legends T.J. Cloutier and Amir Vahidi traded stories and tried to take each other's chips at one table, while reigning poker queen Jennifer Tilly faced Carlos Mortenson and Mike "the Mouth" Matasow on another.

One thing was certain, there was no shortage of the game's best players for the WPT main event, as top players from across the world took time out of busy schedules to compete.

Players like Daniel Negeanu (2004 WPT Player of the Year and winner of the 2004 Borgata Poker Open), Phil "the Unabomber" Laak, Phil Ivey, David "the Dragon" Pham, Maciek "Michael" Gracz, Ted Forrest, and current leader in CardPlayer magazine's player of the year race, John Phan, mixed with other seasoned veterans to try and score a Borgata Poker Open bracelet, WPT title, and an enormous first-place payday.

The men weren't the only ones having fun on the first day of competition. Several women immediately challenged their male opponents. Clonie Gowen, Evelyn Ng, Cindy Violette and Tilly, both a World Series of Poker champion and WPT champion, quickly showed the men they were not to be underestimated.

Even Godsmack lead singer Sully Erna got in on the action as he tried to take his musical skills and apply them to the changing rhythms of poker. Erna, who played drums for many years before he assumed his role as leader of one of today's biggest rock bands, may have felt at home listening to the melodic sound of chips being shuffled by almost every player at the tables.

Play will only get more dramatic as the pressure of playing top-level poker rises. Day two looks to be even more intense than day one as chip leaders try to continue winning and short stacks begin to risk everything in the hope of getting back into the game.

Finally, someone who has put a Georgia Tech education to work on the big stuff.

Like, say, the human dynamics of rock-paper-scissors.

"I play a lot of high stakes rock-paper-scissors," begins Phil Gordon, 35-year-old Yellow Jacket/poker raconteur. "Played for $10,000 one time [and won]. It's actually a game of skill, much like poker. You think that it's random, but it's not. Human beings are not good randomizers; they always fall into patterns. If I know which way you're going, you can't win.

"In a Chicago bar, a guy went off for $2,200 against me. I had to loan him $20 for cab fare. That was fantastic. He went paper every time."

On his five-city tour, which ended here with one last Degree All-In Poker Experience on Tuesday at the ESPN Zone, Gordon hasn't had much chance to actually play poker. That doesn't mean there hasn't been plenty of action.

At the Chicago stop, he got an opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game. A group of friends bet him $10,000 he wouldn't throw a strike.

"That's controversial. Nobody's paying," Gordon said. "The catcher did not move. It was not bounced. He did not have to move, but there is a small controversy on whether he set up outside.

"The group of degenerates I have to hang out with, who are my friends, they want to bet on everything."

These are the side effects to the life Gordon has chosen, merely a couple more anecdotes on a heaping pile. But, please, never refer to Gordon as a gambler. "I am a strategic investor. Poker to me is not gambling. It's like picking stocks. The best stock pickers pick six out of 10 right. The best poker players get their money in with the best hand six out of 10. Do that over a long period of time you'll come out way ahead."

Who could have guessed any of this from a tall skinny kid who left Redan High School early to begin classes at Georgia Tech at 15? He didn't wear a pocket protector but, "I was the quintessential geek."

Let's see, from there it went something like this: Took a year off to travel the country playing bridge. Got his degree at 20. Worked on military technology for a couple of years, then moved to a start-up tech company in California and came away with a couple mil after the bubble burst. Traveled the world, dived with sharks, climbed Kilimanjaro. Embarked on a fantasy tour of America's great sporting events, visiting 140 of them in a year.

For all that, it is poker where Gordon has made his mark. He has ridden that boom better than most. His résumé claims he has won more than $1.5 million playing tournament poker. He hosts "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo, has produced an instructional DVD, published one book and is ready to launch another, a little green book of advice doled out in morsels.

Having moved to Las Vegas, Gordon's connection to Atlanta has weakened. At least this tour allowed him to visit Tech on a football Saturday and renew ties to the alma mater. See kids, study hard and you, too, could pay off all your student loans with the right river card.

By his reckoning, this no-limit Texas hold-em poker thing has at least a couple more years of growth left in it before going the way of the hula hoop. And, if someone is going to capitalize on the craze, it might as well be him.

Of course, no guilt about leading others down the road to sin and ruin. "Most people aren't playing this to go pro. They just want to get better at this game, want to get better to kick their friends' butts on Wednesday night for their $5 buy-in. These guys aren't thinking they're going to move to Las Vegas and sit down at a table with Howard Lederer and Phil Ivey."

That said, then how about one tip from the pro: "People get a false view of no-limit by watching on television. The thing they don't understand is that's an edited broadcast. In a two-hour show, Bravo will show 25 hands, but the tournament will last 80. They're only showing the 25 with action. These guys watch on television and think every hand's an all-in.

"It's a different game than you see on television. Very rarely do they show on TV what is the norm, which is someone raising and everyone folds."

The guy makes an astounding claim that he has yet to turn in a net losing year at the tables. Still, he has not won a World Series of Poker event, and that remains one of Gordon's goals. Yes, he still has some left.

For another, Gordon wants to expand his broadcasting career. Take comfort in knowing that there will be expert commentary available on that inevitable day when Loretta Swit and Sherman Hemsley square off in "Celebrity Rock-Paper-Scissors."
By STEVE HUMMER

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Attention: "Average Joe" Poker Players. Finally, here's your chance to play against other recreational poker players for a shot at the world's top poker pros and nearly $40 million in prize and bonus money in your own televised tournament series.

It's ProJo Poker and the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City will play host to 26 weekly tournaments beginning Wednesday, Sept. 21 and running through January 18, 2006. Winners will advance to the ProJo Poker National Championships in Las Vegas in February, 2006.

The ProJo Poker Tournament Series is geared specifically to the 80 million recreational poker players in the United States who don't have a true tournament series they can call their own. The series utilizes ProJo Poker's proprietary tournament format where ranked professional poker players cannot play in the tournament's early stages, only "average Joes" can play -- until the top eight "Joe's" in the tournament are seated at a semi-final table.

"Tropicana is the natural place to host the first ProJo Poker Tournament Series for the Eastern Regionals," said Scott Griffin, Tropicana Casino and Resort's poker manager. "Our poker room is one of the most popular in Atlantic City and was the first in the city to offer daily tournaments. We're proud to be associated with ProJo Poker."

The Tropicana Casino and Resort will host satellite events with a $100 buy-in and $20 entry fee. Satellite winners and runners-up receive a $550 voucher that guarantees them a seat in the preliminary events, where the buy-in is $500, the entry fee is $50 and the total prize money is $90,000, based on maximum occupancy. The Tropicana Casino and Resort also offers "Super Satellite" events featuring a $50 buy-in and $10 entry fee.

While the eight "Average Joes" go at it for four of the spots at the final table at each televised regional event, eight invited world renowned Poker professionals will also be playing at a "Pro Only" semi-final event for the remaining four final table spots.

The winners of the 26 regional events will receive Rings designed and crafted by Jostens, who have crafted 25 of the last 38 Super Bowl rings. The winners then head to Las Vegas for the ProJo Poker National Championship to be held Feb. 3-4 during ProJo Poker Week. During ProJo Poker Week, which runs from January 28 through February 4th, the following ProJo tournament events will take place:

January 28-29: US Amateur Poker Championships

January 30-31: US Professional Poker Championships

February 1-2: US Team Poker Championships

February 3-4: ProJo Poker National Championships

In addition to the $40 million in prize and bonus money, winners of all final ProJo championship events will receive a National Championship ring designed and crafted by Jostens and valued at over $25,000!

Part of ProJo Poker's unique format is a bounty will be awarded to any "Joe" who knocks out a pro at a final table and goes on to win that particular event. The bounty will be 10 percent of all monthly buy-ins for a maximum of $36,000. If no amateur knocks out a pro during that week's regional event, the bounty will "roll over" to the next Regional Event and grow and grow until won by an amateur.

Additionally, at each of the televised Regional Events, the top finishing amateur player at the final table will get a shot to go "Heads Up" against five of the invited pros. If the amateur wins the one hand they are dealt against each of the five pros, in succession, they'll win a $1,000,000 bonus!

CBS Sports will televise eight of the 26 ProJo Poker tournaments including the finals from Las Vegas and four ProJo Poker Specials: The ProJo Christmas Poker Classic; The US National Team Poker Championships; the U.S. National Amateur Poker Championship and the U.S. "Grand Nationals" Professional Poker Championship.

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa was a sea of pink as the Ladies Only No Limit Hold 'em event kicked off Sunday and players sported their new pink Borgata Poker Open hats.

With 516 competitors playing for the title, the ladies wasted no time taking to the felt like fish to water. Action flowed as the sound of chips being shuffled dominated the early rounds. The ladies action went long into the evening as players fought fatigue and short chip stacks in hopes of taking home the prestigious Borgata bracelet.

Event seven's first-place finisher, New York City's Aena Kang, outlasted her opponents and played her hands to perfection, taking home $29,928 and the championship bracelet. In the end, her skill and aggressive play earned her the title of Ladies Only champion.

Connecticut's Deborah Diehl, the second-place finisher, certainly deserved a round of applause for her efforts. Although she didn't win the bracelet, the $16,254 she took home made her day.

Another highlight of the Ladies Only tournament was the success of a group of players representing WomensPokerClub.com, a web site dedicated to teaching women the ins and outs of the game. After several players cashed, the group made clear to future competitors that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with at upcoming tournaments.

In addition to hosting the Ladies Only tournament, Borgata's premier nightclub and restaurant, Mixx, played host to a lavish and star-filled pre-party for the players of the WPT main event

The party went off without a hitch as sponsor 2K Sports gave players a much needed rest from poker-related activities. Players mingled and danced to the upbeat sounds of the house DJ, while 2K Sports' new WPT-based game played on a large television screen. The game features several top poker pros and allows players to battle their way through WPT tournament events.

Even game star Phil "the Unabomber" Laak took time to see if he could beat his computer-likeness. 2K Sports, who is looking to make a dramatic entrance into the poker video game market, will be releasing the game in late October 2005 for a projected price of around $20.

Laak wasn't the only poker pro to kick up his heels during the evening as girlfriend and now poker superstar, Jennifer Tilly, took pictures with fans and worked the crowd elegantly as only a Grammy-nominated star could.

Hosts Antonio Esfariandi and David Williams led the festivities, making sure everyone was having a good time. They were joined by a number of other poker stars like Clonie Gowen, Hoyt Corkins and Chris Bigler.

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 17, 2005 -- Another day down, another champion rises to the challenge at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. Event five of the 2005 Borgata Poker Open came to a conclusion late in the evening on the second day of the $1,000 buy-in tournament with St. Louis, Mo.'s Jess Yawitz capturing his first Borgata bracelet and a first prize of $121,210.

Having started playing a little over a year ago, some might be surprised by Yawitz's success, but he proved his win earlier this year at the World Poker Open in Tunica, Ms. was no fluke with this stellar victory.

Yawitz's game was in top form as he outplayed York, Pa.'s John Lakatosh for the title. Lakatosh, who calls Borgata his "home away from home," played the best he could with the cards he was dealt, but simply couldn't withstand Yawitz's strong run of cards at the end of the night.

For Yawitz, his favorite part of the game was the key reason for his success. "I've always had an interest in probability, so I like to gamble and play the odds. I'm sure people have read books and all, but for me, this game is so simple and yet so complex. At some level, this is appealing to me. Where else can you explain a game to someone in fifteen seconds and still have to spend a long time teaching them how complex the game really is?"

Lakatosh, who collected $66,470 for his efforts, cited his experiences in sales as the reason for his success. "A career in sales is possibly the best training for poker. I've been in sales for the last thirteen years, meeting thousands of people and learning to read their facial expressions. When you talk to them, determining whether they're going to buy something or not is almost the exact same thing as playing poker."

The tournament's third place finisher, Warrington Pa.'s Michael Candido collected $33,235 and was possibly the most intriguing story of the event. Candido won his entry into the $1,000 buy-in by winning a $100 satellite the day before. This professed home-game hero explained that his work in real estate gives him an edge over other players. "It's an action thing. I think that's the correlation for me. It's all about risk. There is such an adrenalin rush and plus, you're working for yourself. There are big risks, but there are big rewards if you hit."

Action is only going to heat up as more and more pros arrive for the higher buy-in events, which culminate on Monday, September 19 with the World Poker Tour-hosted main event. With a host of celebrities, professionals and future Cinderella stories in the making, this looks to be one of the most heated battles of the year.

Danger is all around you at the poker table.
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The trick to becoming a successful player is learning how to avoid these dangerous traps while striking fear into your opponents by playing tricky hands.

Some hands are dangerous to play. The worst type of hand you can be dealt when playing Texas Hold 'em is one that seems to be too good to fold but isn't good enough to raise with. Sure, it's easy to know that you should raise with pocket aces and fold a 7-2 offsuit, but hands like KJ offsuit can often cause you real problems.

While high cards are better than low cards, in most No Limit Hold 'em situations the lows often have a better risk/reward ratio.

The potential problem with trouble hands like KJ, AJ, QJ or even KQ is that when you flop a pair with them you'll often have kicker trouble.

Too often when you call a raise with a hand like KQ, you'll be up against AK, or maybe AA or KK.

If you're in there with KQ and the flop comes Q-6-2, you'll have what appears to be a really strong hand.

The problem, though, is that if someone decides to play against you after the flop, there is a good chance you're going to get beat.

Stay clear of traps
The bottom line is clear: If you are to play a big pot on that flop, for all of your money, chances are that you are walking into a set (trip 2s, 6s, or Q's), an AQ, a pair of kings or a pair of aces.

Generally, these trouble hands often win small pots when no one else hits the flop and lose monster pots when they run into a better hand. Why? Because it's really difficult to fold such a seemingly strong hand after a flop like that.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not recommending that you never play a hand like KQ or AJ.

But always remember that when you do, you need to proceed cautiously.

Don't get married to your top pair if a quality opponent is pushing the betting hard.

Now compare the previous examples to playing a hand like a pocket pair of 4s, a dangerous hand to own.

This hand is much easier to work with. Either you hit the flop big, by landing three of a kind, or you have a hand with little value.

Let's look at another example. You call a raise with 4-4 from late position, from a player who you suspect has a strong hand, maybe even AA. You aren't calling because you think your little pair is the best hand, but you are doing so because of the potential to win a big pot.

Let's say the flop now comes Js-4c-2d. Or, in other words, Gin, baby!

If your opponent did in fact start with a hand like AA, KK, or QQ, chances are you'll be able to win his whole stack if you bet it right. Had the flop come something like J-9-8, then you can safely fold your pair of 4s without risking another chip. It's a minor risk in relation to the big payday a small pair might offer you.

Look for connectors
There is one last group of hands you might want to add to your repertoire playing small suited connectors like 6-7. These hands can be a little trickier than small pairs, but you'll be able to connect with them more often. The same principle holds true with these little cards. Get to the flop cheaply if you can and get out if you don't improve.

For example, you call a raise with 6-7 of hearts and the flop comes 6-6-2. If your opponent has a big overpair, you might be able to win all of his chips because he might not believe you would call a raise with a 6 in your hand.

The key difference between dangerous hands to play and dangerous hands to own is that it's easy to get away from the latter, but it's often difficult to avoid getting trapped with a risky hand like top pair.

Be the dangerous player — not the player in danger.
By DANIEL NEGREANU

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 16, 2005 -- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa poker tables have seen plenty of action over the last several days of the 2005 Borgata Poker Open. The fourth event of the series, the $1,500 buy-in, proved to be a real barn-burner as players elevated their games to match the increasingly tougher field.

The event's winner, Robert Hwang, otherwise known as "Action Bob," of Clark, N.J., took home the largest cash prize of the 2005 Borgata Poker Open, $129,600, and the coveted championship bracelet. In the end, Hwang bested Brooklyn's Eugene Todd, who collected $72,900 for placing second in a strategic head-to-head chess match. But in the end, "Action Bob" could not be denied.

Hwang, who calls Borgata his "home casino," was adamant about the event's classiness and quality. "This is definitely the nicest casino in New Jersey. They really improved on the tournament from last year. They really did a tremendous job. I love playing here."

The fourth event of the tournament also saw several other top-flight players in action, World Series of Poker (WSOP) Seven Card Stud champion Cliff Joesphy, World Poker Tour Reno main event winner Arnold Spee, and this year's WSOP fifth place finisher, Dublin, Ireland's Andy Black. Despite this impressive collection of pros, Black was the only player in the group to make the final table, finishing third and taking home $38,475.

Players once again voiced their pleasure with Borgata, its staff, and the tournament structure. "It's my favorite hotel that I've been in. Compared to anywhere in Las Vegas, it's bright and breezy and there are lots of seating areas, which is great. It seems slightly more chilled than Vegas," Black said.

According to Spee, in addition to the perks of staying at a beautiful hotel, the tournament structure is well-suited to players. "It's a beautiful hotel. I like the rooms. I like everything about the hotel, plus the tournament structure is great. You get plenty of chips and the hour level changes, which for the better players, is more to their advantage because they're more patient."

Dear Mark,
Here is one of the best ways for me to win in craps. I “lay” the four for $100, which gives me 2 to 1 in my favor when the seven hits. I immediately walk away with my 90 bucks. I have found this method an easy way to make a quick $100. Please tell me what you think? Sam Y.

What you are doing, successfully for the moment, is called "hit-and-run gambling.” This type of short-term play is a breeding ground for unusual fluctuations, where the brevity of your gambling session seems to defy probability, and for now you keep scoring that quick $90. The casino's built-in advantage, which they definitely have on laying the four, appears to be on vacation. But keep it up, Sam, and you'll find that the casino's advantage is quite real. It's predicated on the operation of the "law of averages" over the long haul, not on Sam’s quick in-and-out system. Once your $100 is exposed for an extended time, made up of no matter how many little chunks, you will drift inescapably into and under the built-in house edge (albeit slight) of 2.44% on that particular wager.

Dear Mark,
I'm sad to say I have not joined the 21st century and own a personal computer. I still read your column the old fashioned way, in print. Nevertheless, you have mentioned before that the way to get better at gambling is using a computer. I am just starting to be a student of Texas Hold’em poker. So, what is someone to do who doesn't own one? Claire M.

Even if the public library computers are ruled off limits for online gambling (which they should be), you can still create that poker room experience with a hand-held video game. These small hand-held computer games offer one of the best ways of acquiring gaming skills without the exposure of a live dollar. Radica has such a hand-held game called World Poker Tour: No Limit Texas Hold’Em. Yep, they have banded together with the number one rated show on the Travel Channel.

This tournament-style game features fast-paced, competitive play with up to five virtual opponents. Each of the five players has their own distinctive playing style and can be knocked from the tournament as other players join the table. Their custom grip design (No; I'm speaking of the gadget) has a comfortable feel; the big screen makes viewing easy, even for those of us with a prescription of 3+, their batteries last forever, it's a lot of fun to play, and oh yah, it's cheap!

World Poker Tour: No Limit Texas Hold 'Em retails for just $19.99 and is a perfect learning tool for poker fans without computers, who want to learn from their mistakes at home, and not from some card shark named Jaws. Disclosure: I don’t get a cut, nor am I in cahoots with Radica, but do you think I should ask?

Dear Mark,
I read your "Sic Bo 101" rundown and I don't understand one thing. You said that on single die wagers the game wasn’t worth playing because the house edge was so high. Are not the odds of a single number coming up on one of three dice exactly 50%, in other words, 3 chances out of 6? What am I missing here? Steve F.

In the single die wager you described, Steve, a player picks one of six numbers (1-6) that will appear on one of three dice. What you blanked on is that there is six sides on each die, which multiplied by three, create 18 possibilities. Not three chances out of six.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Everyone holds the player in contempt, for what person in his right mind would enter a game he knows he can't beat." --Barry Meadow, "Blackjack Autumn"
By Mark Pilarski

OCEANSIDE ---- Their poker faces firmly in place, 57 women bet and bluffed their way through the last day of the ninth annual, three-day California Ladies State Poker Championship at Ocean's Eleven Casino in Oceanside on Thursday.

The name of the game: No-Limit Texas Hold ëEm.

Peeking at their hands and throwing green, yellow, grey and black chips into the pot, the players tried to make winning hands out of seven cards ---- their two face-down cards and five face-up community cards the dealer placed in the middle of the table.

As the day wore on, some women left the tables disappointed and out of chips while others watched their stacks of colorful chips get bigger.

The championship, which was created and hosted by the casino, began Tuesday with the first of two qualifying tournaments and 280 women. That number was whittled down as the top poker players proved their skills at the table. The top nine players from each of the qualifying tournaments went on to play in the finals.

Coming from all over California and across the country, the women played for shares of two $29,000 pots from each of the qualifying tournaments and part of $10,000 for the final event. Each bought in to the championship for $200 plus a $25 entry fee.

In the end, Las Vegas resident Linda Johnson walked away with the title and $3,650, the championship trophy, a watch, a commemorative denim jacket and, perhaps most important of all, free entry into both the World Series of Poker-Ladies Event and the Ladies International Poker Series Grand Championship later this year.

Earlier in the day, Johnson said she has been playing various poker and card games for 30 years, and is a "gold bracelet winner" in the World Series of Poker. She has played in every one of the Ocean's Eleven ladies tournaments.

"I love the camaraderie and Ocean's Eleven throws a good party," Johnson said.

Star McCormick, the marketing and tournament director for Ocean's Eleven, said the casino created the championship nine years ago to encourage women to get into the game.

"Ocean's Eleven tries to honor women by holding this event," McCormick said.

"Poker used to be just a man's sport (and) we saw a need to bring women in to co-exist with the men who are playing poker. It's a very prestigious event. Being Ladies State Champion is a big deal."

In addition to the recent popularity of the game on TV, McCormick said card playing has become increasingly popular for women, simply because they have realized that they are good at it.

"It's a game of skill ---- women use their intuition to read other players," McCormick said, adding that winning money is not the primary reason for playing. It's that women want to play to get a seat at the World Series of Poker.

After less than an hour of play in the finals, player Debbie Knight of Downey lost all of her chips trying to draw a diamond flush.

Although she was disappointed that she didn't last longer, Downey said she had fun at the tournament and won $1,500 and fifth place during the qualifying tournament on Wednesday.

"I did great overall but lousy today," Downey said. "I think I could have waited for a better hand or played it wiser.

"(I'm) disgusted, but ya know, it happens. There will be other tournaments."

Downey said she has never played in the championship but has some experience from other card tournaments.

During an early afternoon break, Nicole Hadji-Agha of Benicia, said the championship is the sixth card tournament she has competed in since she took up the game six months ago. A criminal defense attorney by trade, Hadji-Agha said she took time off from work to play in the tournament. She did not place in the final event.

"It's a fun fantasy alternative to working and it's a lot easier that doing a trial ---- trials are rigorous," said Hadji-Agha, who placed seventh and won $1,500 in Wednesday's qualifier. "Women play differently than men. They are a little harder to read."

BATON ROUGE - Louisiana is losing thousands of dollars each day in taxes as three New Orleans area riverboat casinos sit idle and thousands of video poker machines remain off-line, in some instances underwater and damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Katrina.

Employees are displaced, and reopening dates are sketchy at best, the state's gambling regulatory board was told Tuesday as it received an early assessment of the hurricane's damage to an industry that provides tax income to the state and thousands of its residents.

The video poker industry was particularly hard hit, with 31 percent of the video poker machines - that provide $4.6 million a month in state tax revenue - located in parishes affected by Katrina.

Significant numbers of restaurant and bar owners that own video poker machines, many of them tiny, local establishments, are unable even to assess their property in the flooded and potentially hazardous parishes of Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines.

Nearly 3,800 machines of about 5,000 that went down during and after the hurricane still aren't operating, according to state police. And machines that took in water during the flooding won't work even when the power is restored.

"The situation for us is very bleak," Alton Ashy, a lobbyist for the video poker industry, told the Louisiana Gaming Control Board.

Three of the state's 15 floating casinos are moored in parishes harmed by the hurricane and have been closed since Aug. 28.

However, the damage to Louisiana's casinos is slight compared to its neighboring state. In Mississippi, most of the 12 casinos in Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis were heavily damaged, as was the 13th casino that originally was to open this month. The barge casinos there were ripped out of the water and tossed across roads, starting a debate over whether to allow casinos on land.

In Louisiana, the Belle of Orleans - formerly Bally's Casino in New Orleans - seemed to have been the hardest hit riverboat casino. The storm pushed the gambling hall on Lake Pontchartrain off its moorings and forced water into the boat's hull, damaging computer systems and the boat's generator, according to Gonzalo Hernandez, the casino's general manager.

Officials with Boomtown Casino in Harvey and the Treasure Chest riverboat casino in Kenner described their damage as minor and said they hoped to reopen soon - Boomtown in as early as two and a half weeks, if allowed.

Harrah's downtown land casino in New Orleans wasn't damaged by Katrina, but it sits in a city under a mandatory evacuation order that likely won't open to residents or tourists for months. Harrah's, closed since Aug. 29, continues to pay its state taxes even though it's shuttered as part of a contract that requires a minimum tax payment to the state each year.

The other gambling operations don't have such a requirement. The shutdown of the three riverboats costs the state an estimated $169,800 a day, or about $5 million a month.

Employees with the riverboat casinos and Harrah's still are collecting paychecks, though with varying promises of how long those checks will keep coming if the casinos stay closed. The Belle of Orleans has pledged to pay its employees for at least 30 days, and Harrah's has assured its workers of at least three months of paychecks.

Some parent companies are offering workers temporary jobs at other casinos, and several casinos still were trying to track down all their employees.

The gambling board on Tuesday suspended a rule requiring video poker operators in parishes affected by Hurricane Katrina to give up their video poker licenses if their machines aren't operating for 30 days or more. The suspension will last for 120 days and can be extended.
By MELINDA DESLATTE

LAS VEGAS - This city is 100, so blow out the candles, cut the cards and roll the dice, America, because gambling is triumphant.

The tens of thousands of industry executives, students of slots and disciples of craps gathered here this week for the Global Gaming Expo are toasting a business that now reaches far beyond Las Vegas, Atlantic City or even Foxwoods - and shows no signs of stopping.

The future of gambling isn't just here on the Strip. It's on the cellphone, laptop, PDA and your MTV. It's at resorts where golf, jazz and shopping are as big as the poker tables. It's at seedy dog tracks that are morphing into "racinos." It's at "casino communities," where The Donald and Ivana are competing - separately - to invite you to live in casino-condos rising out of a gambling and shopping paradise.

"The product of Vegas has infested the world," says William N. Thompson, professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of the encyclopedic "Gambling in America."

The 25 million visitors who jam Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos every year aren't the exception. They are surfing a gaming wave that hasn't crested, even as treatment programs for problem gamblers languish. Today, just two states - Utah and Hawaii - prohibit gambling, while others eagerly court casino developments to boost their economies.

Next year, Las Vegas hotels will begin offering guests the chance to gamble via a portable device similar to a personal digital assistant, allowing visitors to lounge by the pool yet still play the slots or blackjack. In Europe and Asia, poker addicts can play online via their mobile phones, a service that remains illegal in the United States - for now. Americans are among the best customers for the offshore Internet casinos that are as close as the family computer.

In time, "you will have a gambling device in everyone's hand," says industry analyst Sebastian Sinclair. "Overall there will be more money spent. You don't have to drive to the casino. You don't have to drive to the bookmaker."

But Americans don't just want to hold gambling in their hand - they want to be living in the midst of all its glory. Developers in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are planning high-rise condo developments that mix casino resorts with shopping and entertainment.

"It's apropos to what is happening in America," says Richard Lee, a vice president at First American Title Co. of Nevada. Gambling "is touching a lot of our lives."

Standalone casinos won't be built anymore, Lee says. "Today's casino project is going to be somewhat of a mixed-use community, with a condo [or] time-share in addition to gaming. There will be people who will be living in a condo where they are minutes away from the casino."

Strangely, all this gambling hasn't produced much anxiety. Americans feel better and better about their new pastime, at least according to the industry. A recent survey by the American Gaming Association found that one in five now have warmer feelings than they did a decade ago. Better than 80 percent of people think gambling is OK for themselves or others, researcher Frank Luntz found.

"I'm asked all the time whether we've reached saturation. The marketplace will determine that," says Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association. "It cuts across everywhere."

Indeed, Sandra Day O'Connor's eulogy last week for Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist noted his penchant for wagering on nearly anything - "even the amount of snow that would fall in the courtyard at the court."
By RICK GREEN

Given one ''TV table'' for ESPN at the 2005 World Series of Poker, who would you choose to play on that table: Table A with Mike ''The Mouth'' Matusow and nine unknown amateurs, or Table B with Hall-of-Famers Phil Ivey and John Juanda, alongside great players Can Hua and Farzad ''Freddy'' Bonyadi? Not surprisingly, ESPN chose The Mouth and the nine amateurs.

Poker is about entertainment these days, and whether or not Matusow ever reaches the Hall of Fame, he is certainly entertaining to watch. You never know whether he will laugh or break down and cry, needle someone else, do the now famous ''Matusow blow up'' (giving away all of his chips in one fell swoop after days of great play), or get in a verbal fight with another player, resulting in a 10-minute penalty for him and the other player.

Despite Mike's eccentricities, let's not forget his good heart. Not to mention that he was the only great player to make the final table, finishing ninth in a field of 5,600 players.

And although Table B would have shown much more advanced poker play, that doesn't guarantee it would have been exciting to watch on television. Much like professional wrestling, excitement and personality are appealing elements in poker.

During his 2005 WSOP run, Matusow noticed a key tell on a fairly new brick-and-mortar player named Dustin Woolf. Although Woolf is relatively new to the brick-and-mortar game, he is a legend in the Internet poker world. Ironically, Woolf's name at UltimateBet.com is ''Neverwin,'' but believe me when I tell you that Neverwin has won millions of dollars playing online poker.

Still, the difference between playing online poker and playing brick-and-mortar poker, face to face, is like night and day.

One key difference is that you do not have to disguise yourself online and worry about tells. After all, when you are in your den, it's just you and your computer with no one to look you in the eye when you're attempting a bluff. Thus, when Woolf had a strong hand in a real poker room he always threw his chips into the pot in a splashing sort of way. Imagine a stack of chips falling over when an opponent flings them into the pot.

But when Woolf had a weak hand, he always said ''I raise,'' and then carefully placed the chips into the pot.

Matusow picked up on this tell and was ready to take advantage when the time was right.

Later, one player called the $10,000 bet, Matusow called with Qh-Jh, and then Woolf raised it up, making a big raise of about $80,000. Woolf said ''I raise,'' and then carefully set the chips down into the pot.

So Matusow picked up on this weak tell and thought he could take advantage of it. But rather than re-raise right immediately and win the $100,000-plus pot, Matusow thought, ''Let me call this and then wait for him to bluff on the flop as well.'' The flop was a good one for Matusow, giving him and open-ended straight draw with a board of K-10-4. Now Woolf bet out $250,000, saying, ''I bet,'' and setting the chips into the pot carefully. Matusow, though, decided to let Woolf bluff one more time (on the next round of betting) and just called the bet. With a six on the turn, Woolf checked, and now Matusow said, ''I'm all-in.'' Woolf folded his hand lightning fast, and Matusow put the extra $330,000 into his stack.

Let's see, that's $330,000 for Matusow simply because he had a strong tell on Woolf, and had the skill and panache to take full advantage of that tell. Maybe Matusow was a good choice for the TV table after all.

I, for one, look forward to seeing that hand again on ESPN soon. (You can see all of the action next month during ESPN's coverage.)
By Phil Hellmuth

LOS ANGELES – (PRESS RELEASE) -- WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) has announced the global expansion of its hugely popular World Poker Tour(R) (WPT) with the signing of two licensing agreements to stage regional versions in Canada and the Philippines.

Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. revealed that the company has concluded agreements with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., the largest integrated media and entertainment company in the Philippines, and Aidan Tracey, a respected Canadian marketing/ sponsorship/promotion expert, to offer multi-tournament WPT Tours in card rooms and casinos in their respective countries beginning in early 2006. The events will feature WPT-style Texas Hold'em tournaments expected to draw hundreds of players for increasingly growing prize pools at each stop. The WPT has been airing on television networks in Canada and The Philippines for the past two years, drawing a large following and hugely impacting the popularity of poker in those countries.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring the WPT to the fans in other countries who have been itching to try their hand at making a WPT Final Table," said Lipscomb. "Through these regional WPT Tours with ABS-CBN and Aidan Tracey, we have begun to create a global network of WPT Tours that will inspire the players in those countries and grow our brand internationally. It will be fun to see local players evolve into regional poker stars, just as our primary WPT Tour players over the past few years have garnered international recognition, and are now recognizable everywhere they go."

Lipscomb anticipates additional regional WPT Tours to be licensed in the future, as the skyrocketing popularity of the show continues to create worldwide fans. The WORLD POKER TOUR show, which has achieved worldwide viewership, is currently licensed for broadcast in 116 countries and territories around the world.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., is involved in television and radio broadcasting, as well as the production of television programming for Filipino domestic and international audiences. The company's largest business, its VHF television network, consists of its flagship channel in Manila -- Channel 2 -- together with 23 other owned and operated television stations and ten affiliated stations, forming the leading television network in the Philippines. The company also operates Studio 23, the leading UHF television network in the Philippines with 35 televisions stations. The two networks reach an estimated 97% and 50% of all television-owning households in the Philippines, respectively. The estimated market population for the region is 76 million people.

"We wish to introduce poker among the Filipinos served by ABS-CBN, locally and globally, and to the skills, art & excitement that it generates both as a program and as a game," said Peter A. Musngi, Vice President for ABS-CBN Sports. "As a television show, we are hopeful that we can duplicate the success of WPT USA in the Philippines and the region given the reach and equity of ABS-CBN. We are confident that this is not a far-fetched reality."

ABS-CBN is being granted the right to create four episodes in the first year, five in the second and six in the third -- and to air them exclusively for four years total. The show will air in both English and Tagalish (a mix of Tagolog and English). The winner of the Filipino WPT Tour will also have a seat in the WPT Championship(TM) at Bellagio each April.

In Canada, Aidan Tracey, who has previously assisted the WPT to secure sponsorship tie-ins north of the border, will develop, stage and market a regional tour. Tracey is currently President of Mosaic Sales Solutions Field Marketing, the leading experiential event marketing company in Canada. Mosaic Field Marketing handles consumer promotion events at malls, community events and large festivals for many blue-chip Fortune 100 clients. The company does product sampling, creates brand experiences, and runs large mobile 18 wheel rigs that go to major events to bring brands to life. Tracey has also produced the World Beer Games, which aired on TV in 2002 and 2003 in many markets outside the USA, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"Aidan's deep knowledge in helping to build global brands, along with his own experience as a founder and executive producer of a successful international TV event special made him a natural choice," noted Lipscomb.

Tracey will work closely with WPTE to build out events across the country to establish and grow the WPT Canada sub-brand and at the same time educate players through the WPT educational website http://www.wptonline.net.

"It is going to be a ton of fun helping the WPT to build the leading poker brand in Canada," said Tracey. "By utilizing a network of host casinos, TV partners, Mosaic field marketing, and client sponsorships we should be able to get the WPT Canadian Tour off to a great start in 2006."

The World Poker Tour, which reinvented poker as a televised spectator sport, airs tournaments filmed at leading casinos from Paris to Las Vegas, and will begin the broadcast of its fourth season in March 2006. Airing every Wednesday night in the U.S. at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The Travel Channel, the WPT is the highest-rated series in the network's history. World Poker Tour is now seen in 116 countries and territories worldwide.

You've no doubt heard the myth about needing a poker face to play the game well. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Poker isn't about reading facial tics. It's about reading people.

What's the difference, you say?

When you hear the term "reading your opponent," it doesn't necessarily mean that you are looking for body-language clues. More often than not, the tells you're looking for come from reading your opponents' betting patterns.

There is a famous poker player who claims he can "see through your soul."

No, he can't. Some top pros might want you to believe that type of hype so that they can garner a psychological edge.

The truth is, an elite player doesn't focus much on body language. Instead, he tries to understand how you think based on the hands you play and how you play them.

He isn't looking for some obscure nostril flare or eye twitch to make a decision, but you can bet he's delving into his memory bank and comparing notes from previous hands.

He likely is asking himself questions such as: "How much did my opponent bet the last time he was bluffing?"

Or: "When he flops three of a kind, does he usually check to trap me or does he bet right out to protect his hand?"

Those physical tells TV commentators like to go on about are for the most part useless. Watch me on television and you'll see that I make all kinds of strange faces. Good luck trying to figure out what they mean.

Reading tells and reading people are two separate skills that are often lumped together. They are, in fact, very different.

Reading tells is the ability to recognize the way people look when they are bluffing versus telling the truth. Reading people deals more with the ability to understand how someone thinks based on clues.

Mastering both skills
To read tells, the first thing you'll need to do is pay attention, not only when you are in a hand, but also when you've folded and are waiting for the next deal. Study your opponents and look for behavioral patterns.

For example, maybe you see one of your opponents cover his mouth before he pushes in a big bet. After the hand, he shows that he was bluffing. Does he also cover his mouth when he has a strong hand? If not, you just might have picked up a valuable tell.

Reading people is really where it's at.

Poker is a game of people, and understanding how an opponent thinks will go a long way toward giving you a significant advantage over him.

To do this, you need to think like a detective by putting clues together and trying to understand what they mean. This could be anything from studying what your opponent is wearing to ascertaining what he does for a living. People reveal all kinds of clues about themselves.

Here's a case study: A man wearing an unbuttoned shirt and revealing tons of gold chains sits at your table.

He smells a little bit off, stacks his chips recklessly and smokes incessantly. His fingernails are dirty, and he won't stop shaking his knee.

Right off the bat, you know a good amount about this person, because you already have asked yourself this important question: Is he likely to be patient, scared and conservative, or is he more likely to be an impatient, fearless and aggressive player?

If you guessed the former, you might want to find a new hobby such as checkers.

Questions always useful
For more clues, ask him some questions.

"What do you do for a living?" is always a good one.

If he says he's a lawyer,
you know who not to trust, right?

If he claims he's a math teacher, chances are you're dealing with a very analytical player. If he swears he's a Sunday school teacher, you might be dealing with someone who is uncomfortable telling lies, or, in this case, already bluffing.

The bottom line is this: Reading tells and reading people are both skills that when used together make for a deadly combination.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,
Since I’m not considered an expert video poker player, would you suggest that I stay away from Triple and Five Play quarter machines, and instead continue playing singlehand, five coin machines? Marty C.

Most video poker players cut their teeth on singlehand, 5coin machines. Today, there is an assortment of quarter video poker machines (as there are of dime and nickel machines) and many players are gravitating toward the increasingly popular Triple Play, Five Play, even Ten Play machines.

But these machines can be budget busters. For example, on a quarter Triple Play, if you play the maximum number of coins on each hand, you are putting 15 coins, or $3.75 in peril. On quarter Five Play machines, your bait amounts to 25 coins or $6.25, and on the quarter Ten Play machine, we’re talking 50 coins or $12.50.

That’s a whole lot of hardearned moolah for the most pennypinching gamblers who read this column. If you hit any sort of dry spell, your bankroll will dissolve like cotton candy in the rain, moderated only by the speed of your play.

My take on Triple and Five Play quarter machines is this: Even though multihand video poker machines can amplify your earning potential on decent hands, they can also magnify your losing potential on lousy ones. If you’re playing 5coin singlehand video poker and are dealt garbage, you have but $1.25 overboard. On a Ten Play machine you have a whole lot more dough at stake for those same junk hands. Granted, Marty, though there are some acceptable paytables available in most gaming markets, a tightwad like me still tends to stay clear of them.

Here are a couple suggestions for those who enjoy multiplay video poker. First, seek out the best paytables. Paytables, or pay schedules, are posted somewhere on the front of a video poker machine, or on the screen itself, and they tell you what each winning hand will pay for the number of coins put at risk.

Also, always choose the slowest playing speed available when the casino allows you this option. Some casinos have this machine feature blocked out, forcing you to play at the highest speed. Bear in mind, Marty, the more hands you play per hour, the more you subject your bankroll to a quick shave by the house edge.

Dear Mark,
On average, what do slots return back to the player? Henry P.

The average slot machine payout can range anywhere from 85% to 99% of all coins bet. Because the casino wants to make a certain amount of money per hour with its slots, the lower the denomination of the machine, the lower the payout. With a onedollar slot, the casino payback can be perhaps 98%, whereas with a machine at a lower denomination, such as dimes or nickels, the payout must be much lower to achieve the same hourly return for the casino.

A payout percentage of 98% means that 98%, on average, of all money that is inserted into the machine is being paid back to the player. In other words, the casino makes a 2% profit.

On average, you ask. Well, it varies with the geography, Hank, and you didn’t mention where you play. But, to keep my rep as a nice guy, here are ballpark averages you will typically find across the U.S.of A.

For nickel machines, paybacks are generally 91%; for quarter machines, 93%; fiftycenters, 94%; for dollar machines, 95%; and for $5 slots, payback approaches 97%.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Casino: A gaudy smokefilled den presided over by men with no necks and patronized by busloads of genital optimists." Rick Bayan, "The Cynic's Dictionary"
By Mark Pilarski

A gathering of sweat has formed above his brow. His finger taps anxiously. He wants to be still on the outside, but inside his heart is pounding. It’s a tell. If anyone were to notice his uncertainty, it would be game over.

He just moved all-in. His cards: 3-7 off suit. He hopes he has executed the bluff to perfection. This tournament is on the line. If he wins this pot, he’ll be closer and closer to — his alarm goes off. 7:40 a.m. Damn early morning classes. A man has got to sleep. He shuts off his alarm and looks back to his computer. Someone called his all-in bet. His hand was caught in the cookie jar. He was eliminated, $5 poorer.

He stops in the bathroom and looks in the mirror. After another all-nighter spent playing poker, he looks like hell. He returns to his bedroom. Class begins in 16 minutes. He grabs his backpack and starts for the door. He makes it two steps then stops. He drops his bag and returns to his seat, his computer, his casino.

He enters another $5 buy-in tournament and takes his virtual seat. “Tournament will start in one minute,” the screen informs him. What about class? Not today. Today he is attending the University of Poker.

Texas Hold’em is becoming an increasingly popular pastime among college students. But what is it about the game that makes it so enjoyable? And is it worth the risks?

According to Chad Peelle, a senior at Butler University, Hold’em is just like any other sport.

“It gets the adrenaline pumping,” he said. “When I’m in a big hand it gets my heart pounding. There’s no feeling like the relief and payoff that comes from winning that hand.”

Hold’em also has the mental aspects of a sport. Whoever can outsmart the competition wins.

“I like the mathematical, psychological and strategic challenges of the game,” Peelle said.

There is luck involved, but skill is what ultimately separates the winners from the losers. Matt Damon’s character makes this point in the 1998 film Rounders when he argues with his girlfriend, saying, “Why do you think the same five guys make it to the final table of the World Series of Poker every single year? What, are they the luckiest guys in Las Vegas? It’s a skill game, Jo.”

And the rush that comes from outplaying someone makes the game addictive.
“There’s no thrill like that of victory,” Peelle agrees.

In a single day, over 100,000 people may be playing online poker at the same time.

Thanks to the World Series of Poker on ESPN, the World Poker Tour on the Travel Channel and countless Internet poker programs, the game is as popular as ever. And many college students are spending less time on the books and more time at the poker tables.

The College Poker Championship™ is one poker site that is capitalizing on the explosion of poker among college students. This September, the third annual College Poker Championship™ online tournament is scheduled to launch. Students everywhere are encouraged to use their poker skills to compete for cash scholarships and donation prizes.

The Web site says that by making the tournament free to enter, it is not encouraging students to gamble. But by offering this “risk free” opportunity to receive money, they know that students will sign up. Then the Web site will throw out promotions and deposit bonuses that players can use to get extra money if they only put in a little bit of real money into their online accounts and play a certain number of hands with it. Also, students can make $5 for each friend they get to sign up. The profits sound good, and students will go all-in.

“If I could eventually get the funds for it, I would definitely consider playing poker for a living,” Peelle said. “It would be a fun and fulfilling way of making fairly easy money.”

Students see people on television like Daniel Negreanu, who dropped out of high school to play poker and has won millions since. Student don’t see the people who drop out of school to play poker and fall deeply short of their goals.
Students also see people like David Williams, who dropped out of college after finishing second place at the World Series of Poker last year, winning $3.5 million. What students tend to forget are the 2,574 people he outlasted — most of whom paid the $10,000 buy-in and left the casino with nothing but a dented bank account and a story.

And what did David Williams say his plans were after winning this life-changing amount of money? To take advantage of a real risk-free opportunity.

To eventually go back and finish school.

Dear Mark,
I very much enjoy your helpful hints on casino gambling in your columns, but I'm curious, what's the best advice you've ever heard preached? Ned C.

In the casino business, the best admonition to get ahead is "Never make suggestions." As for a gambling nugget, the following voice of reason caught my attention while I was walking down the Strip in Las Vegas.
A panhandler approached and asked if I had any loose change so he could buy a hot dog. Unfortunately, spare change doesn't exist in Las Vegas. Strategically positioned slot machines allow you to travel light. But I guess I'm an easy mark for a hot dog story so I gave him a nickel chip-casino talk for $5-that I had in my coat pocket.
After his gratitude for my allowing him to bump up into buffet dining, or whatever, he shared some of his best gaming wisdom. "Go downtown to Binion's and make a pass line bet and take those 10 times odds. It's one of the best bets in the house," he said.
Guess what, Ned? He's right on. The house advantage on this wager is .018%. Those multiple odds he was talking about- zero casino advantage. It's the line bet where the casino enjoys its slight edge. And I mean slight. Expected mathematical loss on a $1 line bet with $10 odds, about 4¢. But we can combat that too, Ned. Throw in a few free drinks and pry a breakfast out of a floorman, you're getting to the point where they're paying you to play.
Yes, advice comes from the funniest places.

Dear Mark,
Are the dice placed on the crap game ever inspected for imperfections so the same number won't repeat itself? Steve B.

Because I can predict with 100% certainty that every casino has at least one lazy pit boss-I was one-you can be assured that the dice placed on the game are near perfect. The perks for this idle behavior? Going up to the boss's office and inspecting dice. This meant feet on the head honcho's desk, Oprah on the tube and talking on the phone long distance to friends and family because I knew the secret dial code. Oh, and inspecting dice with a micrometer to make sure our dice were produced to a tolerance level of .0005 of an inch.
But we were the second line of defense. Dice makers who cut this poly-sorbate plastic in lots of five or six deal in tolerances of .0002, with imperfections discarded, making the random nature of a dice throw a certainty.
By the way, Steve, no not you, Steve, my former boss Steve. You never asked, but those long distance calls to Michigan were probably mine.

Dear Mark,
On a trip to Las Vegas, I tracked each and every hand (see enclosed) that I won and lost. As you can see I lost more hands (160 losses, 142 wins) than I won. How can you write in your column that when playing blackjack the house edge is less than 1% when you lose more often than win? Jon G.

Throw your chart away, Jon. Blackjack is a horrible game if your foundation for winning is based on how many hands you actually win. Excluding ties, a player loses approximately 53% of all hands. However, the casino, bless their hearts, permits you to double down and split hands after viewing the dealer up card. This allows the player to get more money in the circle when conditions are favorable. In addition, they give you that sweet 3 to 2 payoff for a blackjack.
That is why, Jon, the casino has only a half percent edge over the disciplined basic strategy player.
By Mael Pilarski

With about six players left in the $5,000 buy-in championship event at Harrah's ''Carnavale of Poker'' in January 2000, 1999 Card Player magazine ''Player of the Year'' Hieu ''Tony'' Ma whispered to me, ``Phil, how sweet is it for you that this Frenchman keeps moving all-in pre-flop. You're going to bust him for sure!''

At the time I smiled and nodded at Tony; I too believed that Angelo ''The Frenchman'' Besnainou's chips were mine to win. I love to play against a ''slider'' (someone who moves all his chips into the middle, regardless of blind size), because once they do slide it all in, they can't fold when I eventually pick up a powerful hand behind them.

So when the tournament came down to Farzad ''Freddy'' Bonyadi, the Frenchman and me, and the two of them asked me to make a deal (deals are common in all tournaments near the end), I told the Frenchman, ``No deal.''

His proposal was that we would take about $200,000 apiece off the top (I had more chips and stood to receive $250,000), and play for $100,000 for first, rather than for the scheduled $400,000 for first, $200,000 for second and $100,000 for third.

From the ''I want the title'' perspective, I said no to the deal for three reasons: First, I knew that if I played for all the money, I would stay hyper-focused. Second, I feel that some players give away more tells when playing for it all, owing to the extreme money pressure that that presents, thus enhancing my already good ''read'' on my shorthanded opponents. Third, big pressure often forces big mistakes, from almost any player.

At this point, I had about $440,000 in chips and a lot of momentum. I was just starting to take control of the tournament when the Frenchman moved all-in for about the 25th time at the final table. I looked down at Ad-Qd and decided to call his $222,000 bet. Bonyadi proceeded to fold, and our hands were turned face up. The Frenchman had Ac-6h, about what I expected, and I knew that I was about a 2 ½-to-1 favorite to win the pot. The flop was A-5-5, which was not a bad flop for me, because it put no six on the board, but of course I would have preferred a queen on the flop to lock it up for me. Besnainou would need a six to win or a king to tie. The turn card was his miracle six, but I figured that a queen would be coming on the river -- for me to win as I should have, mathematically speaking. The river proved to be a seven, though, and I lost the $460,000 pot.

Two hands after I lost with that Ad-Qd, the Frenchman slid all-in and I called him for about $200,000 with A-10. He had K-J (I was a 3-to-2 favorite), and the flop came down J-Q-6, but then an ace came off on the turn to give me a big lead in the hand, and a lot of hope.

At this point Besnainou would need a king or a 10 to win (the deck still held two kings and three 10s), and he was an 8-to-1 underdog. Some days the river runs swiftly in no-limit Hold 'Em, and an unwanted 10 came off -- to give me two pair and him an ace-high straight, with a final board of J-Q-6-A-10. By the way, this was one of those weird hands that are fun to watch, but difficult to be involved in, where there was a different leader on every street.

I had him before the flop, he had me on the flop, I had him on fourth street, and he had me on the river.

Being eliminated by two ''bad beats'' in short order seems to be the classic situation where I (the Poker Brat!) throw a temper tantrum, or at least berate my opponent a little bit, but not this time. I just said ''nice hand,'' wished the players good luck, collected my money and left. In other words, I did what I was supposed to do all those other times in the past when I was eliminated from poker tournaments; I acted like a champion -- with class -- and went home.
By Phil Hellmuth

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jennifer Tilly jumped up from the table after winning the WORLD POKER TOUR® Ladies Night III(TM) tournament last night at the Bicycle Casino in California, saying that her win was convincing evidence that her victory in the World Series Ladies tournament in July was "no fluke."

"I felt like I was suffering from the 'imposter syndrome,'" said Tilly, Academy Award(TM) nominated actress (Bullets Over Broadway, Monsters, Inc.). "I had these niggling self-doubts. But now I know I can really play. These women were extremely tough pros with blood lust at the poker table. My goal has always been to win a WORLD POKER TOUR event and now I've done it! "

The stunning achievement for a player who only began playing poker a year ago, is like an amateur boxer winning two heavyweight titles. The actress is the first woman to hold both of these prestigious titles in women's poker. The victory earned her a seat in the $25,000 buy-in WPT Championship next April at Bellagio, and a specially-created pink poker set with the WPT logo and Breast Cancer ribbon. The WPT and the Bicycle Casino will donate $10,000 to Breast Cancer Research in honor of Tilly and the other competitors at the Final Table.

"Jennifer Tilly embodies the new breed of player on the WPT," says Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE - News). "Regardless of gender, age, education, or economic background you can become a champion if you work hard to learn the game. We have always said on the WPT, "Anyone can play, anyone can win." When an actress who has only been playing for 12 months can best some of the best players in the game, you witness the democracy of poker."

Tilly began her pilgrimage to poker eminence by first playing in the WPT Hollywood Home Game series. She then played in the WPT Invitational event which annually pits celebrities versus professionals. There she met Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, a top player who would go on to win that event. They began dating several months later, and she took up the game under his tutelage.

At the award ceremony, Mike Sexton, host and commentator on the WORLD POKER TOUR which airs on the Travel Channel, said, "I nominate Phil Laak for Coach of the Year!"

Laak celebrated with her, saying: "I'm so proud of her. I directed her to read poker books and gave her maybe one piece of advice each week. We'd watch the WPT DVDs and I'd pause them, asking her what she would do and how many "outs" that player had (chances to win). I knew she was finally ready to play tournament poker when it only took her about 14 seconds to come back with the right answer."

For her part, Tilly says the best part of her training was in "Felting Phil (taking all of his chips down to the felt on the table). I loved beating him and then he'd go over to the couch and sulk, staring at the ceiling."

Responds her boyfriend, known for his ultra-competitive style of poker and the hooded sweatshirt he wears at the table, "What can I say? I hate to lose even to my girlfriend." But he said it with a grin.

Tilly said the best piece of advice she ever received from Laak was to "Play my own game. You can read all the books, but you have to listen to your intuition and not do everything exactly as they say. You have to do what feels right."

In recounting her WPT Ladies Night III victory said, "This was tougher than the World Series. There may have been more women in that event to get through, but by the time I was at the final table, I knew how all of those women played. With the exception of Cecilia Reyes Mortensen, I had never played these women before tonight. I didn't know their style and the way the blinds went up, I was forced to be aggressive. Mostly I just didn't want to be the first one out, so winning is incredible."

The other competitors included defending Ladies Night Champion Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier -- a fiercely competitive French Canadian lawyer-turned- poker pro; Marsha Waggoner, the Grand Dame of Poker with 30 years of experience; Cecelia Reyes Mortensen, up-and-coming pro and wife to WPT champion Juan Carlos Mortensen, and Aidiliy (Lilly) Elviro, an aggressive new player, and one of the WPT Season III's top woman competitors who is coached by her soon-to-be-husband, WPT champion Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

Tilly says that she was raised by her parents to be non-competitive in a "house with a hippy mentality ... always to be the good girl, and be polite. But I love playing poker and especially the WORLD POKER TOUR events because I get to be mean and crush people in a socially acceptable way. I can lie, steal (blinds) and be generally deceptive. Poker lets me indulge my inner bad girl."

Tilly is currently starring in a new CBS sitcom called "Out of Practice" with Henry Winkler, due to air this fall. She plays one of her signature quirky not-very-bright characters. Said Tilly after toasting her victory at WPT Ladies Night III, "Its fun to play dumb, but it's a lot more fun to be smart!"

WPT Ladies Night III will air Saturday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel.

On the night the show airs, poker fans will be encouraged to supplement the Ladies' Night donation to Breast Cancer Research by purchasing a WPT Ladies' Night commemorative gift from the WPT webstore at http://www.worldpokertour.com . The choices, which will remain available on the site for several weeks and will include a specially-designed WPT/Breast Cancer Ribbon necklace by Roberto Martinez, with a portion of the proceeds going to the cause.

Dear Mark,
Could you please explain a “Buy” bet in craps and what is the house advantage? While you’re at it, you might as well also describe a “lay” wager also. Gary M.

A buy bet, Gary, is essentially the same as a Place bet except that you pay a commission of 5% on the amount of your wager. If you win, the casino will pay you at the true odds, minus 5%. You get your best cluck-for-the-buck when you wager at least $20, because the minimum commission the casino will charge you for making a Buy wager is a buck, which happens to be 5% of $20. The casino edge on any Buy bet for $20 works out to 4.76%, although the percentage becomes higher on lesser wagers.

A Lay bet is the polar opposite of a Buy wager. With a Lay bet, like the Don’t Come wager, you are betting with the house and hoping that a 7 appears before a point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10). Like Buy bets, lay bets are paid off at true odds, again, minus that commission of 5% of the amount won. Lay bets also have a minimum payoff of $20, because 5% of $20 is $1, and that's the casino's minimum charge.

For instance, on the numbers 5 and 9 you will have to Lay $30 to win $20, which gives the casino an edge of 3.23%. For the 6 and 8 you will have to lay $24 to win $20. Here the casino advantage is 4.00%. The best wager to Lay is the 4 and 10. While you will have to lay $40 to win $20, the house edge is reduced to 2.44%.

Gambling Wisdom of the week: “To have bad luck, one must still have luck.” --Jewish Proverb
By Mark Pilarski

Company Will Match 100 Percent of All Funds Raised to Help Victims

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Absolute Poker (http://www.absolutepoker.com) is sponsoring an online donation "tournament" to raise money for the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts. Absolute Poker will match all collected funds, donating 100 percent of money raised to help victims.

The "tournaments" have been set up specifically for donations and are not actual poker games. Those interested in participating can go to http://www.absolutepoker.com and choose a "Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund" tournament from the tournament lobby. Donors can register in any tourney, ranging from $1, $10, $25, $50, or $100 tables. Additionally, players can make account transfers from their own account to an account called, KATRINAFUND, directly through the automated system within the Absolute Poker Cashier tab.

This is Absolute Poker's second fundraiser for victims of natural disasters. Through a similar tournament and donation-driven fundraiser, the company raised over $14,000 to aid victims of the Tsunami in Indonesia in December 2004. These funds were donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

BILOXI, Miss. - Hurricane Katrina picked up several Gulf Coast casinos and hurled them hundreds of yards inland, crippling the region's gambling industry for months and potentially even years.

At least three of the floating barge casinos in hard-hit Biloxi were tossed from their moorings by the storm's 25-foot wall of water, their barnacle-covered hulls coming to rest up to 200 yards from the shore.

At the Grand Casino, the walkway visitors once took from the lobby to the poker rooms and blackjack tables was now an open hole into the bay. All the windows were blown out. The mast of a sunken sailboat stuck up from where the barge once was.

Gary Loveman, chairman of Harrah's Entertainment Inc., the world's largest gambling company, told CNBC the casino was "probably ruined." Aerial footage showed the ravaged barge had washed ashore and landed on the other side of a busy highway.

"I think it will have to be cut into pieces simply to be moved out of there," Loveman said.

At the Beau Rivage, Biloxi's most opulent casino, the first and second floors were blown out. Mattresses, chairs and yellow insulation were in piles on the once-manicured landscaping.

Bernie Burkholder, president and chief executive of Treasure Bay Casino in Biloxi, told The Associated Press the casino was "a total loss" in excess of $100 million.

He estimated losses would be even greater at many of the other coast casinos. Statewide damage estimates were not available, and efforts to reach Mississippi Gaming Commission director Larry Gregory on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The first two gambling floors at the Hard Rock casino were blown out by Katrina. The casino hadn't even opened to the public yet - that was supposed to happen Sept. 8.

"We had worked hard to put this place together," Hard Rock employee Debra Harville said as she surveyed the damage. "It was so beautiful. I don't know what I"m going to do now. A lot of people ain't got nowhere to go."

An official with Harrah's said the company's Grand Casino Gulfport also was swept inland, and damage was comparable to its sister property in Biloxi. Video aired on CNN showed that the Copa Casino in Gulfport was likely destroyed.

Others along the Gulf Coast were more fortunate. Boyd Gaming spokesman Rob Stillwell said only one of its three properties in Louisiana, the Treasure Chest casino in a New Orleans suburb, had been affected by Hurricane Katrina, though damage information was unavailable.

Harrah's New Orleans sustained "very little damage," Loveman told CNBC. "We've been very fortunate there."

JP Morgan gambling analyst Harry Curtis said Tuesday in a investor's note that casinos in Biloxi could "either be severely or permanently impaired."

The effect on the Mississippi economy could be severe. About 14,000 people work in the dozen casinos along the Mississippi coastline. Each casino has a land-based hotel.

The hurricane damage could cost Mississippi some $400,000 to $500,000 a day in lost gambling taxes. Last year, the state's casinos generated $2.7 billion in revenue.

Loveman said his company intends to pay the 8,000 employees of the Grand Casino, Harrah's New Orleans and the Grand Casino Gulfport for up to 90 days. All three properties closed Sunday before Katrina struck.

GIBRALTAR, August 30 /PRNewswire/ --

River Belle online casino Scoops 2 Top Industry Awards Amidst Strong Showing For Other Belle Rock Gaming Brands

River Belle Online Casino, lead casino brand in the Belle Rock Gaming portfolio, which is owned by Carmen Media, has won two top industry awards - 'Best Jackpots' and 'Best Progressive Slots Site' in the 2005 Best of Online Slots Awards, as voted for by the readers of Strictly Slots Magazine.

River Belle was also the runner up in the 'Best Video Poker Site', and gained third place in both the 'Best Slots Tournaments' and 'Most Unique Slot' site categories.

In addition to this, The Gaming Club Online Casino narrowly missed a top prize, coming second in the 'Best Slots Tournament' category and third in 'Best Video Poker Site'.

Another Belle Rock Gaming brand, Jackpot City, cruised to second place in 'Best Jackpots'.

Strictly Slots is a popular leading US monthly gaming title - announcement of the winners of the 2005 Awards will be published in the October issue, which is the 'Best of Slots' issue, and looks set to be the biggest issue of the year.

Tim Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Carmen Media Group, owner of Belle Rock Gaming, says:

"These awards bear testimony to the fact that Belle Rock Gaming is the casino group of choice for online players everywhere and we are extremely proud of these achievements. We consider slots to be our specialty, and it is hugely rewarding to see our efforts recognized by the readers of Strictly Slots Magazine. It is our mission to ensure that our customers have the most entertaining possible experience online, backed up by superior customer service at all times. We would like to thank all the readers who voted for us, and ensure them that we will continue to bring them slots experiences worthy of their praise.'

Riverbelle Online Casino

LAS VEGAS – PRESS RELEASE –

WHO: In attendance and available for interviews will be Johnny Chan, Chris Moneymaker, Ted Forrest, Kathy Leibert, Layne Flack, Barry Greenstein, Men The Master Nguyen, Freddy Deeb, Thor Hansen, Joe Awada, Antonio Esfandiari, Rene Angeli and more of the top names in Poker

WHAT: Press conference announcing Palms Casino Resort and Poker: Quest of Champions Present: The Labor Day Pro-Shootout at the Palms taking place Labor Day weekend, Sunday, September 4, 2005 at 1:00 p.m.

WHEN: August 31, 2005 at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE: The Lounge

Palms Casino Resort

4321 W. Flamingo Road

Las Vegas, NV 89103

HOW: RSVPs a MUST

Vanessa Thill - Palms Casino Resort 702-942-6843 vanessa.thill@palms.com

Craig Melone - Doc Hollywood/The Quest 310-358-9283 Handsonpr@aol.com

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Ten world-class players will come together to compete for one entry into the tournament that boasts the richest first prize in the game.... The $15 million POKER: Quest of Champions. A sponsored seat into the main event is up for grabs, with the MAIN EVENT slated to begin New Year's week at the Palms Casino Resort. The players include: Ted Forrest, Kathy Leibert, Layne Flack, Barry Greenstein, Men The Master Nguyen, Freddy Deeb, Thor Hansen, Joe Awada, Antonio Esfandiari, and Rene Angeli.

Angelo Halkias, Pokerquest C.O.O., said, "The field of entrants for the Quest is comprised of Titans from the combined worlds of Poker, Hollywood, and Business."

It all takes place Labor Day weekend, Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The Tournament begins at 1:00 p.m.

Join us at the Palms Casino Resort to witness some of the world's best players do battle for a shot at Immortality ...

This tournament has the attention of Hollywood stars such as James Woods, Michael Vartan, and Mimi Rogers and World-Renowned Poker Champions. Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Amir Vahedi, Phil Hellmuth, and T.J. Cloutier amongst many others have contracted to play as the remaining open seats are quickly being filled by celebrity players from around the world.

The Quest will feature only 100 players, at ten shoot-out tables. The winner from each table advances to the final table. The ultimate winner will take home $15 million dollars, the highest first-place professional poker payout in the history of the sport.

BELL GARDENS, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bicycle Casino's Legends of
Poker, one of the most prestigious tournament series on the circuit today,
began earlier this month with thousands of tournament players descending on
Bell Gardens! With an estimated prize pool of over $7,000,000, including
$600,000 in guaranteed prize money in five different events and the
unprecedented "Poker fever" that is sweeping the country, this year's
tournament is turning into one of the largest poker tournaments in the history
of The Bicycle Casino!
It is estimated that the first place winner of this year's, now "famous"
No-Limit Hold'em Championship event will take home more than $1,000,000!
While this is only an estimate, the casino is pulling out all the stops to
make sure that they will be able to accommodate all the new players as well as
the seasoned ones. This landmark tournament draws poker enthusiasts from
around the world for a month of high stakes gambling and the opportunity to
put their skills "on the table" and compete against the "best of the best!"
The Bicycle Casino hosted more than 6,000 people last year, which added up to,
more than $4.5 million in prize pool monies. This year they are expecting
more than 8,000 attendees to converge on Bell Gardens over a course of the
month. The championship is expected to draw over 1,000 avid poker
aficionados.
With 36 events and buy-ins ranging from $100 to $5,000, the final event is
the cornerstone of the tournament, the No-Limit "Texas" Hold'em Championship
beginning on Saturday, August 27.
Once again the ladies of poker are in for a special treat! In addition to
the WPT Ladies Night Out Invitational that will be shown on the Travel
Channel, we're hosting a No-Limit Hold'em Ladies Poker Party on Wednesday,
August 31 at 7:15p.m. Ladies will have the opportunity to show their stuff!
The winner of this $100+$20 tournament will go on to compete with some of the
biggest names in ladies poker history at the WPT Ladies Invitational on
Thursday, September 1st.
The Bicycle Casino will follow up it's success as one of the highlights of
the World Poker Tour, broadcast on The Travel Channels earlier this year by
televising it's prestigious No-Limit Hold'em tournament. On Wednesday,
August 31, the final table participants of this $5,000 event will go "live."
If you missed last years riveting event, you'll definitely want to be in the
audience this year! It's a "sold out" show, so come early to get your seat as
an audience participant and watch the "best of the best" to see who will walk
away with all the cash and the coveted title of Legends of Poker 2005
Champion!

You got to know when to hold ‘em

Dear Mark,
I have found over the years that betting on sports and beating the bookmaker is no easy task. Nevertheless, exactly what percentage of games do I have to win just to break even? Mark M.

To kick off (puns offered at no extra charge for people with the right name, Mark), the person you are really trying to outfox is the oddsmaker, and his analysis on each team's chances, not necessarily the bookmaker as your question implied.

The bookmaker is simply a middleman who operates on a small profit margin and, ideally, is looking for half the money wagered on one team, and half that bet on the other. If too much of the money is wagered on one team, the bookmaker merely moves the point spread to prop up betting on the other team. What assures him of a profit is balancing his books.

As to a specific answer to your question, at odds of 10/11 (bet $11 to win $10) you only have to win 52.4% of your bets to overcome the bookmaker's profit and break even. While that may not seem like very high win-ratio, Mark, watching sports from a lazy-boy chair is one thing, while betting and winning them is quite another.

Dear Mark,
Ditto to Lester’s comment last week, and thanks for the increase in poker coverage. Anyhow, I just have a one short question if I may. You being a student of the game, what is the most sound advise you have ever received? Dell G.

It’s probably from The Gambler himself, singer Kenny Rogers (whom by the way doesn’t gamble, then again, he’s been married five times), whose biggest contribution to the game of poker also just happens to be my Golden Poker Rule #1: “You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.”

Put more concisely, Dell, you need to maximize the size of the pots that you win; and to minimize the money in the pots that you lose. This simple rule of poker is the most overlooked stratagem among most of those who play the game, and a real fortune-builder for those who follow it.

Dear Mark,
Last week in your column you explained the never-bust was a bad bet and advised players that you need to hit "plenty of those stiff hands.” My question concentrates strictly with the player having a 12 against a two or three. Wouldn’t the smart move be to always stand since it seems that every time I hit a 12 when the dealer is showing a 2 or 3, I always get a 10 and bust.
What’s wrong with standing instead of giving the dealer that bust card? Kevin M.

Without even considering depletion of the deck, a 12 in hand is somewhat different from most other "stiff" hands because you have a 9 out of 13 chance of not busting if you take a hit. Likewise, if you decide against hitting, your only chance of winning with a 12 is for the dealer to bust, and he has that same 69.2% plus chance of making his hand that you did.

The negative aspect of hitting a 12 is that even if you do take a hit, you will still lose money over the long haul, since a 12 against a dealer’s 2 or 3 is a losing proposition. Yet, you should always hit a 12 against a two or three in order to save from 2-5% of the money wagered as compared to standing.

Granted, Kevin, you won’t win any additional money by hitting, but it will help keep you from losing more than you should.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table.
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done. ­Kenny Rogers, The Gambler
By Mark Pilarski

ROBINSONVILLE, Miss. - Around the house, with family and friends, Kathy Liebert always played cards.

Nickel here. Dime there.

She tossed coins. She raked pots. She did both on a regular basis.

But then came college, and the stereotypes and the dry spell.

"I went to Marist, and there was a game, but it was guys only," Liebert said. "So I wasn't allowed to play."

A guys-only poker game?

In the 1980s?

Back then, it might've made sense. But these days - with touring professionals like Liebert paving the way - that sexist notion is as obsolete as Twisted Sister and parachute pants.

The proof is here in the poker room.

"Over the past few years, the amount of female poker players in casinos has at least tripled," said Karen Kaegin, card room manager at Grand Casino Tunica. "You can walk into any poker room in this town and you'll see at least one woman at every table."

That theory was backed up by the crowd at the Grand's glassed-in poker room Tuesday afternoon. While the World Series of Poker Circuit Event No Limit Hold 'em Championship was dwindling to its final 27 players, at least one woman was at every poker-room table. At a No Limit game in the corner, four of the nine players were women.

So how did it come to this?

"The Internet," Kaegin answered. "The Internet played a huge role because women can play on the Internet, and it's not intimidating. That's where they can get comfortable."

And once they're comfortable, they can be formidable. Take Liebert, for instance.

In 2002, she won the inaugural PartyPoker Million Limit Hold'em event and became the first woman to earn $1 million in a tournament. In 2004, she won the World Series of Poker $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout event. Then earlier this year, she won the "Battle of the Sexes" event that was televised on GSN and featured Liebert negotiating a field that included such dominant male professionals as Amir Vahedi and Antonio Esfandiari.

Translation: Liebert is not just considered to be a great female player. She's a great player, period, and an example of how women are as capable as men of playing a prominent role in poker while gaining celebrity and riches.

Annie Duke is another.

Jennifer Harmon is another.

"There is no athletic ability involved in poker so women are on an equal playing field with men," Liebert said. "And with the growth of the Internet and the growth of poker on TV, women are saying, 'Hey, this is a game I can play,' and they're starting to play more. Now, they're coming to the casinos more, and they're playing in the tournaments more."

Which is not to say the female turnout is overwhelming, or even close to equal.

Only six of the 179 starters in the WSOP Circuit Event No Limit Hold'em Championship here at the Grand were women, and all but Liebert were gone by Monday afternoon. So though women are playing more, it's not quite translating to big-money events like this one, where the buy-in was $10,000.

But it most likely will as the role of women in poker will almost certainly continue to expand each year.

Marist, beware.

"I think if I went back now, they'd probably let me in a game," Liebert said with a smile. "But I don't know. If they were playing for serious money, they might not want me there. They might say, 'No, she's too good.'"

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 2005--Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. said today the World Series of Poker 2005 Tournament of Champions (TOC), a $2 million, free-roll tournament, featuring a select group of poker's biggest names, will be held November 6-8 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The final nine players from the World Series of Poker's 2005 main event are eligible to join more than 100 top players who qualified for the TOC at five World Series of Poker Circuit events earlier this year. The event will be taped for telecast by ESPN.

Among those eligible to participate in the TOC are top-ranked professional players, such as: Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Harman, T.J. Cloutier, Chris Ferguson, Robert Williamson, Russ Hamilton, Yosh Nakano, Michael Mizrachi, Tony Le, Eric Cloutier, and Mimi Tran.

Other qualifiers include reigning WSOP Champion Joseph Hachem, who won $7.5 million at this year's main event, and fellow final-table millionaires Steve Dannenman, Derek Barch, Aaron Kanter, Andrew Black, Scott Lazar, Daniel Bergsdorf, Brad Kondracki, and Mike Matusow.

The TOC is a free-roll event - players aren't required to put up any of their own money to enter - that will award $2 million in prize money. First prize will be $1 million, second $325,000, third $250,000, fourth $150,000, fifth $100,000, sixth $75,000, seventh $50,000, and eighth and ninth $25,000.

"This Tournament of Champions is just one way of saying 'thank you' to the skilled and talented players who have helped make the World Series of Poker the richest sporting event on the planet," said Jeffrey Pollack, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing for Harrah's. "We're especially proud to host it at Caesars Palace, the premier luxury brand in the Harrah's portfolio."

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 67 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. On June 13, 2005, Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and now owns or manages through various subsidiaries more than 40 casinos in three countries, primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names. With nearly 4 million square feet of casino space, more than 40,000 hotel rooms and nearly 100,000 employees, the Harrah's portfolio is the most diverse in the gaming industry. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

Pat Poels took a gamble when he quit his executive-level day job to play professional poker full time.

Lucky for him, it's paying off.

Poels, who lives on the Gilbert-Mesa border in Dana Ranch, took home a gold bracelet and more than $270,000 in cash as the Hi/Lo champion at the June World Series of Poker in Omaha.

In July, the 36th annual World Series of Poker No-Limit Hold'em Championship netted him an additional $28,000.

But his new career hasn't been all winning hands.

Poels stumbled onto poker about five years ago during a vacation to Las Vegas. He said he started to play more often, winning a bit and losing a lot. A pro he befriended recommended a book to help him learn some poker skills. He started to study, and improve.

"It seems like something that's just luck, but it's not just a luck thing. There's a skill to it," he said.

Poels said playing poker as a career was a decision he made after years of study, with lots of time and money invested in playing and honing his skills.

He played semiprofessionally for about four years while still working full time at Ticketmaster in Phoenix. In April, he left Ticketmaster to focus on poker full time. Doing both had left him little time for his family or sleep, he said.

Poels' wife, Laura, was one of his biggest supporters in his decision to become a poker pro.

The father of three sons said he hesitated at the thought of giving up a lucrative career. But Laura assured him it would be OK if he earned less money, as long as he was doing what he loved.

"I couldn't be luckier. As it turned out, I've done extremely well," he said.

While Poels does play, and win, in the big national tournaments, he said he makes the bulk of his income playing in live games. Live games are smaller games with lots of betting action. The bets aren't pre-set or determined by a tournament buy-in fee.

"Tournaments are the things that get you on TV and fame, get you known. Even though a lot of the best players don't play in tournaments," he said.

LAKE ELSINORE - For nearly four decades, the little card room in Lake Elsinore was the only game in the Inland Empire.

All that changed when Indian gaming grabbed a seat at the table.

And as Indian casinos have grown, card rooms have waned and state oversight has increased.

Yet the Lake Elsinore Casino -- with its Moorish-style sign flanking Interstate 15 that lists its featured card games along with a heart, spade and diamond -- refuses to fold.

"Does (Indian gaming) hurt us? Sure it does," manager Pat Wilmes said in a recent interview as players quietly bet and chips clinked in the background. His thoughts shifted to the Pechanga Resort and Casino, which dominates the area's gaming landscape from 20 miles away.

"They have 54 (card) tables. We have 18," Wilmes said. "We're tightly regulated. They can do a lot more than us."

In 2000, California voters gave tribes a monopoly on Vegas-style gaming in the state.

Unlike card clubs, Indian casinos can offer slot machines and table games such as craps. At tribal facilities, gamblers play against the house. At card clubs, they play against each other, with the house taking a cut.

But Wilmes doesn't complain. Poker is wildly popular these days. The poker and blackjack tables at the Lake Elsinore Casino, as well as the facility's nearly 100 hotel rooms, are frequently full on weekends.

"Right now, business is growing every month," he said. "We're hopeful. We'd like to expand. Every business wants to expand."

The family-owned complex -- which also includes a bar and restaurant -- dates to the late 1950s when it was called the Sahara Dunes Casino. It began in a small building on the property that is now shuttered. Operations shifted to a larger building constructed in the early 1970s.

The business now employs about 150 workers, nearly half of them dealers.

While the Lake Elsinore Casino has held its own, many such operations elsewhere in California have not fared so well.

There were 265 card rooms across the state in August 1994, a time when some lawmakers warned they were growing too fast and should come under stricter controls. The warning came two months after Lake Elsinore residents voted against allowing more than one card room in their city.

Later that year, Canyon Lake residents voted against allowing a card room to open there. Perris voters followed suit a year later.

Pechanga opened its casino in temporary buildings in July 1995. Since then, it has spent more than $300 million on its permanent casino, 522-room hotel, restaurants, nightclubs, parking garages, recreational-vehicle park and convenience store.

There are now 10 Indian casinos in the Inland Empire and four in northern San Diego County. Seven of those casinos have poker rooms. The most recent was opened in May by the Soboba tribe.

Pechanga opened a new poker room in November. It was subsequently named the best of its kind by the Southern California Gaming Guide.

There are now 94 card rooms throughout California, said Anna Carr, a spokeswoman for the state Gambling Control Commission. An Adelanto card club -- the Hi-Desert Inn and Casino -- closed in April 1998 after a proposed city-tax increase.

Carr said she is not aware of any studies that detail the reason for the sharp decline in card rooms over the past decade.

Kermit Schayltz, president of the Golden State Gaming Association, cites tougher government regulations that limited card room tables and implemented a 10-year moratorium on opening such businesses. The moratorium is slated to end in 2010.

Schayltz also blames competition from the state lottery and Indian gaming. He said card rooms face several disadvantages when competing against Indian casinos.

Unlike card rooms, Indian casinos are owned by sovereign nations and do not pay per-table gaming fees or property, sales or hotel-room taxes. The Lake Elsinore Casino pays more than $74,000 a year in such taxes, according to city officials.

Indian casinos pay into a statewide fund that is shared by communities that are impacted by gaming.

Schayltz said members of his association need a level playing field to compete with Indian gaming.

"One of the agendas of our industry is to find some type of parity," he said. "It's always an issue. It's always a concern."
By TIM O'LEARY

CONCORD, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 2005--Through a series of "No Limit Hold'em" tournaments, motorsports fans and poker enthusiasts will be able to go "all-in" to support The Jeff Gordon Foundation.

The series of high-stakes poker events, which will include online satellite tournaments and events at several Harrah's casinos (NYSE:HET), will begin this Fall and culminate in a championship to be held in March 2006 in Las Vegas, Nev. The championship, scheduled for the week of the annual race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, will be held at Caesar's Palace -- one of Harrah's premier casinos.

Chris Moneymaker, who collected the $2.5 million first prize in the 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event championship after qualifying through a $40 online satellite tournament, believes that playing a tournament for a charity is a great way to raise the awareness of child-related causes. He noted over 5,600 people entered the main event of the 2005 WSOP Tournament in July, more than double that of a year ago and about eight times that of two years ago.

"The Jeff Gordon Foundation Hold'em Tournament will raise both players' and fans' expectations about what a world class tournament benefiting charities can provide," said Chris Moneymaker. "As a fan of motorsports and a supporter of Jeff Gordon, I fully expect that this event can help make significant contributions to children in need of his Foundation's support."

"The popularity of these tournaments lends itself well to creating an environment where casual enthusiasts can enjoy participating in a star-filled event knowing that they are also supporting children through The Jeff Gordon Foundation," said Jeff Gordon, four-time Cup Series champion. "With the industry's support, we can help meet the overwhelming physical, social and intellectual needs of children and their families throughout the United States."

With a fan base estimated at 50 to 60 million who play poker at least once a month, The Jeff Gordon Foundation hopes to raise up to $1,000,000. In addition to reaching out to the fans of poker and motorsports, the tournament will provide opportunities for professional poker players and celebrities to play an important role in raising funds and awareness of today's needs by children and their families.

The Jeff Gordon Foundation Hold'em Tournament will be broadcast on a yet-to-be-determined network and be executive produced by Bischoff-Hervey Entertainment in combination with Tony Loiacono, the creator of the event. Off-camera, the select competitors, professional poker players and celebrities will enjoy high-stakes fun as they partake in a VIP Reception, and attend the hit shows at Harrah's casinos.

About The Jeff Gordon Foundation

The Jeff Gordon Foundation was established in December of 1999 by the four-time Cup Series champion to support the physical, social and intellectual needs of children and their families. The Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Riley Hospital for Children, The Marrow Foundation in partnership with The Hendrick Marrow Program and the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital at Northeast Medical Center. For more information, visit www.JeffGordonFoundation.org.

About Harrah's Entertainment

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nev., 67 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. On June 13, 2005, Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and now owns or manages through various subsidiaries more than 40 casinos in three countries, primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names.

NOTE: Must be 21 years of age or older to participate.

Dear Mark,
Thanks for including the occasional poker question to your column. They are always quite informative. My question though isn’t about poker per se, but about its origins. Do you happen to know where the game of poker originates? Lester K.

There is no clear or direct origin of the game of poker, given in the most respected encyclopedias, and it is probably likely, Lester, that the game of poker evolved from elements of many different games. Why, even the derivation of the word Poker is a topic of debate.

Game historians and most lexicographers believe the word comes from an eighteenth-century French game, Poque; however there are other references to a German game named Pochspiel. Others believe it came from the Hindu word, pukka. Another account I found suggests that it came from a version of an underworld slang word, "poke," a term for wallet used by pickpockets, and there are those who believe that "poke" probably came from "hocus-pocus", a sort of mumbo-jumbo chanty widely used by magicians in tricks where something disappears.

One thing game historians can agree on is that the game’s naissance is a very old one, the earliest reference being dated 1550, and that in connection with the Italian game of Primero. Primero involved betting, and had valued hands like three-of-a-kind, pairs, and the flush. By the 18th century the betting and bluffing aspects of the game had been introduced in such five-card games as Brag (England), Pochen (Germany), and Poque (France).

In America, the earliest written reference to poker is in 1834 among the writings of Jonathan H. Green. Green mentions the rules to what he called the "cheating game," then being played on Mississippi riverboats. Green, who couldn’t find reference to it in Hoyle, decided to name the game Poker. The game Green described was played with 20 cards, and used only aces, kings, queens, jacks and tens. Up to four people could play; each was dealt five cards.

When Green put pen to paper, the game had already become the number one cheating game on the Mississippi riverboats, surpassing the ever-popular game of Three-Card Monte. Poker’s popularity eventually moved from New Orleans by steamboat up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers; and from the river towns, the game spread both east and west by covered wagons and the new railroad. When the now-standard 52-card deck ultimately replaced the 20-card deck, the flush was re-introduced (remember Primero?). During the Civil War, modifications such as open cards (stud poker), the straight and the draw were established.

There’s a whole lot more history, Lester, more than space allows, but suffice it to say that the game of poker today is as popular as ever, thanks in large part to the Cinderella story of Chris Moneymaker, who had never played in a "live" tournament, before winning the main event in the 34th annual World Series of Poker Championship at Binion’s casino in Las Vegas in 2003.

I believe his win is the genesis of poker’s resurgence and high popularity level today.

Dear Mark,
I had a big argument with a friend of mine regarding his theory regarding blackjack. My friend thinks that if you are dealt a twelve or over, no matter what the dealer has showing you should not take a hit. He thinks your chance of busting is greater than the dealer=s. I think he is nuts. Am I wrong? Nate H.

Not this time, Nate, as perfect basic strategy in blackjack advises hitting plenty of those stiff hands. When your friend uses a never-bust strategy, he is giving the casino a 5% advantage, whereas when you use strict basic strategy, your are only giving the casino a half of one percent edge on the six or eight-deck games.

Losing players employ this never-bust strategy, at the minor cost, that is, of the greenish colored contents of their wallets.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "No presidential candidate should visit Las Vegas without condemning organized gambling." --Ralph Nader
By Mark Pilarski

ST. JOHNS, Antigua – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The biggest jackpot ever offered on an online casino slot machine is now available at GoldenPalace.com, the #1 Internet Casino & Poker Room. Their new Five Million Dollar Slot Machine has been launched and players are already talking about it.

The exciting new slot machine is an opportunity for players to literally become multi-millionaires in just one spin.

"We've received tons of feedback from our players about our new jackpot slot," said GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe. "They love the new $5,000,000 machine, because of the huge potential jackpot of course, but also because it has a unique twist that makes it more fun and interesting than a normal slot machine."

All the reels on the new game have pictures of GoldenPalace.com's wildly successful marketing campaigns such as the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Beckham Ball, Running of the Bulls with Dennis Rodman, and more.

"In addition to the enormous jackpot, we wanted to make the game even more distinctive to Golden Palace," Rowe continued. "Since our campaigns have made headlines worldwide, we thought they would be perfect to brand this one-of-a-kind game."

Established in 1997, GoldenPalace.com is one of the pioneers of the online casino industry. Their software offers over 60 classic casino games, as well as the world's leading multi-player poker room.

Every player on Celebrity Poker Showdown, which returns to Bravo Thursday at 8 ET/PT, receives a copy of co-host Phil Gordon's 20 Short Tips to Better Texas Hold 'Em (available for a $20 donation to cancer research at philgordonpoker.com).

But that doesn't mean players know the difference between a check and a chip.

Besides, even the best players can go down in defeat when the "river" — the final shared card dealt in each hand of Texas Hold 'Em — is revealed.

You can always count on such dramatic moments of unpredictability on Showdown. Gordon and partner Dave Foley recall highlights and reveal memorable ploys from the five previous tournaments.

•The most surprising whiz? Gordon: "Mena Suvari. She was extremely knowledgeable and hard-core. You wouldn't know she was such a fierce competitor just by looking at her."

•The most surprising loser? Gordon: "Martin Sheen. He comes across as a bright guy but hasn't played any poker. Rumor has it, though, that there was a Notre Dame game on that he was adamant about watching."

•Who had the worst luck? Foley: "Hank Azaria was the most formidable loser. He did everything right but was beat on the river." Gordon: "Both times he played he was incredibly unlucky, and he was by far one of our best players. He was very bitter about it."

•Do comedians have an edge? Foley: "Not in terms of poker. But maybe because their emotions are tied up in getting laughs; that makes you harder to read. They could look very happy with a 7-2 in their hand if they thought of a good joke to tell an opponent."

•Do men often underestimate women? Gordon: "The classic case was (football player) Jerome Bettis and Wanda Sykes. He severely underestimated her ability to bluff and paid the ultimate price."

•Do women like to play dumb? Foley: "Lauren Graham was great at it. Very smart but disarmingly adorable. I use the same gambit when I play."

•What was the dirtiest trick used to distract an opponent? Foley: "Jason Alexander tried to get (new mother) Mary McCormack to lactate by crying like a baby. Actually, I think I mentioned that idea to Jason before the game."

•Are copious quantities of alcohol consumed by players? Gordon: "At the end of the day, it is Las Vegas, and it is a weekend. The celebrities are there with little or no responsibility. Maura Tierney was really over the top. She did six shots in two hours. She won her game, then went on to win the championship the same day. We lost our sponsor because of that." Foley: "She never played before. She would go over to me during the break and ask, 'What the heck is going on?' "

•Who won the quickest? Gordon: "Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Some games can last as long as 121 hands. Most are 60 to 70 hands. Malcolm played 17. The show ran only an hour. "

•Who had the strangest good luck charm? Foley: "Michael Ian Black kept tossing an autographed picture of magician David Copperfield into the pot."
By Susan Wloszczyna

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- WORLD POKER TOUR® Ladies' Night(TM) returns to Southern California this year packaged with a few exciting new ribbons and bows -- in fact with the pink breast cancer awareness ribbon. The event, one of the most popular events on the WORLD POKER TOUR has become the prestige tournament in women's poker. This year, it will be a star- studded celebrity event at the Bicycle Casino that benefits breast cancer research.

The activities begin on Wednesday, August 31 when the Bicycle Casino stages its Ladies' Poker Party open tournament, inviting all women over 21 to play in the $125-buy-in event, with $15 of that buy-in being donated to the cause. It is anticipated that a number of women celebrities will join the field -- expected to exceed 400 -- playing for fun and the cause. Among those already committed are Shannon Elizabeth, Andrea Parker and Sara Rue. The victor from that event will earn a seat in the televised WPT Ladies' Night III tournament the next night, Thursday, September 1.

Spectators are encouraged to come out to watch the taping of Ladies' Night III, which will also feature:

* Defending Ladies Night Champion Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier -- a
fiercely competitive French Canadian lawyer-turned-poker pro
* Academy Award® nominated actress Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over
Broadway, Monsters, Inc.), who recently won the No-Limit Hold'em
Ladies Event at the 2005 World Series of Poker
* Marsha Waggoner, playing the game since 1976, will defend her title as
the Grand Dame of Poker
* Cecelia Reyes -- wife to WPT champion Juan Carlos Mortensen, Cecelia
has made a name for herself placing in the money in several major
tournaments. This is her eleventh WPT event, but first ever WPT Final
Table
* Aidiliy Elviro -- with WPT champion Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi as
her poker coach and husband, Aidiliy is an aggressive new player, and
one of WPT Season Three's top woman competitors.

The women will be competing for a $25,500-seat in the WPT World Championship to be held in April 2006 at Bellagio in Las Vegas. The winner will also receive a specially created one-of-a-kind pink ribbon WPT Poker Set with 300 pink co-branded clay chips and two decks of cards. Everyone who plays over the two nights will receive a pink commemorative poker chip with the WPT logo on one side and the breast cancer ribbon on the other.

The WPT and the Bicycle Casino will donate $10,000 to Breast Cancer Research in honor of the event winners. Poker fans will be encouraged to supplement that total by purchasing a WPT Ladies' Night commemorative gift from the WPT webstore at www.worldpokertour.com on the night the show airs on the Travel Channel, Saturday, October 22nd at 8 p.m. The choices will include a specially-designed WPT Breast Cancer Ribbon necklace by Roberto Martinez.

"This year we are especially pleased to add this charitable aspect to the Ladies' Night," said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE - News). "We created Ladies' Night to ensure that women poker players get their just due in the limelight. The increasing number of women we see playing on the World Poker Tour reinforces our belief that -- given the opportunity -- women can play at the highest levels of the game and grow to be a major factor in tournament poker. We hope that Ladies' Night will demonstrate to female poker enthusiasts that the WPT is interested in opening doors for them and increasing their visibility."

Women interested in registering for Bicycle Casino's Ladies Poker Party on August 31 should call (562) 806-4646 or go to www.thebicyclecasino.com. To watch the taping of WPT Ladies' Night III on September 1, fans should arrive by 3:00 p.m. Seating is on a first come, first serve basis. The Bicycle Casino is located at 7301 Eastern Avenue, Bell Gardens, CA.

The WPT launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel Channel on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing poker as a major international sport. Viewers and aspiring tour players can log on to www.worldpokertour.com for ways to improve their game or to find out how to register for the 16 WPT tournaments. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in more than 100 countries and territories worldwide. WORLD POKER TOUR® airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel.

Today I'd like to pass along some tips about how to use a little psychology to derive the most fringe benefits from your casino play. "Comps", or complimentaries, are those much sought after food, beverage and hotel "freebies" that casino hosts make available to guests. They are a casino's favorite marketing tool when it comes to making new friends and keeping old ones. What follows are some tools for players to use:

1. Don't be afraid to ask. Casino guest services representatives are in business to please and accommodate people, not alienate them. In most gaming markets, they are aware that people can take their business elsewhere. They are out to make friends, not enemies. Besides, food comps actually cost the casino a fraction of their face value. Comps are the best marketing tools a casino has. They don't want to say "no" to your request for a comp if they can at all help it. But they're not mind-readers, either. As the squeaky wheel gets the grease, so does the outgoing casino player. If you've been warming the seat at a blackjack table for a while or playing at a slot carousel for a period of time, find a representative and inquire about a comp. Just make your request in a polite demeanor and maybe even make some small talk. Don't be a pest or act demanding as if you've got it coming to you. Be nice and friendly and you may be in for a surprise.

2. Develop a personal relationship with a casino host, shift manager, or pit supervisor. Name and face recognition can go a lot further than just being a number in a data base. If you're visiting a casino for the first time, call in advance and ask to speak to someone in player development. Tell them you'll be coming in and that you're looking forward to the visit. Get the person's name and when you check in, stop by the office with a small gift or token of appreciation, such as a souvenir from your home town or a specialty item from your locality. When you're out on the casino floor, don't be shy about introducing yourself to the shift manager or slot or pit supervisor. Just a friendly "hi" along with some chat about the property and in all likelihood the person will offer you his or her card, and you've made a new friend.

3. Always use your player tracking card. Separate and aside from the personal contacts you make in a casino is being a member of the player's club. All casinos have them now. Cold, statistical dollars and cents decisions regarding comps are based upon the player profile that pops up when the host or other casino representative brings up your information on the computer screen. It's kind of like a casino player's "box score". By using a card you develop equity in the property and are eligible for cash back or comps as the case may be. Player's clubs encourage brand loyalty. The more often you attend, the longer you play, and the more money you "churn" through the machines or tables, the more valuable you are to the casino.

4. Take advantage of "first time visitor" privileges. If you're a veteran player making a first-time visit to a property in your own jurisdiction or out of state, always make a personal contact before you play. Explain to a host that you've been playing elsewhere but that you've heard a lot of nice things about this particular casino and you'd like to give them a try. Alluding to your games of choice or your level of play won't hurt, either, such as mentioning the playing tier you are at another property. Casinos are always trying to win over new customers, influence people, and attract new and potential premium players. The casino industry is very competitive in this respect. Manipulate the system, if you will, and see what kind of "welcome wagon" comps you may be offered.

5. Go for "true comps" first before using your point equity. Every casino uses basically the same formula for determining a player's worth. The "theo" on a player (theoretical loss) is computed using the amount wagered, the length of playing time, and the win/loss ledger. The result is the value of comps the player is entitled to in dollars and cents. On the other hand, every casino uses a different formula for comps based on points accumulated using a player's card. A player may redeem his or her points for comps and have them deducted from their account. "True comps", however, may be a buffet or dinner offered to a player without the loss of points. It's based on individual session play and even property loyalty. Always go for true comps first before you tap into the equity that you've already earned and you're already entitled to receive. It's kind of like going for a bonus.
by John G. Brokopp

The thing that makes poker infinitely deep and endlessly challenging is the psychological aspect of the game. If your blackjack dealer could choose whether to hit or stand on 16, for example, playing your own hand would be far more complicated. Against a "tight" dealer who you don't think will hit 16, you should probably hit your 12 when she has a 6 up. But if she's the type that will draw to 16, then you'd want to stand with 12.

This is how poker forces you to use your judgment. Poker strategy is not entirely mathematical – psychological reasoning plays a big part. And since reasoning can and will be debated by qualified experts, there's not necessarily just one good way to play a given poker hand.

I bring this up because of a controversial poker article that appeared in a major newspaper recently. It described a huge hand that developed in a $20/$40 limit Texas Hold'em game, and I think the way the hand was played is highly debatable.

In that hand, a young poker pro was in the big blind for $20. The "under-the-gun" player (first to act after the blinds) opted to "straddle" (post a bet before the cards were dealt). After dealing the hole cards, a raising war ensued until the bet was "capped" (the maximum allowable raises) at $100 before it even got back around to the pro in the big blind. The pro looked down and found a pair of Jacks in the pocket.

Normally, pocket Jacks are a pretty nice starting hand. But when four or five people are re-raising and capping it, you can usually assume at least one player has a higher pocket pair. This time the Jacks most likely need to flop a "set" (trips)! That'll happen for you 1 time in 8.5 tries.

A common strategy guideline for calling with a pocket pair when you need trips is to have at least a four-way pot. That way, when you add together the money already in the pot with your profit from future bets, you'll likely earn at least 8 bets on your call if you hit your set. There is a problem, however, with this oversimplification.

The problem is that the four-way requirement is based upon your calling only one bet to see the flop. But if seeing the flop costs four bets, then you'll need to net 32 bets to make the call worthwhile. And remember, you can always flop your set and still lose the pot.

Anyway, with five players in so far, the pro reasoned that she was getting sufficient odds to call another $80 to see the flop. Here's where I disagree! When it was her turn to act, there had to be about $330 in the pot so far. You have to figure that a couple of players, particularly the straddler will fold, rather than pay all the extra raises to see a flop. Chances are, you'll have a four-way pre-flop pot containing between $450 and $500 -- $80 of it being the pro's calling money.

If she flops a set, she can probably gain a double bet ($40) from each of two players there and another $40 to $80 on the turn. Plus, she'll probably earn one last $40 call from somebody at the river and net perhaps $550 to $600 on the hand. Of course, if her set gets beat, she'll lose an easy $200.

What if her pocket Jacks happen to be the best hand before the flop? I see almost no value in that since you'll have to fold the best hand too many times. That'll happen when an overcard flops, or when three straight or flush cards get there followed by any serious action. Even if three undercards flop and you bet, then get raised -- it's probably advisable to give up your hand. I just don't think you should invest another $100 or so at that point, hoping your Jacks can win when they were probably no good to begin with.

So then, let's go ahead and play this hand out on paper 85 times following the odds, and say that we'll miss 75 flops, hit 10 sets of trips and get one of them beat. Our 75 misses will cost us $80 x 75, or $6000. Our one losing set of trips will cost another $200 for $6200 in total losses. Then our nine winners could earn perhaps $600 x 9, or $5400. That doesn't stack up like a net winner to me!

Of course, this particular hand played out nothing at all like that. The pro flopped Jacks full, a couple of players made smaller full houses and she won a $1700 pot. But then, that's why it made the news. As for me, I'd muck my pocket Jacks before the flop and stay out of trouble. How about you?
by Mr. Fred Renzey

Dear Mark,
I usually go to Vegas during the early spring, so I've never bet on football, but I will be there this year in mid-September. Unfortunately, I have no idea how the betting works, specifically teasers and parlays. Can you shed some light on this? Chris S.

Of course, Chris, nice question. I’ll get to parlays and teasers in just two inches, but first I best illustrate the wager most sports bettors make when betting football: the straight bet.

In a straight bet, you simply pick one side or the other to win the game, plus or minus the point spread on the board. For example, let's say you’re charmed by Green Bay -7 vs. Chicago. If you take my beloved Green Bay giving seven (-7 points), you’re wagering $11 that the Packers will beat the Bears by more than 7 points. If they do, you win $10. The 10 bucks is for your handicapping expertise, but you also receive your original $11 back, for a total payout of $21.

A parlay bet is a group of straight bets combined into a single wager. For you to come off smiling after a parlay bet, all the individual parts of the parlay must win or tie. Here’s an example: Chris places a two-team NFL parlay on the Lions and the Jets. If either of those teams fails to cover the spread, Chris loses his parlay bet. If both teams beat the spread, the odds are 13 to 5, and Chris gets paid $13 for every $5 he’s bet.

With parlays, if just one team you’ve bet on doesn’t win or at least tie, you lose the entire amount wagered. If one of the games is a tie, then that game is disregarded and you get paid according to the number of games you did win.

The house edge, based on the number of games bet and typical casino payout, depends on how many teams are in your wager. But, Chris, WALLET ALERT! The more games parlayed, the higher the casino advantage. For instance, three teams usually pay 6 to 1, with a house edge of 12.50%. Four teams pay 10 to 1, with an even higher 31.25% casino advantage, and five teams pay 20 to 1, with a house edge of 34.38%.

A “parlay card” is a set of sides, totals, and prop bets printed on a special card. The numbers on the parlay card apply only to bets listed on the card, and can be different from straight bets listed on the board. As a rule, you must select at least three items in order to make a bet on a parlay card. ALWAYS scrutinize closely any parlay card offered. Some specify that you lose a tie, some that ties push, and you might even find the true rarity, a card where ties actually win. Some parlay cards avoid ties totally by ending all spreads at a 1/2-mark.

A teaser, like a parlay, is a group of straight bets combined into one wager. The difference between a parlay and a teaser is that with a teaser the line you bet against for each individual bet is moved in your favor by the number of points of the teaser. For example, if the regular line is the Vikings -7 and you have a 4-point teaser, then your line would be the Vikings -3. As with the parlay, all of the individual games need to win for the teaser to be a winner. If there is a tie in one or more of your individual games, then the wager, as in a parlay bet, converts to one fewer game, with this cute exception: If a two-team teaser has a winner and a tie, then the teaser pushes; meaning "No Action.”

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Look high, look low, and we see that gamblers actually form the majority of the world's inhabitants." -- James Runciman, Side Lights (1893)
By Mark Pilarski

Foxwoods' patrons will not be able to experience the "wonder of it all" from the comfort of their own homes.

The state Department of Special Revenue Thursday ruled Foxwoods' new Internet venture, PlayAway, is illegal and violates state law and the two gaming compacts in Connecticut.

"I am very comfortable with our decision today," said Paul Young, executive director of special revenue. "I think we rendered the right decision based on the information supplied to us by the casino. It was against Connecticut law, clearly."

Under federal law, online gambling operations are illegal in the United States, and state officials say the game's interface is misleading because it appears similar to online gambling Web sites that are based off-shore.

No actual monetary exchange takes place online with PlayAway. Casino patrons older than 21 years old complete betting and winnings transactions at Foxwoods, where they buy the keno tickets. However gamblers can remotely log onto the Internet, where they then go through a poker or blackjack-type exercise before their keno numbers are revealed. It differs from the state lottery Web site, state officials said, because that interface is only used to check lotto numbers.

"We have received the state's opinion and are reviewing it," George Henningsen, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Gaming Commission chairman, said in a prepared statement released by the casino. "It would be premature to say anything more until the review is completed."
By JESSICA DURKIN

PLAINFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2005--Eagle Games announced today that world-class professional poker player Annie Duke will be playing in the DD Poker event of the Chicago Poker Championships (http://www.q101.com/resortseast/index_main.aspx), to be held this Friday August 12th. The Chicago Poker Championships run from August 1-14th and are presented by Resorts East Chicago Casino, Q101 and the Loop. Duke will also be present at the Championship event held on Saturday August 13th.

Annie Duke is the leading money winner among women in World Series of Poker history. In August 2004 she successfully battled it out with the biggest names in poker to win the 2004 ESPN World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions® and the two million dollar first prize.

"We are delighted to have Annie Duke back in Chicago. The last time she was here she participated in an event that raised over $5000 for local charities. It was a wonderful time, but several attendees wanted the opportunity to play for real against Annie. This time, thanks to our friends at Q101, the Loop and Resorts East Chicago Casino, they get their wish" said Glenn Drover, president and founder of Eagle Games. "Annie is one of the reasons that DD Tournament Poker 2005 was the number one selling poker software over the past year. We are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with her and are excited about the launch of DD Poker 2006. Poker continues to be immensely popular and the DD Tournament Poker software product line fills the huge demand for a software title that allows players to practice what they have learned from television and books."

"DD Tournament Poker is a great game for introducing people to the world of Texas Hold'em poker," said Duke. "One of the biggest challenges for new players is to learn the game at their own pace without risking any money. DD Tournament Poker solves this problem by allowing novice and intermediate players to play against savvy computer opponents and to develop a solid understanding of the game before venturing into cash games."

DD Tournament Poker: No Limit Texas Hold'em Collector's Edition packaging featuring Annie Duke is available at fine retailers everywhere and from the Eagle Games website (http://www.eaglegames.net). DD Poker 2006 is scheduled for release in September.

( PRWEB ) August 9, 2005 -- The Small Town Poker Tour (STPT) is a simple as the title states. The STPT will travel the USA, not looking for lavish venues to hold the next professional tournament,but looking for real people who love poker and find the number one amateur player. The STPT is set to bring the excitement and feel of a professional tournament to small town America and go one step further raise money for charity along the way and crown America's STPT Champion.

Mark Fracalossi Executive Producer and Creator states," The interest in the upcoming tour has exceeded my wildest dreams. We are overwhelmed and excited about all the people who have contacted us about the tour." The tour has receieved thousands of letters from all over the world from potential players, including many touching stories. "We have read many letters from people who want to help some amazing charities,from the brother who wants to play for a group the helps people with AIDS because many of his family members are affected, to the group that provides toys for children,giving them their only Christmas," Fracalossi added. The STPT has recieved votes for small towns all over the world.

The STPT plans to not only to tour the United States, but European, Asian and Canadian Tours are also in the works. The producers have visited quite a contrast in towns the last few months.

"I've been all over the world from Prince Albert, Canada to Vail, Colorado and many unique small towns in between," Fracalossi said. "I have also visited some unique and historic towns in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands," he added.

With the popularity of poker worldwide the tour has attracted the interest of the top names in the gaming industry."We have met with a virtual who's who in the gaming world. We have WSOP Champs,talent agents and casinos all offering their services,the poker world is serious about giving back and we are happy to be that vehicle," Fracalossi said.

Fracalossi urged all to go to www.smalltownpokertour.com, to nominate your town.

On Christmas Day, CBS will celebrate the holiday season with a poker tournament.

Yes, The ProJo Christmas Poker Classic will air for two hours that day, kicking off a series of poker tournaments on the network.

That's just the latest way that television has fed off -- and helped feed -- the national poker craze.

No longer do you have to wait just for Maverick to live on jacks and queens.

The Travel Channel, ESPN, Bravo, GSN, NBC and E! are among the networks that offer or have recently offered some kind of TV poker.

Poker pros have become celebrities, and celebrities have tried to prove they are as good as the poker pros. There have been real games and -- on shows like Tilt -- fictional ones.

And poker is a draw for viewers. The most-watched single program in Travel Channel history is a World Poker Tour telecast in July 2004, which averaged 1.6 million viewers. Counting repeats, Travel estimates 3 million to 5 million viewers currently watch the network's poker telecasts in a given week.

Poker has benefited from colorful characters and games where luck can trump skill, notably in TV favorite Texas hold'em.

Pro poker player Annie Duke has said, ``If I sit down and play Kasparov a hundred games in a row in chess, I won't win one unless he has a stroke in the middle of one of the games. But in poker, that's not true. You can take the Kasparov of poker and sit him down with somebody who is, you know, a good amateur and the amateur could win on a given night.''

But poker has grown even more thanks to a technological innovation -- the ability to show players' hole cards on camera. Before that, World Poker Tour founder Steve Lipscomb once said, ``It was guys sitting around a table, and you had no idea what was going on.''

Now, viewers know who is bluffing -- and how well they are carrying off the bluff.

But where that may be good for viewers, it isn't necessarily for the players.

``It's much easier to pick up the tells of my opponent by watching the videos'' of games, pro player Chris Ferguson said last year. And, he said, ``Even the best players have tells.''

That has undoubtedly led to extreme fashion makeovers by some players, who have used sunglasses and other face-covering means to make it harder to spot their tells.

Phil Laak has become known as ``the Unabomber'' because of his hiding inside a hooded sweatshirt while playing.

While Ferguson thinks that televised poker will raise the level of overall play, there are some signs that TV isn't helping the game.

The influx of celebrities is one. Yes, some can play. Actress Jennifer Tilly, who is also Laak's girlfriend, recently won a major tournament. But others have looked as if the last time they held cards, they were yelling ``Go fish!'' at some sixth-grader.

Nor do the flashier pros appeal to everyone. Jay Lovinger, poker columnist for ESPN online, recently trashed Laak's showboating behavior as ``setting a bad example'' even though ``the TV cameras loved him.''

``Today the Unabomber,'' Lovinger wrote, ``tomorrow entire squadrons of imaginatively-accoutred poker terrorists.''

Lake Harmony, Pa. -- 8/4/05 -- The Palms Hotel and Casino and POKER: Quest of Champions have announced the beginning of THE QUEST...the PRO-SHOOTOUT at The Palms.

Ten world-class players will come together to compete for one entry into the tournament that boasts THE RICHEST FIRST PRIZE IN THE GAME....The $15 million POKER: Quest of Champions. A sponsored seat into the main event is up for grabs, with the MAIN EVENT slated to begin New Year's week at The Palms Hotel and Casino.

Angelo Halkias Pokerquest COO said "The field of entrants for this event is comprised of Titans from the combined worlds of Poker, Hollywood, and Business."

It all takes place Labor Day weekend, Sunday Sept. 4, 2005 at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The Tournament begins at 1 pm.

Join us at The Palms to witness some of the world's best players do battle for a shot at Immortality...

This tournament has already caught the attention of Hollywood stars such as James Woods, Michael Vartan, and Mimi Rogers and World Renowned Poker Champions such as Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Reza Payvar, Amir Vahedi, Phil Hellmuth, and T.J. Cloutier all of which have contracted to play as the remaining open seats are quickly being filled by celebrity players from around the world.

Unlike many of the current tournaments, the Quest will feature only 100 players, at ten shoot-out tables. The winner from each table advances to the final table. The ultimate winner will take home $15 million dollars, the highest first-place professional poker pay out in the history of the sport, after beating the 18 other players. "We designed this format to showcase the drama inherent within professional sports," said Jason Augustine, CEO of PokerQuest Entertainment.

Last week, Las Vegas-based PokerQuest Entertainment signed with Los Angeles based Artist International Management's manager Joel Newton to represent The Quest and shop the tournament for a network television deal.

Doc Hollywood Studios, Inc., founded by CEO Steven Saxton is an entertainment holdings company and upon completion of the recently announced acquisition, will become majority stockholder to Doc Hollywood Kidz / Doc Hollywood Records (Pink Sheets: DHYK), Doc Hollywood Productions, DH1 Reality TV, Bop City Records, and Artist International Management. The company is in the business of producing innovative theatrical motion pictures, television programming, and recorded music dedicated for both traditional and new media formats. This entertainment programming is unique, commercial, highly creative, and designed to appeal to specific demographic groups. This occurs while taking advantage of the inherent synergies of a full service studio with integrated talent, financing, and distribution of motion picture, television, and music projects.

Dear Mark,
Do you know anything about the 8/5 betting strategy? Michael N.

The 8/5 system is a simple little betting method used exclusively in roulette and mostly in Monaco by tourist ladies with purple hair. You bet on the same eight numbers consecutively for five times. However, if your number hits on the first spin, you drop that eight number group and pick another set of numbers. For instance, if you're betting $1 on each number, then your total amount wagered is $8. If one of your numbers hits, you win $35, with a net gain of $27.

So, let's say you don't hit any of your numbers on the first spin, but you do on the second. Again, you end this 8-number group and tot up your winnings. At this point, with your total wager of $16, you win $35, with a net gain of $19.

With a hit on the third spin, against your total wager to date of $24; you win $35, with a net gain of $11. How do you like this slope? If you score on the fourth spin, the total wagered is $32, your winnings are $35, and your net gain is $3, price of an economy size pack of Bubble Gum.

And if you hit on the fifth spin, you are in for a total of $40, winning $35, and your net loss is $5. If none of your eight numbers hits over five spins, your net loss is $40. At this point you end your eight number group and think hard about your next move -- pick another set of numbers is what the system recommends.

Now if anyone in la la land thinks you can tar-and-feather the casino with this system, I'm thinkin' you are not putting any strain on your brain cells. Groups of eight or not, every spin is a random, independent event. The ball has no memory and lacks the artificial intelligence necessary to remember which number, or groups of numbers appeared last. In addition, the 8/5 betting in no way disarms the 5.25% edge the casino holds on every number, on every spin.

Oh sure, with any such-n-such system you might be eating chicken glazed in truffles one day, but I promise you this, it will be feathers and droppings the next.

Dear Mark,
Each year you briefly mention your betting the Indianapolis 500. I didn't see you saying anything about it before or since Memorial Day. What happened, did your luck finally run out? Sherman T.

Because I have had a penchant for open wheel racing since I was knee high to a coke bottle, the aroma of Gasoline Alley on Memorial weekend in Indianapolis ushers in my favorite sporting event, both to view and wager on.

As a rule, Sherman, I bet on up to six drivers based on the driver's team, the engine/chassis package, qualifying times, pit crews, and the one intangible that helps me eliminate a good number of competitors in the field; "the brave factor". This formula has allowed me to be successful in handicapping the race for umpteen years.

This year I altered my formula and went "all in," betting on just one driver that I thought capable of winning the Indy 500: Danica Patrick. Even when the country caught Danicamania, dropping her odds from 20-1 to 5-1 (always bet early for better odds), I bounced both frenzy and gender from the equation, and still saw Patrick as having the complete package necessary to win, including the brave factor; the ability to "put her foot into it".

This breakout athlete is the real deal, and she belonged at the Indianapolis 500. She gave the boys all they could handle until she had to back off in the final stages of the race for lack of fuel. Her luck ran out, Sherman, not mine. To witness history, to see the first female in the lead with six laps remaining, until being passed by eventual winner Dan Wheldon, was the best bet I ever lost.

Next year I'll be betting on her again, because I believe Danica can win, and will win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. You can bet on it!

Gambling wisdom of the week: "A team approach is needed to win the Indianapolis 500. You need good strategy, you need good pit stops, you need people with a clear idea of what needs to happen out there." -- Danika Patrick

By Mark Pilarski

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Detroit Shock Head Coach Bill Laimbeer is inviting local media to join him along with Detroit Shock players Barb Farris and Iciss Tillis around the poker table for a Texas Hold’em charity tournament at the Pistons/Shock practice facility on Friday, August 27 at 12:30 p.m. Fans can bid for one of two spots in the tournament by listening to AM 1130 WDFN “The Fan” on Thursday, August 26 from 9 am – noon.

There is a $25 entry into the event with all proceeds to be donated to the charity of the winner’s choice. All Shock team members will match the entry fee and throw it in the pot as well. The winner of the card tournament will pick a charity of their choice to have the collection of entry fees donated to in their name. The first hand will be dealt at 12:30 p.m. at the Pistons/Shock practice facility.

The cards used during the event will be the Detroit Shock Playing Cards. The first 2,500 fans in attendance on Wednesday, September 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace of Auburn Hills will receive these Shock Playing Cards, courtesy of Belle Tire.

Dear Mark,
My brother likes to play single deck blackjack games, while I enjoy a casino that offers a decent buffet and a cocktail waitress that comes to the keno lounge more than once an hour. So, we cannot always gamble in the same casino. I probably already know what you will say, but what in your opinion of what makes "the best" casino? I am appealing to your love of the buffet. Jack M. aol.com

Granted, Jack, I have my favorite buffet stops across the American casino landscape, but that doesn't necessarily mean a superior feeding-frenzy-forum equals "the best" casino.
It is no secret that casinos have a mathematical edge over players on all their games. This fact alone makes it tough for players to win. The higher the casino's edge, the lower the chances the player will end up a winner. With the casino enjoying this mathematical advantage over the player, they key to "the best" is to know where to play, which games offer the best chance at winning, and learn how to beat them.
You should judge a casino "the best" if its gaming rules maximize a player's chance of winning. Consider this Starving Player's Checklist: single versus double zeros on a roulette table; blackjack dealt from a single deck with liberal rules like doubling on anything, re-splitting and surrender; a crap game with five or ten times odds in lieu of two-times odds; 9/6 video poker machines; a mini-baccarat table with low limits; casinos that advertise 98.5% paybacks on their slot machines, and then tell you which machines those are when you ask.
Besides, Jack, my New Years Resolution (authored by my wife) was to avoid the buffet chow lines, but not a decent-paying video poker machine.

Dear Mark,
I realize this question might be hard to answer in this setting (your column), but what is the exact pronunciation of Baccarat? Susan D.

My first inclination was to suggest you to look it up in a dictionary, but far to many players mispronounce baccarat. The "t" in baccarat is silent and correctly pronounced it's ba-ka-ra, not back-a-rat (a small rodent found nibbling on buffet leftovers).

Dear Mark,
Deuces Wild is my favorite video poker game. The casino where I normally play offers only a four coin return for four-of-a-kind. You suggest finding a machine that returns five coins for four-of-a-kind. How much more of an edge am I giving the casino? Grant S.

Plenty! Try six percent. With maximum coin play and perfect strategy, a five-coin return for four-of-a-kind gives you a slight edge against the house-a 100.76% return versus 94.34% if the machine returns just four coins.

Dear Mark,
I was reading one of your columns in which you mentioned 'scared money'. I'm new to gambling and wondered what this term means. A. A.

It's June 1 and your rent is due. With insufficient capital to pay your landlord, you decide to gamble, erroneously believing you can chase down luck. That's scared money! Which leads me to give any gambler this sagacious advice: Only bet what you can afford to lose. Money for rent, car payments or any of life's necessities has no place in a casino.
By Mark Pilarski

CARSON CITY, Nev. - It won't be long before gamblers are shooting dice while queued up waiting to see their favorite comedian. Or playing poker and roulette under a poolside umbrella. Even a trip to the buffet will no longer keep casino patrons from playing slots. A law signed last month by Gov. Kenny Guinn made Nevada the first U.S. state to approve the use of wireless, handheld gambling devices at its hotel-casinos.

It's a small step forward for casino companies aching to offer Internet-based gambling who are watching offshore competitors reap huge profits from a business that federal law bars them from entering,

"I think every major casino company wants to get into online gaming but without access to the U.S. market it becomes a costly venture," said Deutsche Bank gambling analyst Marc Falcone

The gadgets, Falcone said, are the "first step in a long process."

The restrictions, for one, are plenty:

Under the law, the devices can be used only in public areas of casinos that have 100 or more slot machines and that offer at least one other gambling game. The devices would be barred from hotel rooms and other private areas.

And they won't be available overnight.

Dennis Neilander, the State Gaming Control Board chairman, says it will be several months to a year before regulators set rules for using the handhelds.

One force behind the bill is Cantor Fitzgerald LP, the New York-based financial services company that suffered mightily in the 2001 attacks and is seeking to retreat for the gambling industry the technology that powers its interactive bond-trading.

Another backer was Louisiana-based Diamond I Inc., which has developed its own device.

"The tech-savvy generation, the late baby boomers and the next generation all grew up with a Nintendo in their hands. Everyone has a PDA," said David Loflin, president of Diamond I Inc. "This is an extension of that."

The world's No. 1 slot machine maker, Reno-based International Game Technology, also pushed for legalizing the wireless gambling.

"Nevada is the first state to have a bill to allow this. Once Nevada does it, you'll see the New Jerseys and the Mississippis do the same thing," Loflin predicted.

Cantor Fitzgerald's prototype device isn't much bigger than a checkbook, can slip easily into a coat pocket, and is already used in Britain for sports betting.

Falcone doesn't expect the devices to account for any serious revenue or be a significant driver of growth. And besides, state regulators won't approve them until they're persuaded that they can be effectively monitored.

Cantor Fitzgerald says that won't be a problem.

Its wireless device uses a form of encryption to ensure security, said Joe Asher, managing director of Cantor G&W.

Asher would not disclose details about the encryption method, and said a biometric system that reads a permitted user's fingerprint could also be used if regulators prefer.

The wireless devices would be linked to a server that could verify the gambler is the person who checked out one of the devices at a casino.

Asher says the devices could be set to stop working in non-authorized areas, and players could establish limits in advance by depositing money in an account.

High losses in a short period could cause the device to shut down _ keeping problem gamblers from going too far in the hole.

"Security is a big deal and we are very familiar with it because we operate in that world today," Asher said.

While Cantor Fitzgerald may see lucre in wireless gambling, the lone state legislator to vote against the bill sees nothing but headaches and lost income for people like her.

Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, a waitress at the coffee shop at Treasure Island resort in Las Vegas, says it's bad enough that the state has allowed Keno to be played away from the casino floor.

"There needs to be places where there aren't two and three gaming devices at your disposal," she said. "It's hard enough to get somebody's order when they're trying to fill out a Keno slip. All I need to find out from them is how they like their eggs and what kind of toast they want."

And what about enforcing rules for who can use the devices and where, asks Carlton.

"What's going to be my responsibility?" she wonders. "Am I going to be obligated to turn someone in if I see them hand it to their kid?"

One day in 1970, Stu Ungar, accompanied by an entourage of mobsters, made his way to the Pennsylvania Hotel on 7th Avenue in Manhattan. Ungar was a spindly 16-year-old, 5-foot-5, 110 pounds, a bookie's son. He was also the greatest gin rummy player in history.

His opponent in the hotel suite that day was Harry "Yonkie" Stein, a renowned big-money player from Canada. After some nervous introductions, the private match got underway. Ungar and Stein played 27 games of Hollywood gin, a variant in which scores are kept in three columns. When they were finished, Ungar had won every game, a total of 81 columns. It was the most devastating defeat ever handed out in high-level gin.

The mob, which was staking the card prodigy known as "The Kid," took its cut of the winnings. Ungar's $35,000 share quickly evaporated at the horse track. That pattern — big wins followed by bigger losses — would repeat itself for nearly 30 years, until 1998, when a skeletal Ungar was found dead in a $58-a-night Las Vegas motel room, killed by a heart attack brought on by years of drug abuse.

"They used to call me a freak," Ungar says in "One of a Kind," Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson's perceptive and unflinching biography of the doomed gambler. "I guess it was like Bobby Fischer in chess. At 15 I was massacring people who had mastered this stuff for 30 years. I made a shambles out of them. I guess you could say I was a freak of nature."

Despite a few lapses into cliche — Ungar's mother, for example, is described as having "curves in all the right places" — Dalla and Alson present a brisk and thorough portrait of the self-described "action junkie" and poker champion. The book began as an autobiography shortly before Ungar's death, and the authors have put the interview material to effective use, setting Ungar's words in blocks of italic text that read like running commentary from the grave.

The current Texas hold'em craze will surely draw readers to "One of a Kind," but the extent to which gin set the course for Ungar's life will come as a surprise to the casual poker fan. Ungar's domination of the game was so complete that he could find few opponents after humiliating "Yonkie" Stein. Poker provided a new outlet.

The authors make a fair stab at going beyond superlatives to explain what made Ungar, who grew up around gamblers and gangsters and never had a "real" job in his life, so talented at cards.

To start with, there was his memory. Once — on a bet, naturally — Ungar watched a dealer quickly flip up cards from two decks. With the 104th card unexposed, Ungar thought for a moment, then correctly identified it as the 10 of diamonds. He was also amazingly perceptive in reading players. By watching how a gin opponent arranged his hand, Ungar could generally tell all his cards. Once, to get action, Ungar offered an opponent a peek at the bottom card on the deck, a significant edge. He won anyway.

Ungar was fearless in poker. Early in tournaments, he raised aggressively to win the small pots, building a stack of chips he would use later to bully opponents into folding winning hands.

Ungar once said that he would bet on a cockroach race. Dalla and Alson are able to mine that obsession for gambling action to find a wealth of anecdotes that chronicle, if not fully explain, Ungar's downward spiral.

In one typical story, casino owner Bob Stupak challenges Ungar to a $20,000 winner-take-all poker match. The money means nothing to Ungar, who easily dominates Stupak at the card table and wins his $10,000. But on the way to the cashier, the two begin pitching $100 chips to see who can get closer to the wall. The bets escalate as Stupak wins toss after toss, until eventually all of Ungar's poker winnings, plus his own $10,000, are in Stupak's hands. Ungar had been hustled: Stupak developed a skill for pitching coins in childhood and regularly practiced as an adult.

Ungar's greatest poker achievements were victories at the World Series in 1980, 1981 and 1997. One of a Kind provides enough hand-by-hand details, including from Ungar himself, to give a good sense of what made him so dominant.

In 1997, Ungar says, "The most important hand I played on day one was when I made O'Neil Longson lay down three sevens. I raised him on the river when the board paired the sevens. I bet out, he raised me holding a third seven in his hand, and I reraised enough to put him all-in. I knew what he had, but I also knew that he would lay that hand down if I raised him back. He's got to give me credit for the full house." For poker players, it doesn't get much better than listening to Stu Ungar explain his hold'em play.

That last World Series win had the newspapers calling him the "Comeback Kid," but within a year Ungar was broke again, his $500,000 prize lost to sports bets, blackjack and drugs. The sunglasses Ungar wore at the tournament were not to deceive opponents, but to conceal a nostril collapsed from cocaine.

Ungar had a wife and daughter and friends in the poker world — champion Doyle Brunson, for one, invited him to stay in Texas to see what normal family life was like — but none could save him from a wretched end. Perhaps "The Kid" provides his own best epitaph in One of a Kind: "I've achieved everything a man could want … but I have nothing at all."
By MIKE FASSO

Despite the success of the taped ESPN World Series of Poker telecasts, there is a question about whether audiences will be satisfied with getting their fix of flops, turns and rivers delayed over months, or if they will demand more immediate gratification.

Say, with live poker.

Professional player Howard Lederer believes that TV poker will have to take the leap to live broadcasts, despite potential pitfalls such as long stretches of boring hands and the unpredictability of how long a game will last.

"The more knowledgeable people are about the game, the more they're going to want live poker," Lederer said.

The drama of frequent showdowns in events that are taped and edited has captured the public's attention, Lederer said, "but that's just a small piece of the story. ... If people want to learn how the pros really play and win, they're not seeing that now."

Lederer was the color analyst for a rare live TV poker tournament broadcast by Fox Sports Net on July 13 at the Wynn Las Vegas resort while the WSOP was unfolding at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino a few blocks away.

The four-hour telecast featured the final stages of a tournament of top-name pros that began earlier in the day and was eventually won by Kristy Gazes, who collected $250,000 when she beat Ted Forrest.

To add spice to the telecast, players at the final table were hooked up to heart monitors to show that despite their best poker faces, even the pros suffer anxiety when faced with a tough call.

Fox Sports Net, which aired a live poker tournament last year at Turning Stone Casino in New York, plans to try more live telecasts while continuing a schedule of taped shows, including Poker Superstars. The Travel Channel carries the popular taped World Poker Tour, where the tournaments feature familiar pros more frequently.

"A lot of [poker] events aren't right for live," said Fox Sports Net executive vice president for programming and production George Greenberg. "What do you do with the World Series that has 5,600 players? I think it's going to a blend, both taped and live."

A major TV network will be jumping into the deep end of the poker pool when CBS airs a tournament Christmas afternoon as a kickoff to a series of 12 televised events that will pit pro players versus "Average Joes."

Though most players will qualify for the TV events in tournaments at land-based casinos, people will be able to compete for a seat at the Christmas final table online by playing in free games at an Internet "poker arena" affiliated with CBS SportsLine.com and its poker partner, ProJo Poker Enterprises.

Still another element of the so-called ProJo games will be cash bounties the "Joes" can collect for beating the pros.

Clearly, the variations on presenting TV poker are proliferating as quickly as the game itself, but ESPN says it will stick with its proven formula of trying to spin yarns.

"If this were live coverage, we would have to play it a lot safer, for instance with wider shots so we don't miss anything. But with this as a taped event, we can take risks with tighter shots and going for the dramatic moment ... because we get to edit," said ESPN's poker coordinating producer Bob Chesterman.

"I realize that people watch the show for the hands, but in the end, they're entertained by the stories."

Dear Mark,
Do you know anything about a game called Boston Five Card? Karl V.

Boston 5 Card is a relatively new poker game that is making an appearance in numerous casinos across America. Some readers have written me stating how much fun it is to play; its ultimate success, however, will depend not on fun, but on how much money it makes for the casino.

Play commences when the player makes an ante bet and a "first wager." The first wager must be exactly double that of the ante. Additionally, there is an optional 3-card bonus bet, though you cannot make a bet on the 3-card bonus wager alone. Each bonus player then receives 3 cards. If a player made the optional 3-card bonus bet and has at least a pair, he/she then shows the dealer his/her cards to receive payment. If you can, find the following paytable: three-card straight flushes pay 40-1, and you get 30-1 for three of a kind, 6-1 for straights, 4-1 for flushes and 1-1 for a pair. The casino advantage on this wager is 2.3%. But if the flush payoff is 3-1 instead of 4-1, the house edge climbs to 7.3%.

Once the dealer makes the appropriate payoffs for those who made a 3-card bonus wager, you review your first three cards and decide whether to raise or fold. If you fold, you forfeit your cards and all bets. If you raise, you must make a "second wager" exactly equal to the first wager. The dealer then deals the remaining players two more cards. Each hand is then individually compared to the dealer's five-card hand, and the higher hand wins.

If your 5-card hand beats the dealer's hand, you win even money on the first and second wagers, and push the ante bet. If the dealer's hand beats your hand, you lose your first and second wagers, plus the ante. If both the dealer's hand and yours are exactly equal in value, the first, second and the ante bets all push.

Regardless of whether you or the dealer has the higher hand, you are eligible for a bonus for hands of two pair or greater, based on the ante bet. The full pay table on the ante bonus is as follows: royal flush, 1,000 x ante; straight flush, 200 x ante; four of a kind, 100 x ante; full house, 25 x ante; flush, 15 x ante; straight, 10 x ante; three of a kind, 5 x ante; two pairs, 2 x ante.

The strategy for 5-Card Boston is quite simple: raise on everything. Even if you have what looks like a willywuss 3-card hand, it is a much better option to raise than to fold. Only by betting the ante-bet-bet combination on every hand can you lower the house edge to 3.32%.

Also, Karl, don't forget to avoid the 3-card bonus bet if the flush pays 3 to 1 instead of 4 to 1, or if a three-of-a-kind pays 25 to 1 instead of 30 to 1.

Dear Mark,
In a recent column you mentioned surrender, both early and late. I've never heard the phrase before. Can you explain what it means? John O.

Surrender is an option in which the casinos allow players to "surrender" half their original bet total after they have examined their first two cards and have viewed the dealer's up card.

Early surrender permits a player to relinquish half of the wager even if the dealer has a blackjack. With late surrender, a player loses the bet if the dealer possesses a blackjack. Never, John, think of surrender as giving up half your wager, but as just getting back half your probable loss.

Gambling wisdom of the week: "The rulers of the country generally believed that betting eliminates strikes. Men had to work in order to gamble." -Michael Ondaatje, Running the Family

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Doc Hollywood Kidz (Pink SheetsHYK):

-- $15 Million Grand Prize will be Largest in Tournament History with Hollywood Celebrities and Poker Royalty Already Onboard

-- Lineup Includes 5 World Champions, 8 World Series Of Poker Bracelet winners, 3 World Poker Tour Champions and some of the largest Cash Game players in the world

Las Vegas-based PokerQuest Entertainment has signed with Los Angeles based Artist International Management's manager Joel Newton to represent The Quest, a poker tournament featuring a whopping $15 million first prize. Doc Hollywood/Artist International's CEO Steven Saxton and Joel Newton are currently in talks to finalize a network television deal. To be held at THE PALMS Hotel "The Quest" is currently slated to be held in January 2006, with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the poker world already onboard.

The tournament has caught the attention of Hollywood. James Woods, Michael Vartan, and Mimi Rogers who have already contracted to play as the remaining open seats are quickly filled by celebrity players from around the world.

Doubling the record $7.5 million prize from the most recent World Series of Poker, the $15 million dollar prize for the champion of The Quest is the highest first-place professional poker pay out in the history of the sport. The tournament buy-in of $250,000 is ten times higher than the sports previous record.

"We wanted to create a tournament that would catch the attention of the world and highlight the amazing talent of these great players," said Jason Augustine, CEO of PokerQuest Entertainment. The "great players" already contracted to play in the Quest include Chris Moneymaker, Sam Farha, Scotty Nguyen, Eli Elezra, Johnny Chan, Phil Helmuth, Amir Vahedi, John Juanda, Phil Laak, Phil Ivey, David Levi, Erik Seidel, Chip Reese, Annie Duke, Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, T.J. Cloutier, Mel Judah, Howard Lederer, and Daniel Negreanu. Overall, the tournament includes 5 World Champions, 8 World Series Of Poker Bracelet winners, 3 World Poker Tour Champions and some of the largest Cash Game players in the world.

Augustine explained the enthusiasm for the tournament's extremely high price tag. "I expect a good mix of celebrities and the extremely wealthy poker enthusiasts based on the calls we've already gotten. Even at $250,000 people are lining up to be a part of The Quest."

"I see the final table of the Quest as the most exciting to ever take place in the history of poker, and we are extremely excited to work with PokerQuest Entertainment to bring this amazing event to television" said Joel Newton at the announcement.

Unlike many of the current tournaments, the Quest will feature only 100 players, at ten shoot-out tables. The winner from each table advances to the final table. The ultimate winner will take home $15 million dollars after beating the 18 other players. "We designed this format to showcase the drama inherent within professional sports" said Augustine.

"The stakes are incredible, the sport has never seen anything like this", Augustine added.

The tournament will be held at The Palms, one of Las Vegas's top casino resort hotels. PokerQuest Entertainment is also in talks with the WWE's Stacy Keibler to join the tournament's television broadcast as an on-air host.

Doc Hollywood Studios, Inc. is an entertainment holdings company and upon completion of the recently announced acquisition, will become majority stockholder to Doc Hollywood Kidz / Doc Hollywood Records (Pink SheetsHYK), Doc Hollywood Productions, DH1 Reality TV, Bop City Records, Artist International Management, and has a strategic alliance with Arclight Films. The company is in the business of producing innovative theatrical motion pictures, television programming, and recorded music dedicated for both traditional and new media formats. This entertainment programming is unique, commercial, highly creative, and designed to appeal to specific demographic groups. This occurs while taking advantage of the inherent synergies of a full service studio with integrated talent, financing, and distribution of motion picture, television, and music projects.

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Although Doc Hollywood Kidz believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any assumption could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion should not be regarded as a representation by Doc Hollywood Kidz or any other person that the objective and plans of Doc Hollywood Kidz will be achieved.

Dear Mark,
Do you think that kids who play arcade video games are being pre-programmed to gamble since the slot machines of today are video based? Ronnie M.

Forget video games, Ronnie, I can prove to you that two-year-olds gamble. Strong statement, yes, but no whiff of bologna.

First, let me give you two examples of children gambling casino style. On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City children can freely walk into an arcade and play true slot machines by exchanging quarters for tokens. They win crummy prizes in exchange for the tickets the slot spits out. Another example is at the children's arcade at the Circus Circus in Reno. A child can play Flip It, the casino game that flips quarters into the air and on rare occasion pushes them down into trays. They disguised it in name only by calling it Jungle Jamboree. Again, kids get to exchange tickets for worthless prizes.

But I did say two-year-olds. To prove I have one foot planted in mid-air, how about the two-year-old who makes a path with Linus blanket in hand to that thingamajig at the supermarket door that dispenses those plastic transparent eggs. For a quarter a young tot can win an egg containing a bracelet, a cheap watch, but most likely a 3¢ ring-more on that below. These vending machines are classic slot machines.

So is it true gambling? Absolutely. Courts have found that every gambling apparatus must consist of three components; consideration, chance and prize. The child pays something of value (consideration) to use the vending machine: if he wins he receives something of value (prize), usually less than the amount bet; and the outcome depends on chance. Because all three elements are present on the vending machines that dispenses these plastic eggs, this would be considered a true gambling device.

Granted, I doubt anyone would arrest or even put the kibosh on a child for playing grocery store slots, but I do wonder why these vending operators have gone uncontested for so long. Who owns these cash cows milking kids out of quarters?

By the way, Ronnie, vis-à-vis some insider information, the cost of those plastic egg prizes produced in Asia is about 3¢, and there is only one true prize (junky watch) per two hundred eggs. Our offspring are up against tougher odds than the tightest one-armed bandit.

The stimulation to gamble does begin early for many children, well before an arcade adventure. And what parent in his or her right mind is really going to say no? We have to be quarter generous to our kids. They will be choosing our nursing home.

Dear Mark,
When casino executives mention both the "handle" and "hold" of a slot machine, what do they mean? Al R.

The "handle" is the total amount of all coins played through a slot machine. The "hold" (also called "win") is the amount the casino held as profit. The "yield" is the casino's win expressed as a percentage of the profit.

Dear Mark,
Every week I enter all kinds of contests. To this day the telephone has not rung to acknowledge that I'm a winner. Do you think the phone will ever ring? Russell G.

According to Roxy Roxborough, czar of the Las Vegas handicappers, "Your chances are a million to one that any one telephone call will be financially rewarding. Compare that against the caller being a telemarketer or an undesirable in-law, three to one."
Your best bet, Russell, is to leave the answering machine on.

Mark Pilarski

For hours on end, the woman sitting near the poker pit at Binion's during the final day of the World Series of Poker tournament sat out of the limelight, willingly letting her boyfriend bask in its glow.

Wearing a tank top that read, "My boyfriend can kick your ass," actress Jennifer Tilly was just another poker fan that night, watching along with the crowd as her significant other, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, beat the stuffing out of a "poker robot" programmed to play a strangely human-like game.

Observers who know Tilly from her roles in "Liar, Liar" and "Bullets Over Broadway" would have had a hard time figuring out who was the celebrity that night.

She was largely left alone by a crowd that was glued to a nearby plasma screen showing computerized poker hands. A few men ventured toward Tilly shyly, asking her to sign a recently published photo of herself in a poker magazine.

Tilly is part of a growing number of celebrities who are drawn to poker as a way of escaping from their closely watched, over-scheduled lives.

Known for playing dim-witted wives and girlfriends, Tilly also has her own reasons for becoming skilled at no-limit hold 'em -- called the "Cadillac" of poker games and the most difficult and complex game in a casino.

"People think celebrities are not very smart," Tilly said between fast-moving poker hands. "These guys are really smart."

Out of character, her high-pitched "little girl" voice has a deeper, more contemplative tone.

Tilly became the first woman in this year's World Series of Poker tournament to win a "bracelet" -- the coveted gold jewelry given to each winner of each individual poker event held over the multiweek tournament ended July 16. Tilly, who beat hundreds of top players in a women's tourney, also made poker history last month by becoming the first celebrity to win a World Series bracelet.

Poker is "stimulating" and offers the chance to hang out with "borderline geniuses," she said.

Tilly is no stranger to poker. She has played the game for about 15 years, mostly hands of seven card stud backstage during Hollywood shoots.

She gravitated to no-limit hold 'em -- the game that now dominates in casinos, on television and in Internet games -- about a year and a half ago.

That wasn't long after she met Laak, a scruffy-looking blond known for hiding inside a hooded sweatshirt and wearing dark sunglasses.

Tilly calls her man a "computer geek" and said he has acquired a major fan base of 15- to 25-year-olds who "follow him around" and "dress like (him)."

They met two years ago at a celebrity poker tournament hosted by the World Poker Tour, a traveling poker franchise that airs on the Travel Channel. The WPT, which stops at the Bellagio and Mirage in Las Vegas, is the primary competitor to the World Series of Poker, where reruns air regularly on ESPN.

Celebrity interest has spawned a host of shows including "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo and "Poker Royale" on the GSN channel, where poker pros face off against celebrities.

Tilly is the kind of icing on the cake that casinos couldn't have dreamed of even a few years ago, when poker was growing on television and the Internet. Celebrities are now part of the scenery at poker's top tournaments in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Regulars include Ben Affleck, Tobey McGuire, James Woods and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Only a few stars are enamored enough with poker to spend the time necessary to get really good, Tilly said.

"Phil probably plays 40 to 70 hours a week," she said.

While Tilly plays in tournaments and even a bit online, she attributes much of her skill to her relationship with Laak, a backgammon expert turned poker pro who is known for changing the style of his play to throw off competitors.

These days, Tilly is trying to juggle a demanding hobby and her day job.

"It used to be 'when do I start and how much do I get paid,' " she said of her acting career.

Like many well-known poker hopefuls, Tilly busted out of the final World Series no-limit event after the first day.

But Tilly looks as though she's in for the long haul. Poker is more than a fad, she said.

"I think it's going to become huge," she said.

AUSSIE poker king Joe Hachem is on his way to becoming one of Australia's richest men.

Days after winning the World Series of Poker, the former chiropractor is negotiating to triple his $10 million winnings into a $30 million pay cheque through a series of lucrative commercial contracts.

Hachem, a father of four, has spent the past week in a $3600-a- night luxury suite in Las Vegas sifting through dozens of business proposals.

Offers include a plan to become Crown Casino's poker ambassador, an offer to star in a series of television infomercials in the US, sponsorship from elite clothing manufacturers, and deals with internet gambling sites.

"I'm averaging two meetings a day with people," he said.

"People are talking about all sorts of sponsorships – everything from clothing to internet sites – but it's a matter of sifting through and capitalising on it and trying to be a good ambassador for poker."

Last weekend Hachem, 39, beat 5619 poker players from around the world in a nine-day Las Vegas poker marathon.

He told The Sunday Times he was quitting his job as a mortgage broker to play up to six poker tournaments a year overseas and the Aussie Millions poker tournament at Melbourne's Crown Casino in January.

"Poker is a passion," he said. "It was a hobby."

This week he was joined in his suite at the exclusive Wynn Casino by Jeannie, his wife of 16 years, and their four children.

An emotional Hachem said he could not have beaten the best players in the world without the support of his wife.

He said he would speak to his wife every night during the tournament and she told him "you're destined for this – don't give up".

With a glass of Moet champagne in her hand, Jeannie Hachem said she knew her husband was going to have a big poker win.

"I always said to Joe, `one day you are going to make it', but I didn't think this soon, though," she said.

"I'm still in shock, you have no idea. It really hasn't sunk in yet – I can't comprehend it, it's too much."

The Hachems plan to spend the winnings on their children's education and helping family members.

"This now means I can look after my family," Hachem said.

"Family is it for me, it's the start and finish. There's a lot of people in the family that I have wanted to help, that need help."

The Hachems arrived in Australia from Lebanon in 1972 and suffered several setbacks, including family deaths and a blood disorder that forced Hachem to quit his job as a chiropractor three years ago.

Hachem said he was shattered with having to give up his job.

"I was lost: chiropracting was my passion. I studied for five years and practised for 13 years," he said.

After 12 months of counselling, he turned to mortgage-broking to make ends meet, but "unfortunately I entered mortgage-broking on the cusp of the property downturn, so it started off really well, but this last year has been a real tough slog".

Today, though, his biggest problem is having to fend off the sharks that have begun circling in Vegas.

"Everybody is trying to spin me," he said.

"A guy I met just to say hello suddenly wants to be my agent and I don't know him from a bar of soap."

Since his win, Hachem has been careful to surround himself only with relatives, including his brother, Tony, and cousin, Billy Sukkar, who were at his side for the tournament and supplied him with double espressos to keep him awake during his 14-hour days.

Accountant Tony Hachem is managing his brother's affairs and spent the past week dealing with commercial and media inquiries from Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the US, as well as establishing that his brother was not liable for tax in Australia because he was not a professional gambler.

Meanwhile, Joe Hachem, despite wearing a $63,000 winner's bracelet, can still not believe what he won.

"Whatever time I wake up, if it's the middle of the night or not, I just expect it to be gone," he said.

The Hachems are due to leave Las Vegas early this week and after an appearance by Hachem on the top-rating Jay Leno television program will return to Melbourne.

Career fading? Can't get a decent acting job? Last week, Jennifer Tilly followed the Ben Affleck career swerve into professional gambling, stunning industry observers by winning The World Series of Poker's No Limits Texas Hold 'Em Ladies Event at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. She walked away with a cool $157,652 (), having beaten off 600 challengers.

"This is better than an Oscar," the Canadian-born actress (and Oscar nominee for Bullets Over Broadway) gushed after being handed the prize.

Later, she also told a journalist: "I'd rather do this than be in some crappy movie that will end up on cable."

She's even bought a flat in Las Vegas to move her career further towards professional card playing.

Poker has never been more popular - the explosion of online poker and the many TV cable channels now showing it has turned this one-time habit of dishevelled cads in smoky rooms into a glossy mainstream business. It's throwing out its own stars, and media and film celebrities are getting involved in it in turn.

In the UK, the journalist and writer Victoria Coren is often to be seen on Challenge TV outwitting her competitors; and Patrick Marber turned his dark obsession with the game into the play Dealer's Choice (a passion he shares with his friend David Mamet).

But it's in the US and in Vegas where the real action and the real money lies, and it's not surprising that film stars are jumping on to a very lucrative bandwagon.

Actors - every one of them fatalistic and fantastically insecure - are drawn to the idea of luck, of being lucky and clever, of a poker face, and of being in charge of your own destiny.

A whole new class of poker celebrities has grown up in the past few years and they are now energetically interacting with mainstream celebrities. Amir Vahedi, for example, began life as a limo driver and door-to-door salesman; next thing you know he's tutoring Affleck, and Affleck is winning $356,400 () in the 2004 California State championship.

Tilly is dating a poker celebrity called Phil Laak, whose style is to dress in a hoodie during play, and who has the rather unfortunate nickname of "unabomber". Tilly has claimed to have learnt by "osmosis" from her beau, who is one of poker's biggest stars.

"I started as a big tag-along wannabe but now I won, so I guess I know what I'm doing," she says.

It's no coincidence that these two actors have careers which are not in good shape - though, to be fair, Tilly is much more of an actress with much more of a future than the hapless Affleck - which is the same situation for all the actors whose names are increasingly being associated with big tournaments (bar one - Tobey Maguire, who won the 2004 inaugural Phil Hellmuth Invitational Poker Tournament).

Wil Wheaton anyone? A young star of Star Trek: Generations and Stand By Me, he plays LA games and online tournaments; his internet blog reveals him to be a poker obsessive. Mimi Rogers? Faded actress and Tom Cruise's former wife, she is now a semi-professional poker player and recently did well in the 2004 WPT Shooting Star Championship. James Woods? The man who once impersonated William Burroughs in Naked Lunch now plays the game at the highest level, and is the face of one of the biggest online poker rooms.

Though he was originally associated with the new poker aristocracy in Las Vegas, and indeed made the poker film Rounders in 1998, Matt Damon is no longer so heavily involved in the game. Unlike his pal and former writing buddy Affleck, he actually has a career; no doubt he also witnessed the difficulties that Affleck's near obsessional interest in the game caused (it is rumoured that his bust-up with Jennifer Lopez was to do with his gambling habit).

But the next logical move for Affleck is to combine his poker profile with an attempt to bluff his way back into film; step forward X-Men 2 writer and poker nut Zak Penn, who intends to direct Affleck and David Schwimmer in a movie set in the world of international poker.

And what of Tilly? The interesting thing about her win is that it highlights the increasing role of women in this formerly male-only world. She's too good an actress to really believe she has no future in her chosen craft, but perhaps her infatuation with Laak has a lot to do with the amount of time she will spend at the poker table. Though it has generated a lot of publicity, her Palms Hotel win is not an especially big pot (it's probably less than the individual fees she got for her last four low-budget films), and she has yet to prove she can play consistently well. On the other hand, it's not a bad life.

"Celebrity poker is played in some of the most exotic locales in the world," she sighs. No press junkets, no director egos, no early-morning shoots. Sounds like she's well on the way.

Deal Me In Column by Mark Pilarski

Dear Mark,
I am writing you to complain about a conflict I was involved in this past weekend. My girlfriend was playing blackjack and I was just finishing up a hot session on the crap table. Still feeling lucky, I walked over to the table she was playing on, and with one circle available, I placed $500 on the layout. Immediately the dealer said I couldn’t do that. Naturally I complained, so he calls over the pit boss, and she, the pit boss, informs me that according to the rules I will need to wait until the next shuffle before I am able to make a wager. I’ve never heard of such a thing. What’s the deal? Jerry C.

Well, Jerry, it all goes back to Casino Panic, aka card-counting. Even though you shorted me on some table information and dialog, I deduce that you were probably playing on a shoe game, and that the unidentified casino you were gambling in had a NO Mid-Shoe Entry rule. (Had you named the joint, I could have and would have looked into their playing conditions) What you probably didn’t notice, Jerry, was the sign posted on their blackjack tables that states NO Mid-Shoe Entry.

That means that once a dealer shuffles the cards and then starts to deal, a new player who comes up to the table will not be able to make a bet until the shoe is finished. One of the main reasons for this rule is to discourage "table hoppers." Table hoppers or "Wongers" (named after professional blackjack player Stanford Wong) count down the shoe as bystanders, then when the shoe turns favorable for the player, enter the game with big bets.

A NO Mid-Shoe Entry policy is just one of many measures some casinos use to ward off card-counters.

Dear Mark,
Even though I’m a rank beginner playing poker, I almost made the final table of a Texas Hold’em tournament, and had I got there, I would have finished in the money. Interestingly, with two tables remaining they had this rule whereby one table had to wait for the other table to finish their hand before starting theirs. Of course, I got beat going "all in" holding trips with 14 players left, which is whole other story, so I never made the final table. But what were they trying to accomplish with this rule? David C.

Poker tournaments involve multiple tables, and as players are eliminated, tables are combined, aiming at the eventual final table. When enough players remain to form one full table, that is the final table. The situation that occurs near the end of a tournament in which only the last two tables remain is that a few players must go bust before the tables are combined to make that final table. Because some players think they can guarantee a place in the money by slow playing, hoping somebody taps out at the other table, the tournament director can stipulate that whichever table finishes a hand first must wait for the other table to finish before starting the next deal.

Here’s an example, David, of how getting to that final table can be very, very rewarding. When the original field of 5,619 players that began the 2005 World Series of Poker was narrowed to nine, those top nine places paid as follows: 1st: $7.5 million; 2nd: $4.25 million; 3rd: $2.5 million; 4th: $2 million; 5th: $1.75 million; 6th: $1.5 million; 7th: $1.3 million; 8th: $1.15 million; 9th: $1 million.

If they could, most players in a position for a shot at a million dollars minimum, would slowwww play, every time. Yours Truly included.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Blackjack is the only casino game an amateur can learn to play and at which he can definitely win." -Lawrence Revere, author, Playing Blackjack as a Business

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 2005--Hot on the heels of the largest and richest World Series of Poker in history, poker fans will soon see their favorite poker stars on the big screen as well, in what will be the first film set in the exploding world of professional poker. In Spring 2006, poker fans will be able to see more than two dozen of their favorite poker icons sharing the screen with these Hollywood stars -- Eric Bana ("Troy"), Drew Barrymore ("Charlie's Angels") and Robert Duvall ("The Godfather").

Playing themselves or fictional counterparts in "Lucky You" -- the first Hollywood film to capture the excitement and drama of the worldwide poker phenomenon -- are Jack Binion, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Hoyt Corkins, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Maureen Feduniak, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Phil Hellmuth, Chau Giang, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Dan Harrington, John Hennigan, Karina Jett, John Juanda, Jason Lester, Erick Lindgren, Minh Ly, Mike Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, David Oppenheim, Max Pescatori, Matt Savage, Erik Seidel, Huck Seed, Mimi Tran, Cyndy Violette, Marsha Waggoner and Robert Williamson III. Brunson, Lester and Savage also served as consultants on the film.

Directed by Academy Award winner Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential," "Wonder Boys," "8 Mile") and based on an original screenplay by Academy Award winner Eric Roth ("Forrest Gump," "The Insider"), "Lucky You" explores the story of a professional poker player (Bana) who gets a lesson in life from a struggling singer (Barrymore) as he collides with his estranged father (Duvall) in the world of high stakes poker in Las Vegas.

"With millions of people watching poker weekly on television, it was important to capture the authenticity of the game and its players," said Hanson. "To that end, the poker tables in 'Lucky You' are primarily populated by poker players, not actors pretending to be poker players. Our stars trained for months in order to convincingly play side by side with top poker professionals cast in fictional roles."

The filmmakers shot for seven weeks in Las Vegas this past spring. The casinos featured in the film include the Bellagio, Binions and the Aladdin. Upon their return to Los Angeles, shooting continued on Hollywood sound stages that housed perfect replicas of Benny's Bullpen at Binion's (where the WSOP was played until 2004) and the Bellagio poker room (circa 2003).

After arriving at the Bellagio set, Daniel Negreanu exclaimed: "It blew me away. It was very strange and surreal. It's like this is the exact Bellagio poker room." The scenes depicted at the Bellagio poker room included Bana and Duvall participating in the "Big Game" with such players as Sam Farha, Barry Greenstein, Chau Giang, Minh Ly, Ted Forrest and Erick Lindgren. "One of the things that made it totally realistic," notes Negreanu, "is the fact that it's a lot of the real pros that actually play in that game."

Among the many other poker scenes in the film are some extended sequences that take place at a fictional World Series of Poker (circa 2003) and feature a myriad of recognizable pros. Jason Lester, who finished fourth in the final event at the World Series of Poker in 2003, served as an on-set consultant for the film's depiction of the WSOP. According to Lester: "This movie is getting it right. I can't recall any movie ever really showing high stakes gambling in such an authentic manner. Having real poker players makes it more realistic and that's so important for any kind of gambling movie."

Similarly, Erick Lindgren described the Benny's Bullpen set as "Unbelievable! I just feel like this movie is going be great because I see how authentic everything is."

"Lucky You" is a Deuce Three/DiNovi Pictures Production. The producers are Denise DiNovi, Carol Fenelon and Curtis Hanson. The executive producers are Bruce Berman and John Kirby. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

The wildly popular World Series of Poker, is coming to Grand Casino Tunica Aug. 10-Aug. 25.

Harrah's Entertainment, which owns and operates the tournament, recently acquired Grand Casino Tunica through its merger with Caesar's Entertainment Inc.

The winner of the final event of each circuit stop will qualify for the tour's grand finale, the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, to be played in Las Vegas next June just before the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Players can buy in for as little as $300, but there will also be a "free roll" event with no buy in, and one winner will win a place in the finals. Michael St. Pierre, president of Harrah's Mid-South Region says the Grand is looking forward to hosting the event.

"The World Series of Poker is without question the single most prestigious gambling event anywhere, and we're thrilled to bring all the excitement of the tournament to Grand Casino Tunica," he says. "No serious poker player can afford to miss this event and the chance to earn a seat in the $2 million free-roll in the fall."

Dear Mark:
Though I'm not a keno player, my favorite casino offers a Special Bonus Keno ticket. All I have to do is hit 19 out of 20, and I win $250,000. Is this ticket worth a try? Marti S.

The nerve of your favorite casino calling it a "Special Bonus" ticket. Let me illustrate how appalling this ticket is. Let's say you were to play one keno ticket per second, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. According to laws of probability you will catch 19 out of 20 once every 93,420,116 years. What are the odds of hitting it? Two quadrillion, 946 trillion, 096 billion, 780 million to one.
Unfortunately, Marti, this isn't the only ruthless ticket in keno. The chances of hitting 10 of 10-and mind you they will only pay you $50,000-is nine times harder than hitting your state lottery. Then the casino has the audacity to pay you what is called an "aggregate payoff," meaning if both you and someone else are playing the same numbers and it hits solid, you split the money.
Or how about this popular ticket here in Nevada-the 15 spot. Chances of your hitting it? 428 billion to one. Tall odds, but consider that no person has ever hit a solid 15 spot, a solid 14 spot, a solid 13 and to the best of my knowledge, a 12 out of 12. As you can see, Marti, these long-shot tickets-or keno in general for that matter-are a game designed for the Tootsie-Pop crowd; known by the casinos as "a sucker's born every minute" club.

Dear Mark:
My husband claims that certain casinos use different weighted dollar coins for their slots in order to make it sound as if people are winning in the casino. Is he right? Sally L.

Your husband is on to the casinos. It's not heavier coins, though, but the tray where the coins fall. Casino operators have long understood the value of "the sounds of winning," so what some do is install "loud drop bowls," which are the metal trays that catch the slugs when your slot is paying off. These deeper pans tend to make more noise when the coins drop, creating the misimpression that people are winning big. Unfortunately, that sense of luck is really nothing more than an illusion the casino hopes will stir interest in playing their machines.

Dear Mark,
How Did the strip get its name? Suzanne S.

One day I was walking down the strip in Las Vegas recently and overheard a couple vehemently arguing over how "The Strip" got it's name. The husband said; "Bugsy Siegel named it when he built the Flamingo-and I should know, I played there the second week it was open." The wife believed it was Liberace who named the Strip.
The dialog was hideous and I would have butted in, but like I said, they were arguing, actually screaming at a level that brought security out of Caesar's Palace. Now, I've seen some skirmishes over positioning in a $3.49 prime rib buffet line, but over how the Strip was named? It's a first.
So, Suzanne, here's how "The Strip" got it's name.
Known also as Las Vegas Boulevard and earlier the Los Angeles Highway, The Strip's name came from a Los Angeles Police Captain named Guy McAfee, who said it reminded him of Sunset Boulevard (Strip) in LA. The story doesn't end there with Captain McAffe. He was a Las Vegas casino owner as well. McAfee purchased the Pair-O-Dice on the Los Angeles Highway in 1938 and reopened it as the 91 Club.
Liberace's early fame came from being the first to demand, and get, $50,000 a week to perform in Vegas.

Management at Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel is offering more questions than answers about next year's Binion's Poker Classic, an inaugural tournament that would follow the 2006 World Series of Poker.

Binion's, which began devising its own poker tournament after Harrah's Entertainment Inc. bought the rights to the World Series of Poker in 2004, is still negotiating key aspects of the tournament, including television coverage and a prize pool.

The tournament will take place in fall 2006, though an exact date will likely take a few weeks to sort out as other poker tournaments finalize their schedules, Binion's General Manager Brian Eby said Friday.

Fall has emerged as an "optimal time" because a number of popular tournaments have emerged in the weeks leading up to summer's World Series of Poker, Eby said.

Binion's also is negotiating with major brands to sponsor the tournament, Eby said, declining to name them.

"We've gotten lots of interest from sponsors," he said. "This is like Yankee Stadium. This building made poker players famous."

Binion's is also looking at ways the event can distinguish itself from the World Series of Poker, by far the world's most famous and most played poker tournament.

"We have to do something different," Eby said. "We're looking at odds and how we can give people the best odds for the (prize pool) we are offering."

For the first time this year, the World Series of Poker -- which attracted a record number of 5,616 players for the final event of no-limit hold 'em -- was staged largely at the Rio. The final 27 players squared off at Binion's last Thursday and played down to two in a marathon session that ran from Friday evening to Saturday morning. The kickoff to the 2004 World Series of Poker final event, with only about 2,500 players, was staged at Binion's over three days to accommodate the large number of players.

Eby said Binion's is capable of hosting a large tournament to rival the World Series of Poker. Size isn't everything, he said.

"Once you get to be big it gets to be a sanitized experience," he said.

Debbie Burkhead, an advertising sales manager for Poker Player magazine in Las Vegas and a competitor in last year's World Series of Poker, said the Binion's Poker Classic will be successful "if it's televised and if the prize pool is high enough."

"Poker players love the exposure of TV and love the big prize pools," she said. "It's rare that a tournament that doesn't have those two things doesn't make it."

The event also shouldn't conflict with either the World Series or the World Poker Tour, a rival series of tournaments that are broadcast on the Travel Channel, she said.

Eby, who previously served as vice president of operations at Bally's Tunica in Mississippi, said he became aware almost immediately that he was stepping into a job with a very different focus.

"We're in the poker business," he said.

To make the point, Binion's on Friday unveiled a new logo that will eventually replace exterior and interior signage at the property over the next few weeks as well as a new marketing tagline: "The place that made poker famous."

Eby said Binion's is doing well even though it no longer hosted most of this year's World Series of Poker. Slot machine volume is actually higher this year compared with the period the property was hosting the tournament in spring 2004, he said. Table volume is a "little down" but other parts of the revamped casino, including a new race and sports book added this year and upgraded restaurants, have helped make up the difference, he said.

Parent company MTR Gaming Corp. has spent about $3 million to upgrade the casino's backup computer systems so that it can offer new slot machines that can track players, devices that also cost in the millions of dollars, Eby said.

Before the technology upgrade, "we had version one of everything," he said.

Australian world poker champion Joseph "Hash" Hachem says Las Vegas went wild with Australian-style celebrations after he claimed his $10 million prize.

Hachem, 39, outlasted 5,619 players to take out poker's No Limit Hold `Em World championship in Las Vegas.

In what is described as history's largest and most lucrative poker event, Hachem won the 13-hour, 56-minute final at Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel by outlasting opponent Steven Dannenmann, a Bloody Mary-sipping accountant from Maryland.

"The Aussie Oi, Oi, Oi has destroyed Las Vegas," Mr Hachem told the Nine Network.

"My cheering squad had the whole audience wild. Everybody just went crazy."

Mr Hachem, from Melbourne, joked that Las Vegas was too dangerous now for a gambling man with $10 million in his pocket and he had told his wife Jeannie to come to get him.

"I told her, 'Jump on a plane as quick as you can. It's too dangerous over here'," he said.

"I think she's on a plane tomorrow with the kids."

Mr Hachem said he went into the seven-day competition with a strategy to simply outlast his opponents.

"I just tried to outlast them as much as I could and it worked," he said.

"They kind of self-destructed a little bit in the final hours.

"It was gruelling. The final table took 13 hours and 56 minutes so it was a long, long time to play."

He said the win would change his life immensely .

"It's already changed. I'm numb."

LAS VEGAS - Australian Joseph Hachem prevailed in his first
World Series of Poker Saturday, winning $7.5 million and snatching the game's greatest crown in the longest final table in the tournament's history.

Only six hands into the two-man showdown at the end, Hachem eliminated Steven Dannenmann of Severn, Md., when he flopped a seven-high straight.

When it was clear Hachem had won, his fans in the room erupted into "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!" Hachem immediately embraced Dannenmann, wrapped himself in an Australian flag and shouted: "Thank you, America."

Hachem's victory was astonishing because he had been nursing a short stack of chips for 11 1/2 hours through the night, waiting for the right moment and avoiding confrontations that could cost him a chance at the 36th annual no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event title.

"I never gave up," he said.

The 39-year-old gambler from Melbourne moved with his family from his native Lebanon in 1972 and gave up a 13-year chiropractic career three years ago to play poker for a living.

Nearly 14 hours into the final round of seemingly interminable poker, Hachem pounced, bringing the tournament to a decisive end about an hour after sunrise.

The final play unfolded slowly as Dannenmann raised before the flop — three community cards — was turned over. Hachem called and the dealer revealed a six-five-four flop. Hachem checked, Dannenmann bet another $700,000 and then Hachem raised to $1.7 million.

The turn, or fourth card, was an ace and Hachem threw another $2 million into the pot. Dannenmann raised to $5 million and Hachem went "all-in" with more than $30 million, moving into a high-stakes gear that can either save or break a gambler.

Dannenmann called instantly and then Hachem produced a seven and three, giving him a seven-high straight. Dannenmann showed an ace-three, and needed a seven on the river — the last card — to match Hachem's straight. It didn't happen.

Dannenmann said his top priority was to have a good time. He even carried around a small sheet of paper with a list of things he should remember. Two of them were "have fun" and "nothing to lose."

Toward the end of the round, Dannenmann, a 38-year-old accountant and mortgage banker from Severn, Md., said he just wanted to finish the match.

"I got tired," he said. "I was bored of it. I was trying to make moves."

With the bundles of cash, Hachem also won the coveted white gold and diamond bracelet. It's the last time the event will be held at Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel, where cowboy Benny Binion started the World Series in 1970.

Like Chris Moneymaker in 2003 and Greg Raymer last year, Hachem won in his initial World Series, likely changing his life forever.

"A million dollars changes my life, let alone $7.5 million," he said. "It changes everything. I can look after my family, my mum, my kids."

The final group of nine emerged from a field of 5,619 gamblers. They had survived eight days of mind-numbing poker, overcoming unlucky cards and Darth Vaderesque stares at the Rio hotel-casino and Binion's.

When the first cards were dealt Friday, each player was capable of winning if he was willing to make some of the toughest calls of his life.

After Tex Barch was eliminated in a monster three-way pot, Hachem and Dannenmann found themselves heads up. Hachem was in command of $39.9 million and Dannenmann had $16.3 million.

Soon the two would make gambling history when they ended play at 6:44 a.m. — 13 hours and 56 minutes after the final round began. The table was 18 minutes longer than the previous mark, established in 1983.

To get to that point, the pair had to outlast seven other men — none of whom wanted to go quietly.

Everyone who began the day at the table was guaranteed at least $1 million.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, a well-known professional player who came in sixth in 2001 and 87th last year, had been considered a favorite but was the first to go. He had no regrets.

"I played the six best days of poker in my life," Matusow said. "I'm going to bed happy."

Penn law student Brad Kondracki finished eighth and Daniel Bergsdorf, a Swedish truck driver, was seventh. Scott Lazar was sixth, Irishman Andrew Black took fifth and Aaron Kanter wrapped up fourth, followed by Barch.

About 13 hours into the round, officials dumped the first-place prize in thick stacks of hundreds on a table near the players, causing shouts of "Oh, my God!" For the first time in the tournament, the remaining gamblers saw their elusive goal — guarded by security men with shotguns.

When Hachem finally confronted the mountain of cash, he asked: "Is this all mine?"

Yes.

Congratulations to Joseph Hachem, the 2005 WSOP Champion who won in a grueling marathon final table.

Place finished at final table and Payouts

1. $7,500,000 Joe Hachem
2. $4,250,000 Steve Dannenmann
3. $2,500,000 Texx Barch
4. $2,000,000 Aaron Kanter
5. $1,750,000 Andrew Black
6. $1,500,000 Scott Lazar
7. $1,300,000 Daniel Bergsdorf
8. $1,150,000 Brad Kondraci
9. $1,000,000 Mike Matusow

What started out as a sprint turned into a marathon for a $7.5 million prize as slow and deliberate play prevailed Friday evening at the final table of the World Series of Poker at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas.

By 9 p.m., only two of the nine players at the final table of the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship had been eliminated.

Two hours later, five players remained. World Series Tournament officials predicted the winner wouldn't be crowned until early today.

Two hours into the action Friday, it was assured that an unknown player would be crowned world champion for the third straight year. Well-known professional Mike Matusow of Las Vegas became the first player eliminated, finishing in ninth place and earning $1 million.

About an hour later, Brad Kondracki, 24, a University of Pennsylvania law school student from Kingston, Pa., who came into the day with the least amount of chips, busted out and collected $1.15 million for eighth place.

The chip leader at the 9 p.m. dinner break was Andrew Black, 39, of Ireland, who has some World Series of Poker experience. Black, who finished 14th in the 1997 world championship, had $18.23 million when the players broke and was building his chip stack around 11 p.m.

Aaron Kanter, 27, from Elk Grove, Calif., who entered play Friday as chip leader, was down $20,000 by the dinner break, dropping to second place with $10.68 million. John "Tex" Barch, 34, of Richardson, Texas, had the third highest chip count with $10.48 million.

Play resumed at 9:45 p.m., and Dan Bergsdorff, 27, from Sweden went all in with a pair of jacks against Barch who held a pair of tens. The flop brought a ten, giving Barch three tens, and Bergsdorff was out in seventh place and winning $1.3 million.

About 10:30 p.m., Scott Lazar, 42, of Studio City, Calif., lost his remaining chips on two successive hands, finally losing with queen-ten against Black's pair of jacks.

Purchased by Harrah's Entertainment last year, the 2005 World Series of Poker was moved from downtown to the Rio and became the most successful tournament in the event's 36-year history with a record number of participants (more than 30,000) and richest prize pool ever, more than $103 million.

Harrah's ran 45 events over six weeks in a specially built 60,000-square-foot poker room inside the Rio convention center until it moved to Binion's on Thursday.

Competition in the world championship event began July 7 with a record 5,619 players seeking a piece of the $52.8 million prize pool. The final two days of play took place at Binion's, birthplace and original home of the World Series.

While 560 players earned a portion of the jackpot pool, all nine players at the final table walked away with at least $1 million. Competition began at 5 p.m. -- about an hour behind schedule. ESPN captured the play on 18 television cameras and will show the action later this year.

Much of the raucous crowd in the second floor Benny's Bullpen were comprised of family members and friends of the competitors. A line of potential spectators snaked through the second floor hallway waiting for an open seat. Many poker fans milled about, watching for an opportunity to greet their favorite professional.

About 20 of Kanter's friends and family wore "Team Kanter" shirts and cheered on the former bank loan officer. Some had just arrived in Las Vegas a few hours before the competition began.

"I flew in this morning," said Kanter friend Matt Terry, who had followed play on an Internet poker Web site. "I got tired of hitting refresh on the computer all the time."

Sports columnist and television personality Norm Chad, who provides commentary for ESPN's coverage, said he wasn't surprised that he recognized just one name at the final table.

"I figured the World Series of Poker would be 200 professionals and 5,000 guys named Joe," Chad said.

Entering the final table, Matusow of Las Vegas might have been the best-known of the remaining players. He has been playing in the World Series of Poker for more than 10 years and had won two gold bracelets. He has finished in the money 18 times.

Nicknamed "The Mouth" by fellow poker players for his constant verbal banter at the table, Matusow started the day with $7.41 million in chips, the fourth highest total.

While he was still in competition, he received encouragement from his fellow professionals in the room, including 1989 world champion Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu and Jennifer Harmon, who were providing commentary on Card Player.com's Web site.

"We'd like to see one of us win, but it's good for poker when the amateurs win," Hellmuth said,

On the evening's third hand, Matusow went all in with a pair of kings and caught a third king on the flop. However, Lazar, who had a pair of aces, made a flush on the river and took about $3 million of Matusow's chips.

A few hours later, Matusow lost his remaining $1.7 million in chips when his pair of 10s were beaten by a straight.

"What am I going to do?" Matusow said. "I don't know if I could have played any better. I played the hands like I was supposed to."

Kondracki, who has a degree in computer science from Cornell, earned his way into the World Series after winning an Internet tournament. He said he was amazed he lasted in the competition as long as he did, entering play with a short stack of chips. "It was a great experience. I learned a lot," Kondracki said.

The other players making the final table were Joseph Hachem, 39, of Australia; Bergsdorff; and Steven Dannenmann, 38, of Severn, Md.

Kanter, who was playing in his first World Series, knocked out defending champion Greg "Fossilman" Raymer during play Thursday night.

Raymer of Stonington, Conn., was the last former champion eliminated from play, finishing in 25th place and earning $304,680.

The crowd of spectators, media and members of the ESPN crew gave Raymer a standing ovation upon his defeat.

"If you make it this deep and don't win, you're disappointed," Raymer said after the competition.

Popular favorite Phi Ivey also was eliminated Thursday night, finishing in 20th place and earning $304,860. "I guess I'll just have to wait until next year," Ivey said.

LAS VEGAS - When the chips settle at the World Series of Poker's main event sometime early Saturday morning, one player at the frenzied final table will win the grandest prize in the game - $7.5 million, accompanied by unrivaled poker fame.

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, the most well-known of the final nine players, and, in some circles, the most hated professional player, was the first of those nine sent to the rail in the Texas Hold 'em championship Friday night at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas.

Matusow lost about half of his stack on hand No. 2 Friday, when his three kings lost to production assistant Scott Lazar's ace-high flush, which he made with four community cards showing on the board.

Less than two hours later, Matusow had pocket 10s vs. mortgage banker Steven Dannenmann, who had an ace and jack. The board (community cards) were 5-3-2-4-9, giving Dannenmann a straight, eliminating Matusow, who picked up a check for $1 million.

"I played six days of the best poker of my life," Matusow said, "and I'm gonna go to bed happy."

About an hour later, law student Brad Kondracki was eliminated in eighth place, earning $1.15 million, leaving seven players at the table.

As of the dinner break, which was to last until nearly 1 a.m. New York time, Irishman Andrew Black was the chip leader with about $18.2 million, followed by poker pro Aaron Kanter ($10.6 million), beer garden owner Tex Barch ($10.4 million), Dannenmann ($7.1 million), Lazar ($5.3 million), Swedish truck driver Daniel Bergsdorf ($2.9 million) and Australian chiropractor Joseph Hachem ($2.4 million).

Friday's final group of nine emerged from a staggering field of 5,619 players who bought into the event for $10,000 each.

On Thursday, Kanter busted out six players, including Phil Ivey. He also crippled Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, the 2004 champ, who finished 25th. Also Thursday, Barch eliminated the last woman in the field, Tiffany Williamson, who went out 15th.

The final table of the World Championship of Texas Hold'em Poker will enter its climactic stage tonight with just nine players standing. The whole event moved yesterday from the cavernous Rio Suites Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip to its relatively tiny but traditional home, Binion's Horseshoe, downtown. But so overwhelmed are the organisers that they have announced next year it will stay at the Rio all through.

Today's 27 hopefuls - from 6,000 starters - were whittled down to nine after play finally finished past 3am Las Vegas time. Earlier Tiffany Williamson, who won her entry at London's Gutshot Club for a £5 fee, was knocked out. But she walked away with $400,000 for her 15th place.

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Still in was Connor Tate from Bury, Lancs., who has been barred from 30 casinos for card-counting in blackjack - a fact he is proud of, as it proves his superior skill at memorising cards. This skill has been holding him in good stead as he has progressed through the vast field here.

Also in with a chance is Dublin's Andrew Black. He stayed in the game while last year's winner, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, and the much-fancied young professional whizzkid Phil Ivey were eliminated from his table, giving him a great chance to follow an earlier Irish winner, Noel Furlong, to victory and this year's first prize of $7.5m - easily the biggest purse of any annual sporting event.

The only British player in the semi-finals, London cab driver John McGrane, was knocked out earlier yesterday - but with the substantial compensation of $304,680.

The final table will consist of:

Joe Hashem
Andy Black
Tex Barch
Daniel Bergsdorf
Mike Matusow
Aaron Kanter
Brad Koudrachi
Steve Dannenmann

The 2005-06 Circuit begins August 11 at Grand Casino Tunica and includes events at 11 Harrah's casinos in venues such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans, Biloxi, Miss., and Lake Tahoe.

Each Circuit stop will offer several tournaments with buy-ins ranging from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 for the no-limit hold'em Circuit Championship. The winner of the final event of each Circuit stop will qualify for the tour's grand finale, the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.

The 2006 TOC, a $2 million free-roll event, will be played in Las Vegas next June just before the 2006 World Series of Poker. A free-roll event is one in which there is no "buy in" -- players aren't required to put up any of their own money to enter the tournament.

A total of 27 players will compete in the 2006 TOC, which will be conducted just before the start of the World Series of Poker next summer. Winners of the 12 upcoming Circuit $10,000 buy-in finales will join the final nine players from the 2005 WSOP Main Event and six sponsors' exemptions for a 27-player TOC shootout.

In addition, each player who makes the final table of the 2006 TOC will win money. First prize will be $1 million, second $325,000, third $250,000, fourth $150,000, fifth $100,000, sixth $75,000, seventh $50,000 and eighth and ninth $25,000.

"The World Series of Poker is the richest and most prestigious gambling event on the planet, and we look forward to bringing all the excitement of tournament poker to our properties and customers around the country," said Ginny Shanks, senior vice president of brand management for Harrah's Entertainment.

LAS VEGAS - Tiffany Williamson drags deeply on the last inch of her cigarette on the way into the poker room, crushes the butt into an ashtray and sits down to business as if she were showing up for work in her law office _ only now she is calmly arranging multicolored stacks of $1.99 million in chips.

There are bloodshot, unshaven players who look as if they're already beaten, and there are champions who look vacation fresh, flush with their own stacks piled on the seven tables left Wednesday at the start of another marathon session as the World Series of Poker winds down toward Friday's final table.

Williamson, her long braids pushed back by a wide white and gold bandanna, is the only woman player in the room, one of the few black players left in the tournament, and the consummate amateur. She, like champion Chris Moneymaker two years ago and Greg "Fossilman" Raymer last year, is the reason why millions of people are playing poker at home, online and in casinos and why they'll watch ESPN's broadcast of this tournament _ their imaginations soaring that someday they, too, may sit in this room with their own stacks of chips. No woman in the 35-year history of this event has ever won the championship bracelet.

The no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event at the World Series of Poker is a kaleidoscope of players as diverse as Full Tilt Poker pros like the bulldozing, unreadable Phil Ivey to the ebullient Mike "The Mouth" Matusow to the serene Indonesian John Juanda, a Buddhist who once worked as a Bible salesman, then learned poker while going for his masters degree in business at Seattle University.

"One of the main teachings of Buddhism is not to have too high an expectation," said Juanda, who started Wednesday's round with $841,000 in chips. "Because every time you have a high expectation, if you're unable to get it then you'll be disappointed. Of course it's tough to do in poker. When you play poker you want to win all the time. Outside of poker, I try to be more humble, not have too high an expectation and live in harmony with other people."

Williamson is a 33-year-old corporate attorney who parlayed less than $20 in a small game for fun at the London club Gutshot into a trip to Las Vegas, where she won one satellite tournament and then another event. Now she's starting Day 5 of the World Series main event with a serious shot at making the final table, winning at least $1 million if she gets there and going for the $7.5 million top prize.

Her stack of chips was the seventh highest at the start Wednesday, and most of those ahead were well-known among the poker cognoscenti, including Tim Phan, leading with $3.22 million, Matusow with $2.56 million, Farzad Bonyadi with $2.40 million and Ivey with $2.03 million.

Raymer, an attorney like Williamson but one with far more experience playing poker, started the day farther down the list of 58 players with $766,000 in chips.

Ten hours later at the end of the round, when the field was narrowed to 27 players, Matusow led with about $5.1 million in chips, followed by Ivey ($4.6 million), Steve Dannenmann ($4.2 million), Tex Barch ($3.9 million) and Raymer ($3.5 million). Phan had dropped to about $2.2 million, Juanda and Bonyadi were eliminated, yet the amateur Williamson was still in with about $1 million _ good enough to put her at one of the three tables Thursday when play moves for the final two rounds from Harrah's Rio to Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel.

"It's been like walking in a dream. This is an amazing feeling," said Williamson, a native of South Carolina and a graduate of Columbia Law School in New York who left the U.S. to work for a firm in London four years ago. "I think working as a lawyer has been really helpful. We do long days every day so it's been very helpful in sitting at a table for 15-16 hours a day. I'm not intimidated by the pros. I look at it like a challenge. And it's been a great run so far."

A gut shot in poker is also known as a belly buster, or drawing an inside straight, such as a 7 when a player is holding a 5-6-8-9. It takes luck, and Williamson has had more than her fair share in this tournament, though she's clearly played a lot of smart poker. Barry Martin, the owner of Gutshot in central London, has been here coaching her to play "tight but aggressive," not chase big money with bad hands.

"I've been telling her if you're going to play against these great players, try to make them play their hands pre-flop," Martin said. "Don't let these boys go up against you because they're better than you."

Williamson had mostly done that _ until she scored her best pot shortly before midnight Tuesday. With another player, Terry Burt, pushing in about $40,000, Williamson boldly went all-in with $1.1 million. Her emotions, after taking a beat against Burt on an earlier hand, had perhaps gotten the better of her judgment, since she turned over ace-queen to Burt's pair of kings. But luck ruled this time and Williamson won with aces when the board came up ace, jack, 6, 10, 8. Williamson doubled up to $2.2 million and left Burt with $400,000.

Williamson danced around the table, whooping and hollering as fans cheered her uncanny luck.

"I don't think many players would be pushing in for $1.1 million with ace-queen because you're only going to get a call from someone who's got you absolutely dominated," Martin said. "As it turned out she wasn't that dominated but she was still an underdog to win that hand."

That's the kind of hand that drives some pros crazy.

"She overplayed ace-queen," said Phil Hellmuth, a pro who got knocked out in the first round. "She shouldn't have been involved in the hand. That stuff happens. An amateur can get lucky.

"She'll probably show up at more poker tournaments in the future with mixed results. Greg Raymer has been on tour now for a whole year and he's only made one or two final tables the whole year. Then he comes back with a lot of chips in this thing. That's impressive, but kind of weird. Luck is a big factor."

Greg “Fossilman” Raymer might be chatty, likable and wear silly holographic sunglasses, but he’s a monster at the poker table, flattening opponents with a gigantic stack of chips that has allowed him to continue his run at another title.

But hours into the fourth round Tuesday, the 2004 champ found himself out of the top 10 after taking two big hits in the prestigious no-limit Texas Hold ’em event. Late Tuesday night, Raymer had chips totaling about $750,000.

To be crowned poker king once more and claim the $7.5 million top prize, Raymer will have to get through the round and outlast 90 other gamblers.

Some of the remaining players that Raymer could face on his way to the nine-person final table that begins Friday are among the most well-known in the game.

Now ahead of Raymer is the formidable and expressionless Phil Ivey, who had rebuilt his chip stack to near $2 million. Tim Phan is the leader with approximately $2 million.

Russ Hamilton, the 1994 champion, was still in the tournament. He, along with Raymer, are the last of more than a dozen former World Series of Poker champs entered in the event.

LAS VEGAS - With the fourth round of the no-limit Texas Hold 'em event completed at the World Series of Poker, defending champion Greg Raymer found himself losing ground after a series of big hits.

Once in the lead, Raymer saw a stack of more than $1.5 million get reduced to about $700,000.

To be crowned poker king again and claim the $7.5 million top prize, Raymer will have to find a way to get more chips if he wants to get through 57 other gamblers and the fifth round that begins Wednesday.

Some of the remaining players that Raymer could face on his way to the nine-person final table that begins Friday are among the most feared in the game. Tim Phan was first with $3.2 million, followed by Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, with $2.6 million. Both Phil Ivey and Farzad Bonyadi had formidable stacks and remained on the leaderboard.

Russ Hamilton, the 1994 champion, busted out of the tournament at the end of round. He, along with Raymer, were the last of more than a dozen former World Series of Poker champs entered in the 36th annual World Series.

Tiffany Williamson of London was the lone woman left in the event. A woman has never won the tournament, and making history could be tough in this field that has been whittled from 5,619 original players.

If Raymer can hold out, the 41-year-old patent lawyer from Stonington, Conn., could join an elite crowd by winning back-to-back titles. But his luck had better turn soon. In the latter half of the round, with the board showing a jack, five, five, ace and five, Bonyadi bluffed Raymer out a sizable pot with only a king-high hand.

Raymer later lost about $500,000 in another costly hand, trimming his wedge of chips.

Then, his stack took another whack when his king-queen failed to outlast another opponent's ace-queen when fifth street produced a queen.

LAS VEGAS - The day of finishing in the money arrived at the
World Series of Poker. With the field slashed, almost all of the players left going into Monday will end up taking home at least $12,500. Of the 5,619 entrants who began play, most walked away empty handed — only 560 make money.

But for many players lucky enough to survive the first four days of the no-limit Texas Hold 'em event, the minimum payout — enough to cover the required $10,000 buy-in plus some expenses — is not likely to satisfy their gambling appetites.

They'll be shooting for a spot at the final nine-person table in which the first one out will take home $1 million and the winning player will collect a record $7.5 million in first-place money.

In the running was patent lawyer Greg "Fossilman" Raymer, the 2004 champ, who was sitting on about $700,000 in chips and second place as the field was narrowed to 272 late Monday night.

Raymer is one of two former champions of the World Series of Poker's main event still standing out of the 15 who started in the tournament. Russ Hamilton, the 1994 champion, is still competing.

The late chip leader was Rod Pardey Jr. of Las Vegas with about $702,000 in chips. But lurking among the remaining players were some top-notch pros, such as Phil Ivey, Mike Matusow, John Juanda, Paul Darden, Layne Flack, Howard Lederer. Sam Farha, who finished second to Chris Moneymaker in 2003, ran out of luck Monday night and was knocked out.

But Juanda and Darden engaged in a costly battle Monday afternoon. Both went all-in before the flop. Juanda showed two queens and Darden had an ace-king. The flop and turn, or fourth street, revealed two aces, giving Darden an edge.

But the river, or fifth street, doomed Darden when the dealer turned over a queen. Juanda's full house of queens over aces beat Darden's three aces and nearly doubled his original stack of $141,000.

Women also are trying to make history by winning the 36-year-old event. The 1995 fifth-place finisher and the only woman to make it to a final table, Barbara Enright, busted out late Monday. Olga Varkonyi, wife of 2002 winner Robert Varkonyi, was still in the game, one of seven women left.

Former Miss Teen Oklahoma and pro Clonie Gowen exited the tournament Monday afternoon when her ace-queen lost to two aces.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The nine players reaching the final table at the World Series of Poker main event can bet on one thing: They're taking home at least $1 million.

But at least five former champions won't be around for the final table on Friday after being knocked out of the event.

The winner of the 36th annual tournament, which started Thursday, will win $7.5 million, a big increase from last year's $5 million, which was double what 2003 champion Chris Moneymaker made.

"The big surprise is the final table," tournament director Johnny Grooms said Saturday. "Only three to four years ago it was a big deal for a tournament to guarantee a $1 million first place."

The first person knocked out in the final table of the no-limit Texas Hold'em event will receive a $1 million consolation prize. The final table is scheduled to begin Friday at Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel in downtown Las Vegas.

The main event began Thursday at the Rio hotel-casino with a record 5,619 players, more than double the 2,576 participants in 2004 and almost seven times the then-record 839 players who entered in 2003.

Carlos Mortensen, the 2001 World Series of Poker champ, busted out on Thursday, as did 1987-88 winner Johnny Chan. Chris Ferguson, who won in 2000, was knocked out Friday, followed by 1989 champ Phil Hellmuth and 71-year-old Doyle Brunson, the 1976-77 winner, on Saturday. Other top players such as Daniel Negreanu, Annie Duke and T.J. Cloutier have also exited.

Greg Raymer, the 2004 champion, made it past the first cut and held $39,525 in chips. Sam Fahra, who finished second to Moneymaker in 2003, also advanced with a $156,600 chips count.

Moneymaker also advances, but will be short stacked with $7,575 in chips when the second round starts Sunday.

The total prize pool is $52.8 million, minus the house cut of $3.37 million. According to tournament officials, 560 players will finish in the money. Second place will collect $4.25 million; third $2.5 million; fourth $2 million; fifth $1.75 million; sixth $1.5 million; seventh $1.3 million; and eighth $1.15 million.

It is after 2 a.m. Tuesday in the giant poker room at the Rio hotel and casino. Two tired players are left at the final table of a big-money event, nerves fraying, the tension thickening, the crowd growing. Then 25-year-old Israeli card shark Rafi Amit, closing in on the kill, utters a crude expletive and all hell breaks loose.

At the World Series of Poker, the world's biggest and most prestigious poker tournament, the penalty for that obscenity is 10 minutes away from the table, and tournament official Jack Effel immediately tells Amit to leave. (Related graphic: Learn how to play)

The dealing continues, though, and for 10 minutes alternating blocks of $8,000 and $16,000 in chips are raked from Amit's stack and given to his opponent, 38-year-old Vietnamese-born pro Vinny Vinh. An infuriated Amit and his posse mock Vinh and Effel. One of Amit's supporters makes a comment about meeting Vinh in the parking lot. The anger grows, and Effel calls security to bounce two of the spectators. Then he turns to Amit.

"You want another 10 minutes?" he threatens.

Amit finally calms down, the penalty clock winds down and play resumes after nearly $200,000 in chips has switched owners, keeping Vinh's chances alive.

Eventually, at 3:21 a.m., Amit cleans out Vinh with a full house to win the $511,835 first prize, but only after another hour of trash talk between him and Vinh.

When it's over, Amit and Vinh shake hands. Vinh might have wanted to throw a punch. Ten years ago, he might have. A hundred years ago, they might have met on a dusty Old West street with six-guns on their hips.

But this is 2005; poker is different and the World Series of Poker is way different than it used to be. Cameras are running. Reporters are taking notes. Blogs are awaiting updates. Web sites are refreshing. Books and DVDs, T-shirts and hats, cards and chips and assorted accessories are waiting to be sold.

And Amit is the latest poker celebrity, joining a fast-growing club born largely from the World Series and ESPN's ubiquitous coverage of it.

In other words, if there's big poker action, America's all in. And, get this, looking up to the stars of the poker world.

All of which brings a chuckle to 71-year-old poker legend Doyle Brunson. Nicknamed "Texas Dolly," he won back-to-back World Series titles in 1976 and 1977, and is still winning tournaments. "It used to be we were gettin' cheated, gettin' arrested, gettin' robbed," Brunson says. "Now we're TV stars."

'Cooler than being a rock star'

Brunson and his fellow pros, along with serious celebrity players and anonymous would-be stars with dollar signs in their eyes, have come here for the World Series of Poker's main event. A $10,000 entry fee puts them in a No-limit Texas Hold'em marathon that begins today at the Rio and ends July 16.

This tournament will eclipse all records for prize money and participation. It is the biggest, richest tournament in poker history.

Here's how poker's biggest six weeks works: There are 45 events in the World Series of Poker, starting June 2, all played at the Rio in a cavernous 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall filled with 200 tables. Each event is independent, with various types of poker games, entry fees and prize money.

Most of the top pros, along with a smattering of celebs, play in a number of these events; Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss and actor James Woods were among the participants earlier this week.

The whole thing is notched up a level for the main event. Think of it as the Super Bowl of the World Series. Just about anybody who's anybody in poker will take a seat. The total number of players probably will be about 6,000, more than double what was a record number last year.

The prize money comes entirely from entry fees, also known as buy-ins, so 6,000 players would result in a $60 million prize pool with the winner getting $7.5 million. Each of the nine finalists would receive at least $1 million, which was the first prize as recently as 1999.

Total prize money for the entire 45-event World Series of Poker this year is expected to hit $100 million, more than double last year's record $45 million. ESPN will begin taped telecasts of the World Series on July 19, airing Tuesdays.

Some of the main event's favorites, made famous among poker aficionados from their appearances on TV, are Howard "The Professor" Lederer, Phil Gordon, Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein and, of course, Brunson.

Confirmed celebrity entrants include actors Woods, Tobey Maguire and Brad Garrett (the big guy on Everybody Loves Raymond), former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, magician Penn Gillette and actresses Mimi Rogers and Jennifer Tilly.

Tilly won first place and $158,625 in prize money June 27 by wiping out 600 competitors in the World Series' Ladies World Poker Championship. "Better than winning an Oscar," said Tilly, whose poker-pro boyfriend, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, also will be in the main event.

Tournament director Ken Lambert is in charge of putting it all together, and what puzzles him most is "where all these people keep coming from, every day, every event. How can there be so many?"

Because from colleges to cow towns, from suburbs to Caesars Palace, poker is in.

Jennifer Harman, a pioneering woman high-stakes poker star, used to bluff when people asked her what she did for a living.

"I told them I wrote songs for famous musical groups," she says. "Now I tell them I'm a poker player, and that's like the coolest thing, cooler than being a rock star."

Now poker is on TV, on the Internet, in retail stores. Newspapers are taking notice, and some are treating it as a sport. Veteran Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Rosenbloom is scouring through the tables at the Rio this week, taking notes on gutsy calls and tough losses. He now writes a weekly poker column that appears in his paper's sports section and has been syndicated to 20 other newspapers.

Live games, even though many aren't very profitable for casinos, are growing wildly.

Yet, for some, the stigma of the game's outlaw past lives on.

"My parents don't like it," says Amit, who grew up in a tightknit family in Israel and began traveling to the USA, and playing cash games, three years ago. "In Israel, if you're a poker player, it's like you're a drug dealer. My family was like, 'You're losing your money, you're losing your mind.'

"But now my dad calls and says, 'How's business?' "

For Amit, and for poker, it's unbelievable.

Harrah's in charge

Harrah's Entertainment, one of the gaming industry's giants, took over the World Series of Poker last year as part of its purchase of Binion's Horseshoe, a landmark casino in Vegas and home of the WSOP since its inception in 1970. This year, all the WSOP events are being held at the Rio, except the last two days of the main event at Binion's, as part of a nod to Las Vegas' 100th anniversary.

Though the house takes only 5% of the action during the WSOP, and 2% of that goes to pay dealers and staff, Harrah's loves its new property because of the crowds it draws and the potential for those fans to gamble in the casino or attend shows.

"This is definitely a moneymaking event," says Ginny Shanks, Harrah's senior vice president of brand management.

Merchandising shows tremendous potential. Such mainstream retailers as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond are carrying World Series of Poker chip sets and tables. The WSOP, of course, has its own onsite and online stores. And a vanity WSOP credit card is available to make those purchases.

"It's getting bigger every day," Shanks says. "It's astonishing."

The higher-profile players are starting to look like race car drivers, with shirts and hats promoting online poker sites (in the WSOP main event, players' logos are subject to a loosely enforced size limit of 1 inch by 3 inches).

In 2003, the World Series of Poker's main event drew 839 players, then a record. When little-known Tennessee accountant Chris Moneymaker (really, his real name), an online poker player who had never played before in a live tournament, won the $2.5 million first prize, officials expected an explosion of newbies the next year.

"I guess people thought if I can do it, anybody can do it," says Moneymaker, 29, who quit his job nine months after his World Series payday and now makes public appearances and has started two poker-related businesses.

Indeed, newcomers flocked to the World Series last year, when a record 2,576 main-event entries resulted in a $5 million first prize for Greg Raymer, another big underdog, a Connecticut patent lawyer who was also primarily an online gambler. Make that former patent lawyer. Raymer, 41, quit his job within a week of his bonanza. Now he travels the poker tournament circuit and gets paid by a Web site, PokerStars.com, more than he made in a business suit.

Gordon was a software engineer from Georgia Tech who, with three partners, started a technology company that they sold for $95 million in 1997 when he was 26. He then backpacked around the world for four years.

Now 35, he's a poker pro and the co-host of Celebrity Poker Challenge on Bravo, where he helps celebs develop their games. He thinks part of the latest appeal of the game is that it's so democratic, so inclusive.

"You're never going to hit a Randy Johnson fastball," he says. "You're never going to catch a pass from Brett Favre. You're never going to hit a golf ball with Tiger Woods. But on any given day, you can come down to the World Series of Poker, put up your money and play with the best players in the world and potentially win."

But knowing the rules, knowing the odds and the math and knowing when Texas Dolly is bluffing are different skills altogether.

"Poker's a day to learn and a lifetime to master," says pro Robert Williamson III, a colorful Texan who, winning or losing, tends to laugh and sing and drink Corona and Tabasco at 2 a.m.

"You can come out here and beat anybody once. Over the course of a day, it's probably 80% luck and 20% skill. Over the course of a year, it's probably 80% skill, 20% luck. Over the course of a lifetime, it's about 99.9% skill."

LAS VEGAS— The World Series of Poker creates legends and changes lives, makes instant millionaires and megastars, pits world-class rounders against online amateurs, brings together Hollywood celebrities and red-eyed denizens of backroom games.

It’s a sport without athletics, a marathon that doesn’t move. It takes skill and luck, math and feel, and it’s captured an audience of millions of players and TV viewers of all ages.

Once the province of a small cadre of pros, poker’s most renowned affair has burgeoned into the world’s richest spectacle — some $100 million worth of games that go on for six weeks of day and night sessions.

The no-limit Texas Hold ’em main event starts Thursday with a record number of players paying the $10,000 entry fee — between 5,000 and 6,000 are expected — and a record top prize that may approach $7.5 million for the winner of the final table that begins July 15.

Clacking chips and low chatter send a constant cicada-like hum through the 60,000 square foot convention center at Harrah’s Rio, up to 200 oblong tables going at once, 10 players at each table, the stakes in terms of money and reputation almost unfathomable. There are 450 dealers, the best in the business recruited from around the country, working three shifts round the clock.

In Texas Hold ’em, each player is dealt two cards. Five cards are dealt on the table and whichever player can make the best hand from his two cards and the five on the table wins. No limit means precisely what it sounds like — a player can risk all the money they have at any point in the game.

The aptly named Chris Moneymaker, a young accountant, emerged from anonymity and a $40 investment in a tournament on PokerStars.com two years ago to win $2.5 million against a field of 829 players. Greg Raymer, a patent attorney with a penchant for fossils and goofy holographic sunglasses, walked away with $5 million last year when 2,576 players entered the main event.

It’s a good bet that similarly obscure players will sit at the final table this year and that one of them, rather than the many touring pros competing from around the world, will capture the largest prize in the game’s history.

Phil Ivey may be the favorite — sports books in Las Vegas list him at about 400-1 — but there are too many players and there’s too much luck involved over a relatively short span to pick anyone with much confidence.

“I could pick 20 players and, mathematically, it’s much more likely than not that none of them are at the final table,” Raymer said.

That would include Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer and sister Annie Duke, Poker Hall of Famers Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan and other top players such as 2000 champ Chris Ferguson and the man he beat at the final table, T.J. Cloutier, along with young guns Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari.

Those who have won the coveted championship bracelet are lucky and good, and for some the World Series has forever altered their lives. Moneymaker’s life has changed dramatically since he won in 2003.

He quit his job nine months after winning the World Series, then went through a divorce. “My wife didn’t marry a poker player,” he said. He fell in love with another woman and remarried. He bought a new house in Nashville, Tenn., and started two companies, Moneymaker Gaming, a chip company, and the Chan-Moneymaker Academy, a chain of poker schools with the former champion.

Now, at 29, Moneymaker says “there are days I wake up and I can’t believe what’s happened.”

The burly, 41-year-old Raymer, too, has seen his life shift in good and bad ways. He also left his day job behind to follow the poker trail, making a career out of what had been a semiprofessional passion.

“All the travel is the biggest change I feel on a daily basis,” he said. “I’m on the road 75 percent of the time, traveling from one major poker tournament to another, representing PokerStars.com, doing appearances at various charity and corporate events. I like everything except the time away from my family. I don’t get to see my wife and 8-year-old daughter as much as I would prefer.”

On the scarier side of fame and fortune, Raymer found himself the target of an attempted robbery at gunpoint at the Bellagio in Las Vegas last December.

“They grabbed me as I was entering my room and were trying to push me in,” he said. “They had duct tape, so they were presumably going to tie me up and rob me. The way it played out, I had no choice. I couldn’t cooperate. My whole decision was what was most likely to keep me alive.”

Like a true poker champion, he considered the odds of the bad hand he’d been dealt and decided to fight back until his assailants fled. Two suspects have since been arrested and are scheduled to go on trial in September.

That incident aside, the affable Raymer has enjoyed his sudden rock star-like status, signing autographs and chatting with fans wherever he goes.

The same could happen to any of the players, even those with no serious hopes of winning, such as Bill Barnett, the 64-year-old mayor of Naples, Fla. He also qualified on PokerStars.com, winning a $160 double shootout against 80 other players. His prize was a seat at the World Series, worth $10,000, plus $1,000 in his online account and hotel expenses for nine nights.

“It’s doubtful I’m going to make it through nine nights,” he said. “It’s just a thrill to be able to say, ’Hey, I was there and I got to play in it and I earned my seat.’ My kids and grandkids all think it’s hysterical.”

Now that she's a bona fide poker champion, Jennifer Tilly says she'll probably scale back on making movies to focus on the card games.

Tilly stunned the poker world last week by winning the World Series of Poker's No Limits Texas Hold 'Em Ladies Event and a $157,625 prize.

She's hungry for more.

"The movies are annoying because they get in the way of my poker playing," Tilly said Tuesday at a party at the Palms Hotel & Casino to promote the upcoming poker documentary No Limit. "I have a new movie (Tideland) coming out, and I am super-bummed because I have to do the publicity, and it'll take place in the middle of a tournament I want to play."

Tilly, a 1994 Oscar nominee for Bullets Over Broadway, is so serious about poker that she recently bought a unit in the Cosmopolitan, a high-rise condo on the Las Vegas Strip to be built next to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

"I'd rather do this than be in some crappy movie that will end up on cable," says Tilly, 46. "I'm financially secure, and mostly I want to be with my man and play in the tournaments."

Her man, Phil "Unabomber" Laak, 33, is one of poker's biggest stars and her teacher "by osmosis," she says. Laak is competing in this week's World Series of Poker tournament here. It has a record purse of more than $8 million.

Tilly says she and Laak are amused that she's now approached as often as he is for poker tips. "I started as a big tag-along wannabe, but now I won, so I guess I know what I'm doing," Tilly says. "To these people, I'm now a poker player who happens to be a celebrity."

Well, not quite. One reason many professional poker players are happy for Tilly is that her success boosts interest in the game, especially among women. "If people are inspired by her win, it only helps all of us," says Annie Duke, one of the top female players.

Hollywood is taking a growing interest, too. Lucky You, featuring Drew Barrymore as the girlfriend of a poker pro played by Eric Bana, arrives in December. A biopic about the late poker legend Stu Unger also is in the works.

No Limit filmmaker Tim Rhys started work on his documentary in 2003, just as poker was bursting into the mainstream.

In the 90-minute film, partially previewed Tuesday, Rhys follows ex-girlfriend Susan Genard as she plays six tournaments in eight months with their 4-year-old son in tow. Interviews with dozens of poker celebs are interspersed with Genard's journey. No Limit is expected to make its debut at the Toronto Film Festival in September.

Tilly, who was not part of the documentary, believes Rhys' timing is perfect. "These guys are like the last American cowboys. There are some great stories to be told."

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - CBS Sports has given the green light to a poker tournament where viewers can play along with the pros.

CBS has signed a deal with ProJo Poker Enterprises to televise eight of 20 ProJo Poker Tournaments beginning Christmas Day. They include the ProJo Christmas Poker Classic, the U.S. National Team Poker Championships, the U.S. National Amateur Poker Championship and the U.S. Grand Nationals Professional Poker Championship. The agreement also includes the finals, which will be held early next year in Las Vegas.

ProJo Poker gears itself toward the recreational poker players; professionals don't play in the early rounds until eight "average Joes" begin the semi-finals. Then four professionals will meet four "average Joes" at the final table for $40 million total.

And the viewers at home can play along as well, the network said. CBS SportsLine.com also will offer a chance to play ProJo Poker online through ProJo's Web site and a new poker area on CBS SportsLine that will open in August.

KILLEEN, Texas - A computer goof has Robert Guinther headed for a seat at the World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas later this week.

Guinther, 65, entered what he thought was a $10 online poker tournament, but midway through he realized that he had accidentally clicked on a World Series of Poker satellite tournament with a $100 entry fee and it was too late to back out. He went on to win, defeating 180 other competitors and earning a spot in the WSOP $10,000 no-limit championship.

The tournament, which begins Thursday, will involve more than 6,600 players who either qualified by winning a satellite tournament or paid the $10,000 entry fee.

"This is the dream of a lifetime," Guinther said. "I watch these guys on television all the time, and I'm excited about the chance to sit down and play with them."

Guinther's son, Rik, kept tabs on his father's progress from his home computer in San Antonio and had to explain just what the victory meant.

"When I won, I let out a big Yes!" Guinther said. "I just thought I had won $11,000, but then my son told me over the phone, 'Dad, you've just won a seat in the World Series of Poker!' I screamed so loud, you wouldn't believe it."

Guinther, who settled in Killeen after retiring as an Army sergeant first class in 1985, says he's a little nervous about the next step but knows he'll be fine once play begins.

Las Vegas — No more need to fret about all that wasted time waiting in line for the buffet at your favorite casino. Or those tedious talks in a convention room just a few yards from the casino floor. Help is on the way to make it possible to gamble any time — in fact, all the time.

Gov. Kenny G. Guinn signed a law last month authorizing gamblers in Nevada to play slot machines, video poker, blackjack and other games on hand-held wireless devices from public spaces in casinos. The spaces include restaurants, bars, convention rooms, even swimming pools. Hotel rooms, however, are off-limits, to make sure that minors do not get their hands on the new devices, which resemble personal digital assistants or tablet personal computers, depending on where they are being used.

Out by the pool of the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino, close to the bottom of a 50-story replica of the Eiffel Tower, the idea had instant appeal. L. Dave Ross, a middle-aged tourist from Tampa, Fla., said: “I have no moral objection to the device. Sure, I'd use it out here by the pool. Why not?”

After all, Ross said, “What do you come to Vegas for, except to gamble?”

The devices — which officials say are not likely to be in use in casinos until early next year — represent an important development in the rapidly growing world of gambling, said William Bible, the president of the Nevada Resort Association, which represents the major casino companies.

Traditionally, most casino operators regarded any technology that would allow people to gamble outside their “bricks-and-mortars casinos as a real threat,” Bible said. “They worried that it would cannibalize their business.”

But now, with the spreading popularity of Internet gambling, Bible said, “some companies see the new technology as a real opportunity for expansion.”

At the least, it allows the casinos to get a foothold into the realm of virtual gambling.

Internet gambling is illegal in the United States, under a 1961 anti-racketeering law. But casino companies in Britain, the Caribbean and Gibraltar have gotten around the law by setting up their Web servers and credit card operations offshore so that federal and state prosecutors cannot seize their assets and act to stop them. Prosecutors have also been reluctant to bring charges against individuals using their home computers to place wagers through the Internet.

In 2001, the Nevada Legislature authorized the State Gaming Commission to examine whether casinos here could enter the Internet gambling business. After a year's study, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa concluded that without a clear new federal policy it would be legally dangerous for Nevada casinos to venture into online gambling.

But the just-approved hand-held devices will be legal because they will not be linked to the Web, Bible said.

The devices were developed by Cantor Fitzgerald LP, the New York-based financial services company, for its bond trading operations and adapted for a bookmaking company it operates in the United Kingdom.

In 2003, Cantor's company in London introduced the first hand-held device that allows for wireless gambling in casinos in Britain, said Joe Asher, the managing director of Cantor G&W (Nevada) LP, a Nevada affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald. “Since we spent a tremendous amount of money developing the technology, we were looking for other new applications, and so we approached Nevada.”

Asher said the idea had inherent appeal to the big casinos here.

“Think about a swimming pool,” he said, juggling several ringing cell phones. “Casinos spend a lot of money to build them, but when guests are there, swimming, the casino isn't making any money.

“So if the people can play a hand of poker, or play the slots, while they are at the pool, that is money for the casinos,” Asher said.

“The idea is to turn down time into revenue-generating time,” he said.

For competitive reasons, Asher declined to say which casino companies were in line to use the new mobile devices.

He also declined to anticipate how much additional revenue the devices would generate for the casinos. The casinos would rent the devices to customers, who would open accounts to use them.

Asher is quick to dismiss critics who worry that the devices, by allowing for virtually continuous gambling, will create more gambling addicts. “People have already made the decision to come to the casino,” he said, “so if they wanted to, they could just stay in the casino and play all night anyway.”

Dennis Nylander, the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said that time would be needed to draw up regulations to put the new law in place and to test the devices to ensure that they cannot be used in hotel rooms.

The current worldwide market for gambling on mobile devices is still relatively modest, about $2 billion, according to a recent report by Juniper Research, a research and consulting firm based in the United Kingdom. But it is expected to explode in the next few years, rising to $19 billion by 2009, and possibly much higher if the United States loosens its restrictions on Internet gambling, the report estimated.

This potential makes the new hand-held devices too tempting for Las Vegas to pass up, said William N. Thompson, a professor of public administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“We've been very two-faced about Internet gambling,” he said. “On the one hand, we want gambling only in our casinos to protect our interests. But we don't want to have the train leave the station without us on board, so the hand-held devices may be a first step into the whole business of Internet gambling.”

LAS VEGAS, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Players Network (OTC Bulletin Board: PNTV - News) announced today that it will produce and air live programming from the site of the WORLD SERIES OF POKER® at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The programming from "THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER® LIFESTYLE SHOW" will begin Wednesday, July 6th, and will be carried on Player's Network's new broadband site, (www.playersnetwork.com), marking a three-week acceleration of the planned launch of the broadband site.

The Show will be held concurrent with the start of the $10,000 buy-in main event. The four-day Show will be held in the Rio Hotel Convention Center, that has a theater-quality stage and room for hundreds of customized poker lifestyle convention booths. Poker players, as well as thousands of spectators, will have free access to the Show for poker education, entertainment and involvement with a community of their peers. The company will air 6 hours a day of live programming for 4 days.

Players Network will produce and deliver programming at the "THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER® LIFESTYLE SHOW" as an interactive entertainment and educational experience for those attending the Show as well as on its broadband network and on Video On Demand. There will be scheduled talk shows, seminars, tournaments and other unique and entertaining poker lifestyle programs taking place on the main stage. There will also be "poker reality segments" being filmed throughout the entire venue featuring colorful characters and poker lifestyle suppliers.

Players Network's Founder & President, Mark Bradley and the company's President of Programming, Michael Berk will serve as Executive Producers of the shows. "Our programs will showcase the excitement and passion of the events, the inside stories of the poker players and a behind-the-scenes, never-before-available look at the tournament," said Berk.

Details of the specific programming and the broadcast's marketing relationships will be announced early next week.

About Players Network:

Players Network is the leading gaming industry media company that produces gaming-centric entertainment, information and instruction programming and distributes that programming via hotel casino private networks, home video and DVD distribution and beginning July 6th, on its Broadband Network, (www.playersnetwork.com). The company has a strong 10-year history of providing consumers with gaming content and businesses with strategic partner services in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and the greater US gaming community.

About the World Series of Poker:

The World Series of Poker is the richest sporting event on the planet. This year, the 36th annual event is expected to set participation and prize money records in its first year at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Thousands of poker enthusiasts from around the globe have begun descending on Las Vegas to compete for some $75 million in total prize money. The largest and most prestigious event of its kind, the World Series of Poker is expected to generate more than 15,000 player registrations by the time its main event begins July 7th.

More information about the 36th annual World Series of Poker is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

Forward-looking statements in this report are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We wish to advise readers that actual results may differ substantially from such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to meet our cash and working capital needs, our ability to successfully market our product, and other risks detailed in our periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Las Vegas Public Relations Inquiries: Mary Vail, OSG, (702) 242-4495 and Holly Lobelson, Impress Communications, (702) 340-6262

(PRWE June 29, 2005 -- With literally thousands of visitors daily it is easy to see why Freerolls.net is the #1 choice of poker players the world over looking for the most current daily list of poker freeroll tournaments.

The goal is to provide a daily updating schedule of online freerolls so everyone has a free chance to win cash by playing poker online. With the extensive schedule of "freeroll" tournaments, poker games that require no entry fee, Freerolls.net outlines daily chances to play poker for free and win cash prizes. The tournaments listed include a variety of games, including Texas Hold'Em, Omaha and 7 Card Stud offered by a growing number of the most popular online poker rooms. Payouts to the winners of the freeroll tournaments can run into the thousands of dollars and free entries into multi million dollar tournaments are offered. By offering direct links, players can go directly to the poker room of their choice at the time that is most convenient to them, where they can enter the freeroll tournaments of their choice.

Many of todays players in the WSOP have won their entry by playing in freerolls. With the WPT season about to kick off, you can be sure many more players will win their seat into the multi million dollar poker tournaments by playing in freeroll satellite tournaments.

The http://www.freerolls.net schedule lists over 100 different tournaments every day and is updated daily with the latest and best freeroll tournaments you will be able to find anywhere. Visit Freerolls.net to see why thousands of visitors return to find the most up to date freeroll schedule available today.

ALDERNEY, Channel Islands, June 28, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Fortune Lounge Group (www.fortunelounge.com), one of the largest and most credible online casino groups in the world, announces that the Fortune Lounge Personal Messenger (FLPM) application has achieved a 90 percent adoption rate among active players since its debut earlier this year. Believed to be the industry's first tool for delivering player-specific information to the desktop, the FLPM is similar to instant message and chat applications that reside unobtrusively in the task bar and are activated when a new message is received.

Released in January 2005, the FLPM offers new and existing players the ability to receive personalized messages, account information, gaming news and updates on the Fortune Lounge Group's robust promotions, bonus offers and prizes in real time. The application is designed to help players avoid the extremely rigorous spam filtering systems of many e-mail providers that can prevent legitimate invitations and offers from reaching the intended recipients.

In addition to notifying users of special promotions and news, the FLPM provides players with one-click access to all gaming software. A new release of the FLPM, scheduled for mid-July, will provide a 24-hour link to Fortune Lounge's dedicated support team, access to account balance information, a direct link to the casino winners' wall and easy retrieval of Players Club loyalty point balances.

The FLPM application offers automatic and manual message retrieval to enable players to choose how they would like to receive information. With automatic retrieval, an alert sounds when a new message or content becomes available. Players also have the option of choosing when to check for new messages and updates manually. The application can be removed at any time without disrupting the operating system or casino play.

The Fortune Lounge Group is one of the oldest and largest online casino groups in the world. Built on the basis of loyalty to the individual player, award-winning service and providing a safe and secure online gaming environment, the Fortune Lounge Group offers players a superior online gaming experience. To learn more about the Fortune Lounge Group, visit www.fortunelounge.com.

LAS VEGAS - Actress Jennifer Tilly is no poker pretender. Tilly won the Ladies no-limit Texas Hold 'Em event at the World Series of Poker, marking the first time a celebrity has won a bracelet at the famous tournament.

Tilly's skillful and self-admitted lucky play earned her $158,625. She beat 600 players to capture first place in the grueling two-day event that featured some of the top female pros in the world. The buy-in was $1,000.

"I think she showed an incredible amount of talent," WSOP media director Nolan Dalla said. "She had an enormous chip lead and never looked back. It was almost as though her victory was never in question."

Tilly, 46, said she's learned plenty of pointers from her boyfriend, poker player Phil "Unabomber" Laak.

"When you're living with Phil, you kinda learn by osmosis," Tilly told CardPlayer.com. "Even in the middle of the night, he wakes up screaming out poker terms. Most guys scream out other girls' names. He'll wake up and go, `I should have bet more on the turn.'"

Tilly, an Oscar nominee for her role in the 1994 film, "Bullets Over Broadway," is the first woman in this year's WSOP to win a bracelet.

The WSOP is being held at the Rio hotel-casino.

DURANT, Okla. - (KRT) - Just north of the Red River, American Indian casinos are doubling down on Texas gamblers.

With a change in Oklahoma law last year, Indian casinos are in the midst of a building boom as they start to offer blackjack, poker and Vegas-style slot machines.

The only things missing are the craps and roulette tables long associated with Las Vegas gaming palaces. And alcohol still isn't served in most Oklahoma casinos.

Just north of Denison, Texas, the Choctaw Casino is dwarfed by one being built down the road.

A new coliseum that recently hosted a Reba McEntire concert is between the two buildings, and a new wing is being added to the tribe's motel.

The Choctaw Casino and the massive WinStar Casino, run by the Chickasaw Nation just north of Gainesville, Texas, are attempting to lure a new wave of Texas gamblers northward.

And with the passage of the new gaming laws, Oklahoma is getting its first chance to sample some of the winnings. The Oklahoma treasurer's office estimates that the state will raise $71 million annually once the new games are up and running at all of the tribal casinos.

Nationally, Indian gaming revenue exceeded $16.7 billion at 330 casinos in 2003 - up from $9.8 billion at 310 casinos in 1999, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission.

The opening of WinStar has already changed the dynamics for Texas gamblers, luring many away from Shreveport-Bossier City, La., and upping the pressure on Texas lawmakers who resisted gambling initiatives in the recently completed legislative session.

"You've cut the distances in half for Dallas-Fort Worth gamblers with these Oklahoma Indian casinos," said Bill Thompson, a professor of public administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who studies the gaming industry.

"I think you'll probably see the vote for gambling in Texas in five years if Oklahoma keeps expanding its operations," Thompson said.

At the Choctaw Casino in Durant, about 12 miles north of the Texas border, most gamblers aren't concerned with such debates. They're thinking about playing their next hand.

Jack Foster of the Dallas suburb of Frisco, who was playing blackjack, said the new amenities are drawing attention.

"I love playing blackjack, and I can't wait till they get the new casino built over there," Foster said as he pointed to the construction under way across the parking lot.

"It ain't Vegas, but it's a whole lot easier to drive up here than all the way over to Shreveport."

Choctaw Casino officials believe that the new games are bringing a fresh batch of gamblers northward.

"We do believe the table games bring different clientele," said Chris Howell, blackjack manager for the Choctaw Casino. "Lots of ladies seem interested. We haven't done a market study recently, but we do believe we have a base out of Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma."

It's a similar story 50 miles west at the circus-themed WinStar Casino that northbound drivers see along Interstate 35 as they cross the Red River.

In the parking lot, Texas tags constitute an overwhelming majority of license plates, with a sprinkling from Oklahoma and Kansas, and a handful from Colorado.

The Chickasaw Nation, which operates the WinStar Casino, did not respond to requests for interviews about its expansion plans.

But The Daily Oklahoman reported in January that tribal officials plan to invest $260 million in casinos, including $153 million to transform WinStar into a Vegas-like entity.

Those types of pronouncements make Louisiana gambling officials a little nervous.

"Oklahoma is a factor, with their more aggressive development of those properties. I don't know what we can do," said Wade Duty, executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association, which represents 10 of the 15 riverboat casinos in Louisiana.

When WinStar opened in fall 2003, the Shreveport-Bossier City casinos saw a 13 percent drop in business. Those figures rebounded, Duty said, but revenue has remained flat the last two years.

"We're getting squeezed by Mississippi on one side, which has far more favorable compacts with the state," Duty said, "and, on the other side, we've got WinStar and these other Oklahoma tribal casinos that are growing like crazy."

All 24 Oklahoma tribes that offer gaming have negotiated compacts with the state since the law passed in November.

Under the agreements, the state receives 10 percent of the net winnings from card games, and from electronic games it receives 4 percent of the first $10 million in winnings, 5 percent of the next $10 million and 6 percent of winnings over $20 million, said Tim Allen, a spokesman for the Oklahoma state treasurer's office. Oklahoma is not entitled to gaming revenue from the bingo and video bingo games that were already legal, Allen said.

Oklahoma has collected nearly $1.5 million since January even as many tribes are still adding the new games.

The state collected $273,000 for card games from the Chickasaw casino in March and April and $80,000 from the Choctaw operation between January and April.

But financial reports on the Chickasaw tribe's Web site show its net assets have more than doubled since WinStar opened - from $138 million in August 2003 to $315 million in April 2005.

In Texas, only the Kickapoo tribe's Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass is allowed to offer gambling.

Texas' other two tribes - the Tiguas in El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta near Livingston - aren't allowed to offer gaming under state law. Legislation failed this spring that would have opened the door to more gambling in Texas by allowing video slots at Texas racetracks and the two reservations.

But Thompson, the UNLV professor who testified on behalf of the Alabama-Coushatta during its legal battles over offering gambling, said Texas is following a familiar pattern.

"Efforts to open up states to casinos usually don't work the first time out," Thompson said. "It's the second or third try that it usually works.

"Right now, you see a lot more advertisements in your area with the WinStar Casinos that haven't been there before. When people see that stuff, they respond. Some people who might have opposed it go out and try it and suddenly they're favor of bringing it in to their own state."
BY BILL HANNA

With more than half the events still waiting to be played, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) has already hosted a record number of contenders. Last year, 14,054 players registered for the WSOP throughout the tournament series. This year, 14,439 registrations were filed by the end of the first 21 events. This figure is the largest turnout of any live poker tournament ever recorded.

Considering the 23 events still remaining to be played in this year's WSOP, player registration can be expected to continue to grow. WSOP coordinators have predicted that a whopping 23,000 players will register before the main event kicks off on July 7th.

The WSOP player ranks boast contenders from 45 nations worldwide.

(PRWE June 24, 2005 -- It's not just lyrics from a song, "you've got to know when to hold 'em," but a national craze that has poker firmly in the lime light. While various adaptations of the poker program continually emerge, The Southern California Poker Tour is keeping it simple. "Everyday poker players want the opportunity to play in televised events," says Matthew Dodd, Vice President and Executive Producer of the one-hour, weekly television series. Players flock from all over Southern California and beyond to play in these events, with tournament prize pools ranging from $60,000 to near $200,000. Small potatoes in the world of high-stakes poker, but a welcome opportunity to the average poker player. "Some of these other tournaments have entry fees anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000, but our tournaments cater to regular players," Dodd says. With tournament entry fees ranging from $200 to $500, The Southern California Poker Tour events sell out nearly every event, pushing the poker rooms that host the events to capacity seating.

The program will be syndicated nationally next season and is already seen abroad in all of The United Kingdom on Sky Satellite. In order to "ramp-up" production, the company is seeking private investors to help with the costs of continuing improvements to the program. The company has been in existence for one year, and breaking the start-up mold, it was a profitable first year.

Southern California Poker Tour, Inc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Big Slick Productions, Inc. The company is involved in the production of televised poker tournaments and commercials.

The World Series of Poker television series on ESPN will begin Aug. 23 and run weekly through Nov. 15.

The first 14 telecasts will offer reports on tournaments played June 5-6, 10-12, 14-15, 16-22, 24-25, 26-28 and 29-30 in the Rio Casino-Hotel Resort in Las Vegas.

The final 12 shows, starting Oct. 11, will report on what happened in the $10,000 buy-in WSOP championship tournament, which runs July 7-15.

The TV schedule:

Aug. 23 - $1,500 no-limit hold'em tournament, which attracted a record 2,304 players;

Aug. 23 - $1,500 limit hold'em tournament.

Aug. 30 - $1,000 no-limit hold'em, with rebuys.

Aug. 30 - $2,000 no-limit hold'em.

Sept. 6 - $2,000 pot-limit hold'em.

Sept. 6 - $2,000 pot-limit Omaha, with rebuys.

Sept. 13 - $5,000 no-limit hold'em.

Sept. 13 - $5,000 pot-limit hold'em.

Sept. 20 - $1,500 no-limit hold'em.

Sept. 20 - $5,000 seven-card stud.

Sept. 27 - $2,500 no-limit hold'em.

Sept. 27 - $5,000 pot-limit Omaha, with rebuys.

Oct. 4 - $5,000 limit hold'em.

Oct. 4 - $2,000 no-limit hold'em.

Oct. 11-Nov. 15 - The $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Championship tournament, which is expected to attract 6,600 players and generate a prize pool in excess of $60 million. Which would mean a possible first-place payoff of $10 million.

LAS VEGAS – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Organizers of the World Series of Poker, the richest sporting event on the planet, today predicted the total prize pool at this year's tournament will reach $100 million, more than doubling the record the event set just a year ago.

With a total of 45 events, the 36th annual World Series of Poker is the longest, largest and most prestigious event of its kind. Its unprecedented growth necessitated its move this year from its longtime home in downtown Las Vegas to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino just off the Strip, where the tournament is hosted in a 60,000-square-foot gaming area equipped with 200 poker tables.

"With each new event we host, we're breaking another record," said Gary Thompson, director of operations and communications for the World Series of Poker. "We have brought in 450 of the world's best poker dealers to accommodate the enormous crowds flooding in from around the globe looking for both tournament and live-game action. Those players are contributing to a prize pool that will dwarf such events as the Indy 500, the Kentucky Derby and the Masters."

The record prize pool is being driven by the unprecedented number of players paying entry fees to World Series of Poker events. In 2003, the World Series of Poker generated a total of 7,572 player registrations and a total prize pool of nearly $22 million. In 2004, the total number of player registrations nearly doubled, reaching 14,054 -- and the total prize pool soared to nearly $45 million.

Through only the first 19 events, total registrations at the 36th annual World Series of Poker have exceeded 13,500 and the total prize money has risen beyond the $23.5 million mark. With many of the most popular events still to come, organizers believe total prize money will reach $100 million by the time the tournament's main event begins July 7.

"I've been playing tournament poker for a long time, but I've never seen anything like this," said Robert Williamson III, who has made multiple World Series of Poker final tables in the last five years and has won a gold bracelet in Pot-Limit Omaha. "I've always been bullish on poker -- it's the greatest game I've ever played -- but there's no way I would have guessed we'd hit $100 million this year. No way."

The World Series of Poker is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET), which purchased the tournament early last year. All but the final two days of the 36th annual World Series of Poker will be played at Harrah's Rio casino. The tournament's final days will be played at Binion's in downtown Las Vegas, which hosted the World Series of Poker for its first 35 years.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 67 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions, and acquisitions. On June 13, 2005, Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and now owns or manages through various subsidiaries more than 40 casinos in three countries, primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names. With nearly 4 million square feet of casino space, more than 40,000 hotel rooms and nearly 100,000 employees, the Harrah's portfolio is the most diverse in the gaming industry. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

Scottsdale resident Ed Taylor, 73, who suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, plans to participate in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, which runs through July 15. Taylor, a registered patient with the ALS Association Arizona Chapter, was diagnosed in November 1998 and has been in a wheelchair since May 2001.

His event: The No Limit Texas Hold 'Em World Championship, which starts July 7. Taylor will play July 8 in an opening round, one of thousands of competitors who qualified through local casinos and online. He earned his spot through Fort McDowell Casino near Scottsdale.

Taylor said he doesn't know if he is the best poker player among those suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. But he is willing to let the association use him to gain publicity.

It will do so by having Taylor take part in a new event: the chapter's first ALS Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament on July 16 at noon at Fort McDowell Casino. The ALS tournament will accommodate up to 200 players, with a first-place payout of up to $5,000. Funds raised at the event will directly support vital patient-services programs the Arizona chapter provides to those with the disease.

ALDERNEY, Channel Islands, June 13, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Fortune Lounge Group (http://www.fortunelounge.com) announces the International Casino Games, the most spectacular casino gaming tournament ever held with $1.5 million in total prizes. The tournament will consist of a variety of slots, table and video poker games hosted at nine different online casinos. Qualifying satellite tournaments in the International Casino Games will be held online from July to December 2005. The top 100 players will advance to a final tournament aboard the luxurious Caribbean Princess cruise ship in February 2006.

There is a total of $750,000 in prize money up for grabs in the weekly qualifying satellite tournaments. Prizes ranging from $10 to $1000 will be awarded to thousands of participants in tournaments taking place from July to December. The top 100 players will receive deluxe accommodations for two on an Eastern Caribbean cruise, where they will get the chance to play for the $250,000 grand prize, $80,000 in additional prizes and the title of International Casino Games Champion.

The seven-day cruise will take the winners and a guest to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Princess Cays in the Bahamas. The exclusive Caribbean Princess will provide the setting for the decisive showdown, accommodating winners in stylish balcony staterooms.

About the Fortune Lounge Group

The Fortune Lounge Group is one of the oldest and largest online casino groups in the world. Built on the basis of loyalty to our individual players, award-winning service and providing a safe and secure online gaming environment, The Fortune Lounge Group offers players a superior online gaming experience. To learn more about the Fortune Lounge Group, visit us at http://www.fortunelounge.com.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Mark Hickman was a senior producer for a television production company during the mid-1990s when he was hired by the Discovery Channel to put together an anthology of documentaries.

One was to examine the lifestyle of high rollers in Las Vegas. Hickman called Steve Lipscomb, a childhood friend who also was in the business of making TV programs, to collaborate on the project with him.

Lipscomb immediately was taken by the culture of poker. He suggested to Hickman that poker could become a regular staple on television someday.

"(Hickman) thought it was the stupidest idea in the world," Lipscomb said. "He didn't think anyone would just sit there and watch people play poker."

Almost a decade later, there are a lot of people watching poker. It has become a TV smash, with several networks airing poker on a regular basis and pulling in favorable ratings.

"I was wrong, absolutely wrong," Hickman said. "I wish I had been as smart (as Lipscomb)."

Lipscomb went on to create the World Poker Tour, which airs on the Travel Channel every Wednesday in prime time. The WPT is the pioneer of modern televised poker, and since then ESPN, Fox Sports Net, Bravo and the Game Show Network have created their own poker programming.

"A lot of people love this game," Lipscomb said. "It's just a great game. If you can show it in a compelling way, it's not that big of a surprise that people dig it."

Lipscomb pitched his idea to several networks, but their reaction was a lot like Hickman's. So Lipscomb and partner Lyle Berman produced a pilot, and the Travel Channel went for it.

"Most of the networks thought I was nuts," Lipscomb said. "I thought if I build it, they will come."

Televised poker had been tried before, but until Lipscomb re-invented it in its current format, it didn't translate well.

One of the major differences now is the development of a unique table that is fitted for cameras, which shoot upward and allow viewers to see the players' cards.

"It put a level of drama to something that hadn't had it before," said George Greenberg, Fox Sports Net executive vice president of programming and production. "It took out wonder and added drama."

The original table was devised by Henry Orenstein, an accomplished inventor who came to the United States after surviving five concentration camps during the Holocaust. Orenstein was a regular poker player who said he watched the game on ESPN in its old format and couldn't stomach it.

"It was very boring," Orenstein said. "Hand after hand was played, and I didn't know the hand. It was just ridiculous."

Orenstein secured a U.S. patent for the table and shortly afterward had a deal in place with ESPN. But he said it fell through when the vice president of that division at ESPN left.

Like Lipscomb, Orenstein then had trouble selling it to other networks. Lipscomb came up with his own idea for the table independently of Orenstein, who in turn informed the WPT that he held the patent for the table and threatened to sue. They ended up settling for what Lipscomb said was a "minimal fee."

The WPT was an immediate success and became the Travel Channel's highest-rated show. The new table transformed the way the game could be televised, and other networks quickly came up with their own shows. Orenstein proposed a show called Poker Superstars to FSN, which the network embraced. ESPN airs the World Series of Poker, Bravo has a celebrity poker show, and the Game Show Network has the World Poker Player Association.

The proliferation of televised poker, particularly Texas Hold'em, has reached such heights that it seems as if the game can be found somewhere no matter when you turn on the television. Original programming gets ratings that rival more mainstream sports, and poker reruns haul in a hefty viewership, as well.

Part of that is because poker shows can serve as a learning tool for aspiring players.

"Every hand is a lesson," said Bob Chesterman, coordinating producer of ESPN Original Entertainment. "You're watching a poker all-star game every week. Everybody thinks they can be an expert at it. People learn from these guys."

The world's biggest online poker company, PartyGaming, said overnight it expected that proposals for United States legislation to ban credit-card companies from dealing with online casinos would fail.

Leading US senators plan to attack online casinos by blocking banks and credit-card companies from allowing US customers to use their accounts for online bets, the Sunday Times reported.

The proposed law is being sponsored by Arizona senator Jon Kyl, the paper said, and legislators will discuss the proposal after the summer recess.

"Kyl and a few others have tried every year for the past several years to take action against online gambling companies, and every year they've failed," a spokesman for Party Gaming told Reuters on Sunday.

If passed, the law would seriously hinder PartyGaming's access to most of its online customers.

The online poker company aims to float this month in what is likely to be London's biggest new listing for four years.

Analysts estimate the listing could value the company at up to US$10 billion ($NZ14.2 billion), thrusting it into the FTSE 100 share index and making it London's biggest flotation since insurer Friends Provident in 2001.

Online poker has surged in popularity as it pulls in a wider audience than traditional casino gambling -- often including women and younger players who may not have visited casinos. Better broadband access and the convenience of playing at home have also helped the boom.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- You can still imagine the days when Al Capone and the Marx Brothers would visit the elegant French Lick Springs Resort and Spa in the 1920s.

But open your eyes to the occasionally slanting floor, the chipped paint in a few places and the tiny holes and cracks in the original stained-glass ceiling in the fitness room, and you'll see this Orange County landmark in a different light.

"This hotel hasn't had any major renovations in 25 years," said George Ridgway, the lead architect for the only proposal to renovate the hotel and build a casino nearby. "When it's done, it will be a three-star hotel with five-star architecture."

Ridgway is part of Blue Sky Casino, the partnership behind that proposal, which conducted tours at the resort Friday to show reporters and state officials where renovations would be done if the Indiana Gaming Commission approves the group's plan for the resort and casino later this month.

"We plan on spending north of $150 million to completely restore the entire hotel and build the casino," Ridgway said. "We want to make this a premier resort of the Midwest."

The centerpiece of the new project will be a 70,000-square-foot casino with 1,000 slot machines and at least 25 tables for games such as poker. But the French Lick Springs Resort & Spa and the West Baden Springs Hotel also would be renovated under the partnership's plan. In all, the developers plan to spend about $240 million.

Upon completion of the resort, there will be about 400 guest rooms, major conference and convention facilities, a full-service spa, two golf courses, an indoor and outdoor pool and a large garden.

The hotel lobby is being restored by Conrad Schmitt Studios of Milwaukee. The project, which has just started, is expected to be complete by October 2006.

"If we are accepted on June 23, then we have to be completely done by December 23, 2006, or penalties will start to kick in at the gaming level," Ridgway said.

If everything goes as planned, Indiana residents could be feeding 1,000 slot machines or playing at 25 game tables just a few days before Christmas next year.

"Everything is moving forward," said Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, who also attended the tour. "I'm very pleased to see the investment to bring this hotel back to its old glory. Our administration is doing all we can to ensure the process every step of the way."

Indianapolis resident Don Stone, 49, said he's happy to see renovations finally under way.

"This hotel needs major renovations," Stone said after checking into the resort for the weekend. "I can't believe Hilton or Sheraton didn't get to it first."

One reason very few companies have shown interest in renovating and restoring the hotel is the cost, said Tina Connor, executive vice president of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

"This is an old place, and there's really no need for a company to want to do this," she said. "It's the casino that makes it work financially."

MINNEAPOLIS - A University of Minnesota student who was named the best college poker player in the world will receive a trophy and a $41,000 scholarship on Thursday.

Chad Flood, 20, a junior from Fond du Lac, Wis., finished ahead of 25,000 players May 22 in the second annual College Poker Championship.

"I thought it would be a long shot to win the whole thing since there are so many people in it," Flood said Wednesday. "I was pretty shocked for a while."

Flood, an economics major, finished in the top 100 in last year's competition. He learned regular poker when he was in junior high but didn't start playing Texas Hold 'Em until three or four years ago.

In college, Flood became more interested in Texas Hold 'Em, which has gained popularity after being featured on TV and played by celebrities. Flood also started playing the game online for money and read a few strategy books about it.

"Playing a lot and reading the books -- I just became better and better," he said.

Although he's already reached the top for his age, Flood said he plans to play in the competition again next year and looks forward to turning 21, which will make him eligible to play in more competitions.

"I'd like to compete in the World Poker Tour or World Series of Poker," he said. "Maybe I'll make some trips to Las Vegas and see how I do."

Late at night in a hidden-away lounge deep within a University of Washington dormitory, a handful of students sit around a large, blanket-covered ottoman -- a makeshift poker table. They're settling in for a few hours of Texas Hold 'Em.

"What do you think, guys -- $5 or $10 buy-in?" asks Wyatt Albertson, 20, the dealer.

The 20-year-old business major's question is met with shrugs and furtive glances. Nobody says a word. It's against the rules to play for money in the dorms, and a visitor is in the room.

"OK, we'll decide later," Albertson says, quickly catching the drift, before flicking out the first cards of the evening.

Poker isn't the domain of cigar-chomping middle-aged men any longer. The game that started in the saloons of the Old West is sweeping college campuses, capturing the imagination of young men and women. At the UW and other state colleges, games are often slapped together on the fly -- even all-night tournaments.

"At the beginning of the year, it was so hard to find people to play," said Justin Hammond, 19, a UW freshman. "Now, there are 40 people I can call to see if they want to play."

For these twentysomething players, it's all about the thrill of laying down bets, seeing through your opponents' bluffs, and not allowing your own emotions to betray you.

"It's a brilliantly thought-out game. It's not based on just plain luck. It's more like psychological warfare," said Sohrab Ahmari, 20, a UW philosophy major who plays regularly.

Nobody's getting rich on campus: Winners often walk away with between $30 and $100. Many students say they also play online -- in their dorm rooms or on the computers in the university library.

Albertson is one of them.

"There are some big payouts online, and you never have to leave your room," he said. "Plus, the players seem a lot worse."

It's a bit of a dare -- since it's illegal to place bets over the Internet in Washington. But Albertson, who says he plays Texas Hold 'Em about 20 hours a week, likes it best when the stakes are high.

"The more money that's at risk the more competitive it gets -- and once you throw people off their game, that's when you can take a lot of their chips," he said.

Texas Hold 'Em is a national phenomenon, with professional gamblers and celebrities playing the game on national television. That's how some college students say they caught the bug.

They recall with awe that moment in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker, an apt-named accountant often characterized as an "average Joe," entered the World Series of Poker online with $40 and wound up winning $2.5 million.

"It makes you see that anybody can do it," said Jason Verges, a 27-year-old Edmonds Community College student who plays poker with friends, his father and plenty of strangers. He likes the action at local casinos and occasionally journeys to Las Vegas.

"I love the rush of it," he said.

He admits to losing up to $500 in a single night in Vegas. "But you stay the night and win it back and dinner, too."

Sitting at a table with a pair of aces and hiding your excitement so other players will keep betting, well ... Students say pulse-quickening moments like that make them want to play more. "It gets your adrenaline going," Hammond said. "The betting. The rush of going all in."

Pushing all your chips into the center of the table, whether you're holding a decent hand or not, can be a bold strategic move that forces everyone else to bail out, he said. But more often than not, it's a last-ditch attempt to get your money back.

Not much is known about gambling by college students because there's been little national research on the subject until a few years ago.

At the UW, recent surveys of 2,500 students found that 62 percent had played poker at least once, with 4 percent playing at least once a week. Only 2 percent to 3 percent reported gambling online regularly.

Behavioral science researcher Mary Larimer and other UW faculty are working with more than $300,000 in federal grants to develop effective ways of talking with students about the downside of gambling. College students are sometimes reckless and often on shaky financial footing, making them twice as prone to gambling-related problems as the general population, research shows.

Across the country, about 7 percent to 12 percent of student gamblers are either hooked on the games or suffering from related financial difficulties, disrupted studies and family arguments, said Clayton Neighbors, a researcher who works with Larimer.

Because there's no system for reporting gambling problems at the UW and most college campuses, there's no way to tell the effect of poker obsession on students' ability to remain in school and keep up their grades.

A 2002 study in the Journal of Gambling Studies concluded that the reason college students gamble is simple: They want to make money.

That's one of the reasons UW sophomore Thomas Grout plays. He claims to have walked out of a casino poker game with $1,200 in his pocket.

It wasn't a flush, a full house or a pair of aces that won the pot. It was an icy-cool bluff. The hand, Grout said, was "garbage."

"They think it's glamorous," said Stuart Battersby, manager of Kenmore Lanes Casino, where many college students play. "Young guys being young guys, there's a lot of testosterone in it. They're just modern-day gunslingers."

American regulators are threatening to clamp down on illegal internet gambling in a move that could damage prospects for PartyGaming's planned $10bn (£5.5bn) stock market flotation later this month.

The official US position is that virtually all online gaming is against its laws, a fact that is also a huge source of uncertainty for PartyGaming and its main UK rival, Sportingbet. Both companies derive a large chunk of their revenues from American customers.

In the face of an explosion of electronic gambling across the US, the Department of Justice has in the past few months been stepping up its campaign against firms that offer it. The DoJ has written to several warning that internet gaming is against the law under the 1960s-era Wire Act and has issued subpoenas to companies associated with the business.

A spokesman for the DoJ said yesterday various "investigations are ongoing" against internet gambling companies. He added there was a "potential liability" of criminal prosecution for individuals who it finds have gone against the Act.

Esquire magazine admitted in April it had received a subpoena for carrying an advert for the online poker site Bodog.com. A letter from federal authorities earlier this year also appeared to have nipped in the bud an effort by the North Dakota Legislature to legalise certain forms of internet gaming.

Yet, because the DoJ has held back from any heavy-handed enforcement action so far, US customers can access a series of internet sites offering gambling on anything from tennis to poker over the internet.

The flotation of PartyGaming, the world's largest internet poker company, could spur the DoJ to further action. The majority of players on its Party Poker website are Americans, with just 5 per cent of customers coming from the UK. Some two-thirds of Sportingbet's revenues come from US customers.

Sportingbet maintains it is not breaking the law because it is based in the UK, where online gambling is legal and became subject to a host of regulations under the recently passed Gambling Act. PartyGaming is regulated and licensed in Gibraltar and its lawyers believe the Wire Act only applies to sports betting, and not poker.

The uncertainty, however, means investors will be demanding clarity from PartyGaming on the legal position of internet betting in the US before they invest. Greg Feehely of Altium Capital, said: "There is no doubt that there is a regulatory risk attached to this company and investors need to be aware of that. But that risk has also already been priced into PartyGaming's valuation. A company with that sort of growth record and potential would float at more than 20 times earnings. It is only being valued at around 10-12 times earnings, because of the risk of the uncertain legal situation in the US." He believes it is highly unlikely the US would begin prosecuting overseas poker companies.

Sorting out the contradictions between America's official legal position and the reality of the booming online industry is likely to move further up the agenda of Capitol Hill after a recent ruling at the World Trade Organisation which broadly upheld a complaint from Antigua, one of the WTO's smallest members. The island has built up a booming business in hosting online gaming businesses and said the US was being unfair by allowing online horseracing betting by US operators, while outlawing all other others of internet gambling.

LAS VEGAS –- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Thousands of poker enthusiasts from around the globe will begin descending on the Nevada desert today to compete for some $75 million in total prize money at the 36th annual World Series of Poker. The largest and most prestigious event of its kind, the World Series of Poker is expected to generate more than 15,000 player registrations by the time its main event begins July 7.

Interest in the tournament has skyrocketed in recent years, necessitating a move from its longtime home in downtown Las Vegas to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino just off the world-famous Strip.

This year's main event -- a no-limit Texas Hold 'Em event with a $10,000 buy-in -- is expected to draw at least 4,000 players, up dramatically from the record crowd of 2,576 who participated in the event last year. The Rio's new facility, measuring more than 60,000 square feet, can accommodate up to 6,600 players in the main event.

The 36th annual World Series of Poker begins today with an event for casino industry employees. The first public event -- a no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament with a $1,500 buy-in -- begins June 3.

"The World Series of Poker is a sporting event like no other," said Gary Thompson, the tournament's director of communications. "It offers more prize money than any other sanctioned sporting event -- and it gives amateurs the opportunity to compete alongside legends of the game. For a baseball fan, it's like stepping into the batter's box against Roger Clemens and knowing that, if you can hit his fastball, you can walk away with millions of dollars."

The World Series of Poker is owned and operated by Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET). ESPN, the tournament's official broadcast partner, will produce and air 26 hours of original programming based on the 36th annual World Series of Poker. The sports network will produce an additional six hours of original programming based on World Series of Poker Circuit events. Coverage is scheduled to begin airing on or about July 19.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- GSN will premiere the fourth
installment of its POKER ROYALE franchise when POKER ROYALE: COMEDIANS VS.
PROS airs on Friday, July 8 at 9:00PM ET/PT. The 12 episode series includes
ten preliminary matches, one wild card round, and a two-hour grand finale
where the winner receives $50,000, a POKER ROYALE bracelet and trophy.
The comedians, utilizing their humor and funny (as opposed to poker) faces
will face off against the poker pros in a battle of No Limit Texas Hold 'Em.
Aiming to shut down the pros with their "schtick" and poker knowledge are Paul
Rodriguez ("Ali," "Comic Relief VII"), Mark Curry ("Fat Actress," Hangin' with
Mr. Cooper"), Robert Wuhl ("Arli$$"), Carol Leifer ("Curb Your Enthusiasm,"
"Seinfeld"), Tammy Pescatelli ("Last Comic Standing 3," "Dennis Miller") and
Sue Murphy ("Wanda Does It," "The Jeff Foxworthy Show").
In the pros' corner are Phil "The Unabomber" Laak (2004 World Poker Tour
Main Event First Place), Robert Williamson III (2005 World Series of Poker
Circuit Championship Final Table, Color Commentator POKER ROYALE), Linda
Johnson (Third woman in history to win a World Series of Poker bracelet),
David Williams (2004 World Series of Poker Championship Event Second Place,
POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS Champion), Connie Kim (2005 World Series of Poker
Tournament Circuit Eighth Place) and Kathy Kolberg (Placed 1st at the $10,000
Aussie Poker Open).
In the first ten episodes, each of the six comedians and six pros play
five matches, with the winner of each match earning $5,000 and ten points
toward reaching the final table. Second place earns eight points, third place
earns six points, fourth place earns four points, fifth place earns two points
and last place earns no points. The two highest point earning players from
each team are guaranteed a seat at the final table. The next three top point
earners from each team will play in the wild card match, with the top comedian
and top pro filling out the fifth and sixth seats at the final table.
Calling the action are John Ahlers (Play-by-play announcer for the Mighty
Ducks of Anaheim), with color commentary by Kenna James (2004 Ultimate Poker
Challenge First Place), and sideline reporting from Lisa Dergan (named sexiest
sportscaster by STUFF magazine and also appears on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn
Sports Show.")
POKER ROYALE: COMEDIANS VS. PROS will air as part of GSN's successful
Friday Casino Night with other casino related programming including WORLD
SERIES OF BLACKJACK and CELEBRITY BLACKJACK. The POKER ROYALE franchise
includes the WPPA Championship, BATTLE OF THE SEXES, CELEBRITIES VS. PROS and
YOUNG BLOODS.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated
to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network
features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports
programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN
features over 110 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows
viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via
GSN.com. Reaching 56 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S.
through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is
jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation.
For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

For nearly a year, poker fans, many of them recent converts, have been watching last year's World Series of Poker on television, following Connecticut patent attorney Greg Raymer's triumph over a record field of more than 2,500 competitors on his way to a whopping grand prize of $5 million in the No-Limit Texas Hold 'em World Championship.

And as Raymer's run has been broadcast over and over, poker rooms -- both actual ones in casinos and virtual ones on the Internet -- have been doing incredibly brisk business dealing to players hooked on gambling's runaway craze.

With the poker frenzy roiling, participation records will be shattered in a couple of weeks when the 36th World Series of Poker opens in Las Vegas and tens of thousands of players compete in more than 40 events that will be held from June 2 to July 15. The world championship spans the final nine days.

For the first time, the tournament will be held mostly away from its birthplace, the former Binion's Horseshoe Casino, now simply known as Binion's, in downtown Vegas. Harrah Entertainment, in its second year as owners of the tournament, will hold all but the final two days of the championship event in a new 60,000-square foot convention center at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, just off the Strip on Flamingo Avenue.

When the switch to the Rio was made -- the Horseshoe had been bursting at the seams last year, and the crowds are expected to triple -- it was announced that the last two days of the championship would still be held at Binion's, a parting salute to tradition. While some close to the tournament have said there has been talk about keeping the entire event at the Rio, Binion's -- now owned by a West Virginia-based gaming company -- was still scheduled for its last hurrah in mid-July.

Regardless of where the championship bracelet is handed out, organizers are bracing for a maximum field of 6,600 players for the World Championship, which will have a prize pool of more than $60 million, if all seats are sold, and an estimated first-place prize of $7.4 million. In fact, everyone who makes the final table will become a millionaire.

However, in addition to the marquee event, the so-called preliminary tournaments, many offering millions in prize money, are also expected to max out on entries. Last year, Scott Fischman, then 23, became the youngest player ever to win two World Series events.

Fischman won his two preliminary events in four days, a No-Limit Hold 'em championship that earned him $300,000 and a tournament called HORSE, which included several poker games, for an additional $100,200. TV viewers might remember Fischman as the player who jubilantly flopped backward on a cash-strewn table after one win.

With some many players expected to descend on Vegas over six weeks for the tournament, Fischman says it's unrealistic to expect to win again so soon in such a crowded field.

"It's going to be unreal," the former casino dealer said. "Whatever they had last year for any event, it will probably be double or triple that. It's really crazy when you think about it, because before last year, the largest tournament ever was the 2003 World Championship when (Chris) Moneymaker won, and that had about 830 players.

"You have to be willing to change your goals. If you talk to 1,000 players, 995 will tell you that their goal is to win the World Series. You can't set a goal like that, because you're setting yourself up for a big letdown."

Players gain entry to World Series tournaments either by buying a seat -- most preliminaries require a buy-in of $1,000 to $2,500 and the championship is $10,000 -- or by qualifying in so-called satellite tournaments. Satellites are held in either real casinos or on Internet poker Web sites, where players pay smaller buy-ins and vie for a World Series seat. Harrah's officials say checks, some of them in seven figures, have been arriving regularly as satellite tournament sponsors send in their fees for players who have won those stepping-stone events. The opening field for the World Championship will start in three flights July 7-9.

CARSON CITY -- An electronic handheld device that would allow a gambler to play the slots, poker, 21 or roulette as he wanders through a Nevada casino is a step closer to reality.

The Senate on Thursday approved and sent to Gov. Kenny Guinn Assembly Bill 471 that would permit the state Gaming Commission to adopt regulations to control the tiny units and to license companies that make them.

But the remote betting devices won't be appearing immediately in Nevada casinos. It will take months for the commission to adopt needed regulations, and then there would be background investigations of those manufacturing the units.

A device has been developed by a New York Company that operates a bookmaking business in England that takes bets on everything from stocks to soccer games.

"What the bill is designed to do is to utilize state-of-the-art technology to permit customers to play during what might otherwise be downtime, obviously with the goal of increasing casino revenues," said Joe Asher, managing director of Cantor Fitzgerald in testimony earlier to the Senate Finance Committee.

Dennis Neilander, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, said Wednesday these devices are used in the United Kingdom and people bet on everything from the outcome of the Oscars to whether it will rain tomorrow.

The bettors in the UK, said Neilander are called "punters" and they carry the devices around with them and take them home.

He said that despite approval by the Legislature and a likely signature from the governor, it still will be some time before the remote gaming devices are allowed in Nevada casinos. He said the control board was "neutral" on the issue, but the commission would have to adopt regulations where the "gizmos" could be used and rules to stop any abuses.

Cantor Fitzgerald has 2,000 employees and offices around the world, is a financial services firm and is involved in cutting-edge technology.

Neilander said other companies are also interested in distributing the devices.

The bill allows a casino with 100 slot machines and a table game to employ the devices. A customer would deposit money and then obtain the mobile gaming apparatus.

No longer would the player have to sit before a slot machine or at other games. The customer would be able to use the device only in public areas of the casino -- not in hotel rooms or off the premises.

Asher said that when a customer tried to play a game in a prohibited area, the unit would shut down. And it can be programmed with a fingerprint reader so that someone else, including a minor, could not use it, if lost or stolen.

When finished, the player would return the device to the casino to collect his winnings, if any or to recover what was left of his deposit, if any.

It could also be programmed to cut off a bettor after a certain amount is lost.

Bob Faiss, Las Vegas attorney for Cantor Fitzgerald, said mobile gambling does not include betting on the Internet. He said these units "must be secure and reliable and provide reasonable assurance they are used only by adults."

For tax purposes, they would be treated like a slot machine. There would be a levy of $330 per year plus a percentage on the gross revenue license fee.

Neilander said "different people" came to the gaming commission to inquire about allowing the remote betting units in Nevada casinos, but the commission determined the existing law does not permit them.

The gaming board, Neilander said worked with Cantor in writing the bill to make sure the state would have adequate controls over what could be a new fad in Nevada.

There was no debate in the Senate and the bill passed 20-1. Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas, cast the lone dissenting vote. It had earlier been approved by the Assembly by a 41-0 vote.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An opinion from the state attorney general's office makes Texas Hold 'Em poker illegal in Oklahoma.

In an opinion released today, Senior Assistant Attorney General Neal Leader reiterated previous opinions that Oklahoma's gambling laws outlaw poker played for money or anything of value.

The opinion carries the force of law and will likely slow the growth of popular Texas Hold 'Em poker tournaments that have become common in other states. Taverns, pubs and other commercial establishments across Oklahoma have been advertising and conducting the tournaments recently.

According to the opinion, those who sponsor the games are guilty of a felony and those who play are guilty of misdemeanors.

The only exception in the opinion is nonhouse-banked card games played in gaming casinos operated by federally recognized Indian tribes that enter into compacts called for in the State-Tribal Gaming Act.

SYDNEY, N.S. – The provincial gaming authority is telling bar owners to drop their popular Texas Hold 'Em poker games.

Televised tourmanents featuring Hollywood stars are fuelling a poker craze throughout North America. To meet demand in Sydney, local pubs stepped in because the game isn't offered at the casino.

More than 30 people were showing up at Ardon Moffard's pub every Wednesday night for Texas Hold 'Em games – a much-needed boost for business.

"It's challenging to get people in a pub any night. So it was good to have the revenue generated by the game," Moffard said.

He insists those profits were in food and drink, not from the game. Moffard said money never changed hands and the only thing passed around was free merchandise from breweries and liquor companies.

But the province got involved.

"The liquor board stepped in and decided there wouldn't be any more games, I guess due to ... the fear of money changing hands in the pub," Moffard said.

The executive director of the alcohol and gaming authority, Dennis Kerr, said bars can host card games, including Texas Hold 'Em, for fun.

There are three elements needed to cross the line into gambling: an entry fee, a game and a prize. Kerr's concern is that gambling would happen without the bar owner's consent.

"We just want to make sure they don't get in trouble. There is potential in these tournaments for side bets and so forth and if some of those issues happen, it's the licencee that will be held accountable," he said.

If a bar owner does want to hold a tournament, Kerr said, they should talk to a lawyer first. Until then, poker players should hold 'em.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2005--Bluff Magazine, America's largest poker publication, is pleased to announce the addition of world-class poker champions Phil Gordon, Mike Mizrachi and Marcel Luske to its lineup of regular contributors. Bluff also welcomes poker authority Lou Krieger, a celebrated author of several books on poker including The Poker Player's Bible, to its distinguished editorial staff.

The affable Gordon is a perennial WPT favorite, co-host of TV's Celebrity Poker Showdown and expert poker strategist. He has accumulated $1.1 million in tournament winnings since 2001 and is almost universally referred to 'the nicest guy in poker'. Mike Mizrachi, known to his opponents as 'The Grinder', is recognized for his steadfast play and sober composure at the table, making him a serious threat in any game. The Flying Dutchman, Marcel Luske is known for his calculated aggression, an almost supernatural ability to read his opponents and his wild antics at the table. All players are experts in poker analysis, and recognized by the poker community as members of the elite.

Lou Krieger joins Bluff following a 10-year stint writing for the magazine Card Player where he wrote the On Strategy Hold'em column. Lou's books and columns have been read by over a million poker players, and have contributed to the current popularity of the game. "I joined Bluff because I wanted to exploit my creative edge and write to the new generation of poker players that consider Bluff an essential part of their game," said Krieger.

Gordon, Mizrachi, Luske and Krieger have joined the Bluff family of super-star contributors, which include recognizable poker aces Annie Duke, Antonio Esfandiari, Josh Arieh, Clonie Gowen, Dave 'The Devilfish' Ulliott and Kenna James.

"Getting Lou, Phil, Mike and Marcel onboard is a huge win for Bluff," said Editor Michael Caselli. "They are recognized by anyone who enjoys poker, and their expertise in the game is undeniable. Bluff can boast the world's finest team of poker players and experts as its contributors."

Bluff is read by more than half a million poker players across America, making it America's number one poker publication.

About Bluff Magazine (www.bluffmagazine.com):

Bluff Magazine is America's Largest Poker Magazine with 225,000 copies printed and distributed nationwide. Bluff's 125,000 newsstand copies and 100,000 event and location copies gets Bluff into the hands of any poker enthusiasts eager to keep up with the fast-paced modern poker lifestyle.

Antiguan officials have told a World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute settlement board it expected "full compliance" from the US in its online gambling dispute.
Earlier this year the WTO ruled in favour of Antigua's egaming industry, and said unless the US closed down all forms of legal remote gambling in all 50 states, it had to permit Antiguan firms to offer their services to US citizens.

But at a meeting of the dispute settlement body in Geneva, Dr Errol Cort, Minister for Finance and Economy of Antigua and Barbuda, said he was disappointed to find the US government failed to set out how it would respond to the ruling.

"The statement of the US ambassador today gives us no substantive guidance as to the US’ intentions," Cort said.

And he warned the domicile would not stand idly by as the US played for time.

"Antigua expects full and complete compliance by the US with the recommendations adopted by the DSB in this case.

"As we noted last month, we will monitor the situation very closely to ensure timely and sufficient implementation by the US."

Cort repeated his call for the US to work with Antigua to provide a mutually beneficial structure for regulated online gambling.

"Antigua and Barbuda has offered the US the opportunity to co-operate with us on the regulation and oversight of gambling and betting services."

"We hope the US will accept our offer and work towards a resolution of this dispute that gives Antiguan operators fair, reasonable and responsible access to the enormous gambling market in the US."

LOS ANGELES, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- David Williams proved he was the best poker player of his generation today, winning a special invitational No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament that was televised by GSN, the Network for Games. The 24-year-old Williams faced off against five other top young rising stars under the age of 30 in the network's first-ever poker special POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS which aired Friday, May 20 from 9-11:30 PM ET/PT.

Joining Williams in the tournament were fellow competitors: Michael Sandberg (22-year-old Princeton student who has won over $120K since Sept. '04), Scott Fischman (Youngest player to win two back-to back WSOP bracelets), Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi (First place winner at the 2005 LA Poker Classic), Erica Schoenberg (World Series of Blackjack semi-finalist) and Erin Ness (Second highest female finisher in 2004's World Series of Poker).

Williams triumphed after heads-up action against Ness that lasted over 90-minutes. The lead changed several times between Williams and Ness before the game was decided in a hand when Williams pulled two pairs (Queens and Nines.)

A Dallas native, Williams' aggressive playing style has enabled him to finish in the money in such major tournaments as the 2004 World Series of Poker Champ (second place); 2004 Borgata Poker Open (second place); 2004 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic (first place) and now POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS champion.

The young poker millionaire, Williams, said about his win, "It feels great to take down the best of my peer group. I am ecstatic to have won this tournament on GSN. The money will go back to the tables."

Ness, a relative newcomer to poker hit it big when her employer, Maxim Magazine, sent her to participate in the 2004 World Series of Poker Tournament. The 26-year-old Ness finished as the second highest female at that tournament and since then has found poker fame.

On her efforts today, Ness said: "I was really pleased with my play today. I held my own throughout the tournament and have gained new confidence in my play as I get ready for the 2005 World Series of Poker."

As the tournament's first place winner, Williams earned $20,000 for the top prize and fellow competitor Ness received $10,000 for her second place finish. The rest of the players received $5,000 for their efforts.

GSN devotes an entire night to casino gaming with its Friday Casino Night programming franchise. Each Friday night viewers can enjoy at least two hours of programming featuring poker and/or blackjack series. Currently, in the world of poker, the network is airing a competitive Texas Hold'em poker series between actors and pros, POKER ROYALE: CELEBRITIES VS. POKER PROS. The seven episode series at 9 PM ET/PT features such celeb players as Lance Bass (*NSYNC), Morris Chestnut (Boyz N the Hood, Ladder 49,) and Jennifer Tilly (Liar Liar, Bound). The professionals include Kathy Liebert (One World Series of Poker bracelet), Cindy Violette (One World Series of Poker bracelet) and Paul Darden (Winner of the 2003 World Poker Tour Gold Rush Tournament).

POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS was hosted by John Ahlers (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) with color commentary by poker pro Robert Williamson III and sideline reporting by Lisa Dergan.

POKER ROYALE: YOUNG BLOODS is executive produced by Jeff Mirkin, John Faratzis and Tom Colamaria for Jeff Mirkin Productions.

When the horses reach the gate Saturday for the Preakness Stakes, there will be only one sure thing: Online gambling sites will handle a lot of the wagering.

For the horse tracks, Internet gambling is both a frustration and a threat.

"It's illegal and not everybody knows that," Turf Paradise General Manager Randy Fozzard said.

Not even everybody in Fozzard's family knows it.

"My son is a student at the University of Arizona," Fozzard said. "He's telling me about playing poker on an online site.

"I told him: 'Hey, don't you know that's illegal.'

"He said: 'You're kidding me.' "

For Fozzard, another potential threat to horse racing is as close as his doorstep.

Under Arizona Sen. John Kyl's Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, it's been illegal since 1997.

According to a Kyl spokesperson, the senator is writing further legislation. However, Scot Montrey said Kyl would not comment until the legislation is introduced.

Meanwhile, it's safe to say that wagering will continue at sites located in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Canada and elsewhere.

There are an estimated 800 sites that take horse-racing wagers. However, there is a mix of opinion among horse players about the online process.

"If you're a sports bettor, I can see it as being a convenience," Joe Martori said as he played the ponies at the Armadillo Grill, a Phoenix off-track-betting site. "You don't have to go to Las Vegas."

But Martori said horse bettors are a breed apart from the crowd that gambles on the NBA playoffs, the Super Bowl, Major League Baseball and other mainstream sports.

"About four years ago, I had an account," Martori said. "I bet and won on a Florida State football game. But the whole thing lost its appeal.

"There was setting up the account, waiting on the phone. It became a hassle."

Online gambling has been driven in part by the popularity of poker, which is regularly televised and includes players who advertise Internet sites on caps and T-shirts.

The poker explosion has appealed to a younger generation that includes Fozzard's son.

"It has brought younger people to the horses, and some of those people could have been our customers," Fozzard said.

A 25-year-old professional said he has been placing bets on the same site for about four years.

However, he said he never does his horse wagering online, in part because The Racing Channel isn't available in Phoenix.

"You want to see the race," said the man, who did not want to be identified because of possible legal consequences. "But I also like to get to the track itself. I like the whole experience of seeing the horse and the race."

He said about 80 percent of his friends have online accounts.

"That's about 18 people," he said. "But some of them don't like the track. There's a lot of cigarette smoke. A lot of us are ex-athletes and are bothered by that."

But Fozzard says the number of Arizona's online gamblers is big enough to erode Turf Paradise's revenue streams.

He estimates that between $20 million and $30 million have been bet by gamblers, who would usually place their wagers at Turf Paradise.

Some of the wagers are bet over the phone. Although federal law prohibits online betting on sports anywhere in the United States, restricted online and phone wagering on the ponies is legal in 16 states, but illegal in Arizona.

Nonetheless, Fozzard says Youbet, which is based in Oregon, has a lot of Arizona customers. According to figures compiled by Fozzard, Youbet handled $4.1 million in phone bets from Arizona customers.

Youbet reported that it handled $4.2 million nationally in phone wagers for the Kentucky Derby a couple of weeks ago.

Fozzard, who has lobbied for phone accounts to be legalized in Arizona, said Turf Paradise is missing out on as much as $6 million that would come back to the track in taxes.

SANTA MONICA, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- GSN's popular Texas Hold'em franchise, Poker Royale, is airing a two-hour special during Friday Night Casino Night, on May 20 at 9:00-11:00 PM ET/PT. The special, Poker Royale: Young Bloods, will showcase six of the game's top young players all under the age of 30, vying for a total cash prize pool of $50,000. The announcement was made today by Ian Valentine, Senior Vice President of Programming at GSN.

Poker Royale: Young Bloods seats the new generation of professional poker players at the table to demonstrate their brand of no limit hold'em. The tournament's winner receives $20,000, second place receives $10,000, and third, fourth, fifth and sixth place each receive $5,000.

Competing in the tournament are: Michael Sandberg (22-year-old Princeton student who has won over $120K since Sept. '04), Scott Fischman (Youngest player to win two back-to back WSOP bracelets), Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi (First place winner at the 2005 LA Poker Classic), David Williams (Second place winner in the 2004 WSOP championship event), Erica Shoenberg (member of the MIT Blackjack team) and Erin Ness (Second highest female in 2004's World Series of Poker).

The special is hosted by John Ahlers (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) with color commentary by poker pro Robert Williamson III and sideline reporting by Lisa Dergan.

Poker Royale: Young Bloods is executive produced by Jeff Mirkin and John Faratzis for Jeff Mirkin Productions.

Poker hounds packing Texas Hold 'Em tournaments in taverns across the Triangle and around the state probably don't see anything wrong with the way they're scratching their card-flipping itch.

After all, these rounders are playing a virgin version of the game, one where no cash is wagered. Instead of greenbacks, they're competing for tournament points, door prizes and the chance to do a little barstool shirt-popping.

But that still crosses the line of North Carolina law.

If the winners get a door prize -- even a modest one -- that's against the law. If the winners are offered the entry fee for a big Las Vegas poker tournament -- that's against the law.

Even sitting around the cool green felt and clinking casino-grade chips into the cash-free pot is a problem because North Carolina statutes outlaw the possession of a poker table and other gaming equipment.

"If you play for any kind of prize, it's illegal," said Mike Robertson, director of the state Alcohol Law Enforcement Division. "The tables themselves are illegal. A roulette wheel is illegal. A Texas Hold 'Em table is illegal. I get a tremendous amount of complaints and inquiries about poker tournaments."

Money -- either a bet or entry fee -- is the legal trip wire these tournaments are trying to avoid. But a recent advisory letter from the state Attorney General's Office warned that even cash-free tournaments pose problems. Rooted in 19th-century prohibitions against lotteries, state law gives a broader definition to gambling than money bets slapped down on a poker table.

Gambling is defined, the letter said, as games in which players have "tendered some consideration for a chance to win a prize."

Cash, fee not crucial

The "consideration" doesn't have to be a cash wager or entry fee, the letter said: Buying food or drinks while playing or just showing up at a poker tournament designed to promote the bar breaks the law.

"The game of chance element is, of course, the poker game itself, and the payoffs are the prizes won at the tournaments' end," wrote Assistant Attorney General David J. Adinolfi II in the advisory letter Feb. 22. "Therefore, all the elements of illegal gambling exist in these poker tournaments."

Despite these legal prohibitions and advisories, poker tournaments have flared up in taverns across North Carolina. In the Triangle, pick a night and you can find a game at as many as 40 bars and restaurants, from Goldie's Grille in Chapel Hill to The Point on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh.

Robertson, whose ALE division enforces the state's anti-gambling laws, gives a simple reason for this contradiction. His agents don't investigate the games unless they know the local district attorney will prosecute. And three Triangle prosecutors say they aren't making enforcement of these laws a top priority because the punishment is light, the case law is fuzzy and their resources are stretched thin.

"It's not a black-and-white issue," said Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong. "It's arguably legal and arguably illegal, and that makes it a gray area legally."

Chatham-Orange District Attorney Jim Woodall said law enforcement "has to decide what they're going to put their resources behind, and we have to decide what to put our resources behind."

As long as no cash is on the table, tavern owners think, their tournaments are as harmless as a Tuesday night dart league.

"It's not gambling at all," said Frank Winslow, a former Midway Airlines pilot who owns The Point, where two rounds of virgin poker are played on Tuesday nights. "It's a sport. It's a bragging rights kind of thing. It's the challenge of being better, outsmarting and outwitting the other guy."

By keeping the games chaste, tavern owners hope, law enforcement will continue focusing its anti-gambling efforts on games where greenbacks actually change hands -- such as the illegal Greensboro poker parlor raided in December where $27,000 was seized and players had each paid a $1,000 entry fee.

It's all up to the DA

The question, Robertson says, is whether local district attorneys are willing to prosecute when tavern tournaments don't offer such clear-cut violations. In the case of another Greensboro poker raid March 2, he said, Guilford County District Attorney Stuart Albright agreed to prosecute the owners of the tavern and the tournament organizers.

Cash wasn't bet at that tournament and there wasn't an entry fee, but players competed for a seat at a Charlotte tournament in July where the top prize would be the $10,000 entry fee for the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, according to a report by an undercover ALE agent who busted the Greensboro game.

Still, having a willing district attorney doesn't guarantee that a gambling case will go to court.

Albright dismissed the tavern case, Robertson said, after he learned that the owners had called an Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission attorney who advised them that the tournament would be legal as long as there wasn't cash betting or buy-ins.

In Wake County, prosecutor Colon Willoughby said he isn't interested in making cases against charity casino nights. Nor does virgin poker pique his interest.

"How is it gambling if you don't put up any of your own money?" Willoughby asked. "The opportunity to put up your money and win other people's money is the evil the legislature was trying to curtail. That's what we have sought to focus on with gambling -- whether it's an illegal lottery or a poker parlor where they take a cut of the pot to provide liquor, food and protection or illegal sports betting."

Willoughby's stance helps explain why ALE agents raided the Greensboro restaurant while a charity tournament May 7 at Jillian's in Raleigh went untouched.

One of the Triangle's largest Internet-based tavern leagues, worldtavernpoker.com, promoted the Jillian's tournament, which raised $12,500 for the Jimmy V Foundation, a foundation spokeswoman said.

On the league's Web site, players were urged to make a $100 donation for a seat at the game and promised a sliding scale of prizes that included the $10,000 buy-in fee for the main event at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

More than 170 players participated in the charity tournament, which wound up offering the winner a smaller prize -- a free trip to Las Vegas -- said Keith LaBelle, a spokesman for Jillian's corporate parent, JBC Entertainment of Louisville, Ky.

Before the tournament, LaBelle said, company officials checked with the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division to make sure the tournament didn't violate state law. They were assured the games were above board because money wasn't wagered, there was no cash buy-in and the donations were voluntary, he said.

Robertson begs to differ.

"They did not contact anybody at headquarters," he said. "If somebody at ALE told them it was legal, I'd like to know who."

Too close to the line?

Eric Wilson, the co-founder of a rival league, pokertaverns.com, said he thinks the Jillian's tournament, with its World Series of Poker prize, cut too close to the legal line he has tried to avoid.

"I kind of worry they're going to wind up shooting everybody in the foot with this," said Wilson, 32, a Durham software developer. "Somebody's going to say, 'That's it. You're done. You're finished.' "

Out on the tavern tourney circuit, poker is poker and the only line of distinction is the one drawn by the law.

Kim Hanisak, 29, a Durham environmental analyst, plays poker four to six nights a week, has a weeknight money game with friends and has been a points leader in the tavern tournaments. She recently took her sharpened skills to Vegas, where she won $800 playing Texas Hold 'Em, as she says, against "a bunch of old men."

"Crazy is what it is," she says of her poker life. "If they allow a lottery, they ought to allow this. To be honest, poker is as much a game of skill as it is chance."

For the players of these virgin games, the thought of playing Texas Hold 'Em for serious money is only a TV screen and a flashing fantasy away. They watch poker games on cable TV. They see themselves dueling pros such as Howard Lederer or Johnny Chan.

"It's the glamour of it," said Bobby Williams, 36, a Raleigh software programmer and regular at The Point's poker tournaments. "Everybody's got that dream -- could it be me that gets to the World Series of Poker?"

In the longest final table in circuit history, the World Series of Poker wrapped up at 3:15 a.m. Thursday at Harveys Casino Resort with the top prize of $542,360 going to a 39-year-old property investor who had a pair of 10s.

Jeffrey Lisandro battled against Phil Ivey for 2 1Ú2 hours in a 12-hour, 35-minute game, edging the 28-year-old who looked like he might take the grand pot with bluffs and persistence, and a pair of deuces in the end.

"Phil Ivey dominated the table," said player Jonathan Shecter, who placed fourth and received $131,480. "He played a lot of hands and won a lot of hands. It was surprising because when it finally ended he ended up bluffing."

Steven Schorr, who holds the lengthy title of manager of poker, keno and the sports and racing book at Harveys, was also surprised at how the No-Limit Texas Hold 'em Championship event turned out.

Schorr said. "All along it looked like Ivey was chipping away at (Lisandro) but on all the big hands Lisandro would always show a better hand than Ivey," Schorr said.

Both Lisandro and Ivey checked out of their rooms early at Harveys, but the excitement was still in the air as the casino hosted the fourth stop of one of the most well-known and televised tournaments.

Preparations at Harveys began four months in advance, with extra chips, extra chairs and extra dealer buttons being ordered from a checklist of some 400 items for the 16-day event, Schorr said.

Forty-eight poker tables were used but that number will decrease to 21 during summer.

Various amateur tournaments and signings with poker champions Doyle Brunson and Chris Ferguson lead into the grand event, staged in one of the convention rooms at Harveys.

The room was needed. Cameras, lights, microphones, bleachers able to house the rumps of 150 audience members, a control room and a table for the $1.6 million in total prize money took up the space.

"They wanted a controlled environment for television," said John Packer, director of public relations for both Harrah's Lake Tahoe and Harveys.

The next stop for the World Series of Poker is New Orleans, followed by the finale at Las Vegas. The circuit will be aired on television with Stateline's dramatics expected to arrive in July, marking a possible bonanza during the summer tourism season.

"I think we'll get a lot of (public relations) mileage out of that," Packer said. "A lot of people throughout the country still don't know what a Lake Tahoe is."

Tony Prestigiacomo, from Genoa, took a swipe at the table after finishing first in the first event of Lake Tahoe's circuit.

The telecommunications business owner finished 17th but seemed to be in more awe by the professionals around him than his winnings.

"It was truly a great experience playing with all these folks we see on TV," Prestigiacomo said.

"I'm not going to turn pro, I'm not going to quit my day job but I'm going to keep playing," he added.

Shecter approaches his poker play as a hobby and keeps it apart from his profession as a media entrepreneur. He said he'll use his winnings to enter more tournaments in his home town, Las Vegas.

" Like business, in poker it takes money to make money," he said.

The previous record for longest final table game was set in February of this year when the World Series of Poker was at Harrah's Rincon San Diego Poker Tournament, according to Nolan Dalla, the tournament's media director.

"The quality of play was exceptional," Dalla said. "When you have really good players they tend to be cautiously aggressive and won't make the mistakes lower-caliber players will."

Many, including Dalla, at Harveys will be wondering how editors will turn the roughly 13 hours of play into a one-hour television show.

"It will be interesting to see what they do with it," Dalla said.

STATELINE - More than a hundred people hovered around poker tables on Tuesday at the World Series of Poker Lake Tahoe Circuit Event's $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em main event at Harveys Resort and Casino.

What the overflow crowd saw was all three Northern Nevada players get eliminated. Tony Le of Reno, who started the day as the overall chip leader with $136,700, was knocked out early on, as were Carson City's Robert Glenn and Genoa's Tony Prestigiacomo.

Twenty-eight players started the second day and only nine remain, including several of the world's top players. Final table action begins today at 2 p.m. at the Harveys Convention Center and will be taped by ESPN. The event is free to attend. Spectators can start filling the bleachers at 1:45 p.m.

"These good crowds we've been having will be nothing compared to tomorrow," said Vince Contaxis, Harveys Poker Room Manager. "We expect it to get even bigger. For those people who don't get a good seat, there will be large screen TVs put up."

Among the big-name players vying for the $542,360 first prize are Joe Awada and Phil Ivey. Italian Jeff Lisandro possess the overall chip lead going into today's final table. The last two players eliminated on Tuesday were 33-year-old Sam Von Duhn of Chicago and Alan Goering from Henderson, Nev. Both players took home $23,010 in prize money.

"I had to make a move and double up and play some poker," said Von Duhn, who went all-in with K-10 against Lisandro's A-A. "I just ran into Aces. I was hoping to get to the final table, but this is the best finish I've had so far at a major tournament."

i-Newswire, 2005-05-11 - Howard Lederer - Known as the "Professor of Poker," Lederer has quickly become one of the most respected players around. Lederer holds 13 major poker titles including the World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour championships.
Greg Raymer - Raymer, also known as "Fossilman", was the 2004 World Series of Poker champion. Raymer defeated a record field of 2576 players to win the $5 million dollar first prize - the single largest cash prize for a poker tournament.

Clonie Gowen - Gowen is one of the rising female players who placed 10th on the World Poker Tour tournament in Costa Rica and then ended up winning the WPT Ladies Night Invitational, besting more experienced players such as Annie Duke and Jennifer Harmon.

Amir Vahidi - Vahidi was ranked 1st for 2003 "tournament player of the year," with nine no-limit final table appearances in 2003, including a sixth place finish at the World Series of Poker ( where he has lifetime earnings of $300,000 ).

Paul Darden - Darden holds a World Poker Tour Title and a World Series of Poker Bracelet. He's an active participant in the tournament circuit and frequently places in the money. Darden was also featured as one of the World Poker Tour's "Bad Boys of Poker."

Robert Williamson III - A born poker player, Williamson waited on his father's game at the age of five and was playing by age 10. Known for his Pot Limit Omaha expertise, Williamson won a World Series of Poker bracelet in that event in 2002.

Matt Savage - Savage is the tournament director of the Bay 101 Casino for the World Series of Poker. Savage continuously strives to maintain the high standards and integrity of the World Series of Poker.

Annie Duke ( non-exclusive ) - Howard Lederer's sister, considered by many to be the best female poker player in the world, and the top female World Series of Poker money winner in history.

"The World Championship Poker franchise has been phenomenally successful for Crave, said Rob Dyer, president and COO. " We've locked up some of the world's top poker players, so they'll only be featured in WCP2"

Developed by Point of View, World Championship Poker 2 features a much more detailed one player game, where you now have to work your way up the ranks, starting in your mom's basement. Once you start winning and accumulating money, you can spend your winnings on increasingly better pads, and furnishings. Hit a losing streak, and you may have to hock your stuff to stay in the game. Other features of WCP2 include:

14 types of poker, including Texas Hold'em, Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud and Pineapple
Different levels of simulation - "Real Deal" for the more experienced card shark and "Power Play" for the casual players
Active tell and bluff systems.
Third-person "TV" mode ( including the popular in-bumper "card cam" ) or first-person mode to watch human and computer opponents more closely for signs of tells and bluffs
RPG-like upgradeable skill system
Play with the pros - in game character likenesses, as well as play styles and iconic signature personality traits of some of the world's top poker players including: Howard Ledrerer, Annie Duke, Greg Raymer, Robert Williamson, Matt Savage, Amir Vahedi, Clonie Gowen, and Paul Darden.
Detailed character customization feature - really put yourself in the game
More attitude - truly colorful color commentary including player controlled taunts, bluffs and tells
Poker tutorials, as well as hints and tips on strategy
Dynamic one player game - upgrade your pad and host online tournaments. Hock your stuff if you're desperate for funds for the next tournament
Exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version of World Championship Poker 2 is support for the EyeToyTM USB Camera ( for PlayStation®2 ), which allows online opponents to see each other as they play, in addition to supporting text chat. The Xbox version of the game supports Xbox Live® online game service including Scoreboards, Voice/Chat and Live Aware.

Scheduled for release in Fall 2005, World Championship Poker 2: Featuring Howard Lederer will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Xbox video game system from Microsoft with an MSRP of $19.99.

Industry leaders have predicted the latest attempt by US Senator John Kyl to introduce legislation to outlaw the funding of online gambling accounts is doomed to failure.
Senator John Kyl will make another attempt to introduce a bill that would ban “instruments of banking” from being used to fund egaming accounts later this year.

The bill has failed to attract widespread support on previous attempts, with the last bill floundering in the face of special interest objections from the Las Vegas and horseracing lobbies.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2005 would introduce a ban on credit cards, money transfers and other payment systems.

But several industry insiders have predicted the lack of concessions to existing remote gambling operations such as the US horseracing industry would be likely to make the bill a piece of lame duck legislation.

“Senator Kyl’s bill really doesn’t stand much of a hope,” Nigel Payne, chief executive of Sportingbet, said.

“He has had to go for no carve outs in his Bill, which was essential to get the AGA to neutral, but in so doing he has alienated the native American gaming group, the state lotteries and the horseracing industry.”

Some analysts have said the all-or-nothing approach could play well with the US government following the recent WTO decision on the US dispute with Antigua.

The WTO ruled the US could claim a public interest defence if it prohibited all forms of remote gaming, but Mark Mendel, Antigua’s lead counsel, said this was an untenable strategy.

“The American ‘remote’ industry is too entrenched and powerful to either be legislated away or be happy with Antiguans being legislated into legitimate competitors,” Mendel said.

“As I had initially believed when we brought this case, there is no good or easy solution for the US on this, and it is going to be fascinating to see how it all plays out.”

But he agreed with Payne that the vested gaming interests in the US would provide too strong an opposition for the bill to proceed.

“The WTO decision cuts both against and for him, but the competing interests makes his proposal untenable either way,” Mendel said.

Over the sound of talking in the Elks Lodge Tuesday evening was the distinctive sound of poker chips clicking together as local poker enthusiasts tossed chips into the pile or toyed with chips in their stacks.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are poker nights at the Elks Lodge. The games are hosted by www.barpoker.com, a tournament that allows local players a shot at a seat in the World Series of Poker.

Bill Harrison, who helps out at the poker tournaments, explained the rules. At each poker night, which is free to play in as long as the player is 21 or older, each player gains 50 points. If a player makes it to the final table of eight competitors, they can win even more points. If they are within the top 120 players in points, they are invited to the monthly tournaments, which are conducted around the state and where the players have a chance at a top prize of $1,000, as well as a chance to compete in the Kansas Poker Championship.

"Make the monthly tournament, and there's a chance you can make the yearly tournament," Bill Harrison said. "Win the yearly tournament, and the Bar Poker will pay for your seat on the world series."

During Tuesday's tournament, 61 people showed up. Dan Harrison, who runs the tournaments, said that it was a fairly average crowd.

"We usually have 50 to 60 players," Dan said.

"I say 45 to 50," Bill disagreed.

Both agreed that the record was 80 in one night. They also agreed the crowd was a varied group.

"We have insurance salesmen, firemen, policeman, teachers at the college and all sorts of interesting people," Dan said.

The crowd does show a marked contrast in styles. Though most wear casual clothing, a few dress up for the tournament. There are suits and ties and leather jackets as well as hooded sweatshirts and T-shirts. Many wear baseball caps and cowboy hats.

People of all ages play, as well. The oldest is George Weir, who turned 90 in February.

"We have people ranging from 21 to 90," Dan said.

The game played at the tournament is Texas Hold 'Em. In this game, every player is given two cards, face down. Then, five cards are dealt face up, that are shared by all the players. Players must combine their two cards with three of the community cards to make the best possible hand.

"It's kind of the excitement of not knowing what your opponents have," said Darrell Calhoun, a regular at the games. "The adventure of betting chips and not knowing."

Cards are kept face down, and players only take one or two glances at their cards. Many weigh their cards down, sometimes with extra chips, other times with small charms such as a miniature horseshoe. Chuck Bender, who has been playing for only two months and has made it to the monthly tournaments, uses an obsidian arrowhead.

Within minutes of the games starting, players begin to drop out as they bet away the plastic chips. When someone goes out, they stand, shake hands with the table, but they don't always leave.

"It's a lot of fun. It's like a big family. In fact, one night, six of the people in the final eight were related," Dan said. "I know most of the player's numbers."

"I bet you don't know mine," John Shilling, another regular at the games, said.

"38," Dan said.

Shilling agreed that 38 was his number.

As the night goes on, smaller chips are slowly replaced with chips worth more and more points.

"That's to make sure there's money in the pot every hand," Bill said.

Finally, 53 players are eliminated, leaving only eight at the final table. Previously eliminated players form an excited circle around the table as the final eight become the final four of Dale Hill, David Gordon, Suzan Ratzalff and Clayton Mansell as Dan Harrison became the dealer for the game.

In one hand, Ratzalff eliminated Hill and Mansell, leaving only her and Gordon. Ratzalff had the chip lead and forced Gordon all-in during the last hand. Ratzalff became the night's first winner, earning 1,000 points for her victory.

As soon as the winner was declared and congratulated, however, players were already preparing for the next tournament of the game.

When asked if poker was more about luck or skill, Darrell Calhoun answered, "Somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 percent skill. You need a ton of luck, though."

WELCOME TO televised poker in a new and

exciting format. On Sundays

this month, NBC will broadcast the "National Heads-Up Poker Championship" - a $20,000 buy-in event featuring one-on-one matchups between the world's best poker players.

The format is unique: Players will compete in an NCAA-like elimination tournament (losers go home). That will yield a Sweet 16, an Elite Eight, and a Final Four. Amazingly, 60 of the best poker players in the world played in this tournament, alongside a few celebrities.

Heads-up no-limit Hold'em is a very different game from Texas Hold'em. Ability to read your partner is extremely important, and some of the matches showcased stunning clashes in playing style. For my first-round
opponent, I drew Men "The Master" Nguyen. Men has five World Series of Poker bracelets, has won "Player of the Year" several times, and is tough as nails. The veterans knew it would be a tough match, but some of the young guns thought I would win easily. The veterans knew what they were talking about; you do not look past Nguyen.

My strategy was simple: I would let Men dictate the pace of play, then try to find a way to take advantage of weaknesses within his play. If he were to play aggressively - and raise a lot of pots - then I would sit back and let him do my bidding when I was strong. If he folded a lot, then I would bluff a bit more often. Mainly, though, I would trust my reading abilities. If I felt that he was strong in a

particular hand, then I would fold, or at least choose to play a smaller pot with him. But if I felt he was weak, then I would try to build a big pot against him that hand.

Men and I battled back and forth, neither of us raising the pots up too much before the flop. That often happens when I play the best players in the world heads-up.

One interesting hand came up when I held 7h-6d, and Men held 5c-5h. I called before the flop, and Men checked. The flop was 9-8-4, and we both checked. The turn card, the 5s, was my dream card. I had my straight, and Men checked his three fives. I bet $800 into the $1,600 pot.

Unbelievably, Men just called me! The last card was a deuce, and Men checked yet again. I bet out $2,500 into the $3,200 pot, and Men studied a while and just called again.

My hat is off to him for losing the absolute minimum amount on this hand. Anyone else in the world would have raised up the pot with trip fives at some point, so what can I say but, "Well played, Men."

The last hand came up when Men raised the pot to $6,000 to go with As-6c, and I moved him all-in for his last $8,000 ($14,000 total) holding A-Q. That hand, a 2 ½-1 favorite, held up for me when the final board showed 5-5-4-8-10. I was one match away from the Sweet 16.

Two fires in four days at a Salt Lake business that supplies materials needed for Texas Hold 'em poker games has investigators concerned.

The latest incident at Cards, Chips and More, 163 E. 300 South, was Tuesday about 9:30 p.m.
Two pedestrians noticed fire coming from inside the store. Firefighters arrived to find a pile of T-shirts, paper towels and other papers set on fire in the middle of the room, Salt Lake City Fire spokesman Scott Freitag said.
"It was definitely intentionality set," he said.
Damage was only estimated at $1,500. The business was already closed due to a fire Saturday.
In that incident, a small fire was discovered about 10:30 p.m. near some electrical equipment, Freitag said. The cause of that fire was still undetermined as of Wednesday. Damage was estimated at less than $1,000.
Investigators weren't sure Wednesday if Saturday's fire was the result of arson, but Freitag said it was something to be considered.
"With two fires being so close together, it makes the first one very suspicious, as well," he said.
Business owner Chris Shilts said he received two threatening calls on his mobile phone at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday. Both calls were from a man with a deep voice who said, "I will destroy everything you own. I will find and kill you," according to Shilts.
Investigators were still looking for a motive for the fire. Freitag said there was no evidence Wednesday supporting the notion that the business was targeted by people who may oppose gambling.
"There's no indication of that whatsoever," he said. "No one has claimed responsibility. It appears now to simply be an intentionally set fire in a business which also happens to be a place that sells poker chips and cards. As far as a crime related specifically to gambling, we don't have any indication of that right now."

Shilts said with the exception of the anonymous threatening phone calls, he did not know anyone who had a grudge against him.
He said he realized that some people in Utah objected to poker and gambling-type games. But Shilts didn't know if the fire was a personal attack on him, a random incident or committed by someone who wanted to make a statement against gambling.
"I can't say one way or the other," he said.
Although damage estimates from the fire department were less than $2,000 for each fire, Shilts estimated his losses, including damaged poker chips, T-shirts and display cases, at about $20,000.
Shilts has been in business since January. He runs the store with four employees. His business sells supplies needed for poker games but does not organize any tournaments.
Fire crews did not find any signs of forced entry into the business Tuesday, Freitag said.
Shilts said one theory was the alleged arsonist may have managed to pick the lock on the back door. Because Saturday's fire left him without power, he said the alarm system was not working Tuesday night.
Texas Hold 'em tournaments have created controversy in Utah in recent months.
Local prosecutors and law enforcement officials recently joined together to announce they would be unified in cracking down on Texas Hold 'em and other similar gambling games that have become increasingly popular with the recent nationwide poker craze.
Earlier this year, a Texas Hold 'em tournament scheduled at the University of Utah was canceled at the last minute by school officials.
Shilts said he intends to reopen his business but isn't certain when that may be.

BLUE LAKE, Calif. A blind woman has been crowned the first Humboldt County Poker Champion.
Deborah Crumley, legally blind and diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, won the ten-thousand dollar grand prize Sunday at the Blue Lake Casino.

Crumley beat out 386 other players to win. Some of them traveled from as far as Arizona to vie for their shot at the cash.

The win came at a good time for Crumley. She says she lost her job last year and has been on disability for over a year.

"A Juneau business owner told a group of lawmakers Friday that he supports a bill that would legalize poker rooms in Alaska.

" Card games are entertainment and more entertainment is needed in the state, not just for locals but tourists who visit,' said Ethan Billings, owner of Marlintini's Lounge and DocWaters Bar and Grill.

"Billings is the second bar owner in Juneau to show an interest in House Bill 272 now that it has survived much of the lawmaking process. Managers from the Viking Lounge and Billiards said in early April they support the bill, too.

"On Friday, the House Finance Committee moved the bill to the floor for a vote, possibly this week. The Senate's version of the bill, Senate Bill 165, is scheduled for hearing in the Judiciary Committee.

"…Applicants would pay a start-up fee of $25,000 and then annual taxes on the tables at $10,000 each. An establishment could hold as many as 15 tables…"

Let's talk about super-satellite tournaments and a strategy mistake committed by many new players, particularly online.

Super satellites allow you to play your way into a bigger tournament at a lesser entry fee - say, $100 for a $3,000 buy-in event. The catch is, the lower the fee, the higher the demand on your skill level to play your way in. But super satellites also allow more than just the winner to move on.

In a recent Internet super satellite played by Barry Shulman, a retired real-estate developer who bought Card Player magazine several years ago, there were nine players remaining. The top eight finishers would move on. So, being first is the same as being eighth, because players start the next tournament with the same chip count as everyone else.

Shulman, who also plays the live tournament circuit, had a big stack and was going to win a spot in the next round when the action folded all the way around to him.

"One guy to my right has $15 when it's $150-$300 blinds," said Shulman, who has a World Series of Poker bracelet. "In order for him to survive, he has to double up when he's a big blind, double up again when he's a small blind, and still he can't get through a whole round. There's also a guy to his right who only has $100 in chips.

"Before it gets to the guy with $15, he's got to double up on his big blind, too. There's no reason for any of the short guys to be playing anything.

"Almost everybody realizes this, and because it's folded to me, I automatically put the guy to my left all in because he's only got about $400. I just make it $400 because he has to fold his hand and be left with $400.

"Well, he takes a look and he wakes up with a pair of queens. So, he calls me. I have a 9-3. As luck would have it, the 9-3 breaks him, and the guy to my right with the $15 wins and the guy to his right with $100 wins."

Lesson is, it doesn't matter whether the guy with queens has $400 or $800. He just has to wait for the guy with $15 or the player with $100 to lose an all-in, and he has two rounds to let it happen.

"It's a basic super-satellite tournament issue that a lot of people are not taught because there's hardly any books you can read about playing satellites," Shulman said.

"The smartest thing this guy could've done was get up, go wash his hands, and by the time he came back, he would've had a seat."
Steve Rosenbloom

Millions of Americans from college campuses to casinos play poker every day, but outside of casinos, businesses cannot take a profit from poker in New York state. That could change if a local school counselor wins his legal battle.

Several weeks ago, police raided a poker club in East Rochester. The business had obtained a permit and was run by 29-year-old Phil Corleto who believes he did not break the law.

His attorney thinks he will win his fight in court.

Jerry Manley and his wife were playing poker at the club in East Rochester when police raided it. Manley thought the club was being robbed.

"It was 30 cops in full SWAT gear taking down people's grandparents," Manley said.

The raid shut down the club and Corleto is charged with promoting gambling.

When a Texas Hold ‘em hand ends, before the chips are given out, the club running the game will often take a cut of the pot for itself.

The poker club was not doing this; instead, they charged players $6 per hour to play. Owner Phil Corleto believes this should be viewed differently in court.

Corleto’s attorney Dave Morabito said, "From day one he did not want to violate the law. He's been very up front."

However, Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green said the law finds no difference between charging admission to play poker and taking a cut of each hand, nor does the law currently recognize poker as a game of skill instead of luck.

Said Green, "If you have a problem with the way the law is, you don't break it. You go to the legislature and you lobby them to change it. But the way the law is, it is illegal to profit from gambling or to advance gambling."

If Corleto loses his case, lobbying the legislature might be the only way poker players like Jerry Manley could win this fight.

Assemblyman David Gantt said he would block any effort to legalize poker and card rooms.

The poker club advocates are hoping to set a precedent in court.

Morabito said, "At any country club in Rochester, in police headquarters, there's gambling and poker being played on the side, and we're bringing this out into the open. Let's address what is legal and what is not."

The court showdown starts May 2.

Every so often, an event transpires in the world of sports so transcendent that it alters the very fabric that weaves our perceptions and our realities. Jackie Robinson's heroic charge across baseball's color barrier, Muhammad Ali's "Thrilla in Manilla," anything Mike Tyson has done or said since 1988, Lance Armstrong's almost otherworldly performance in the face of anonymity, doubt, cancer, and cheating allegations. This article will address one such event that may have slid under the mainstream's radar ... the phenomenon they call "all in."

Used to be, the phrase "all in" was a seldom-stated pronouncement of one's commitment to a relationship ("Baby, I'm all into you!") or an answer to a question a husband might ask his wife ("Where are the kids?"; "They are all in here."). If you're from across the pond, to be "all in" simply means that you're spent, tired and weak from a long day of work or play. Separately, the phrase is nothing more than a combination of monosyllabic noun and adverb. But when applied under the perfect conditions and in the ideal scenario, this little grammatically-flawed phrase holds more power than the layperson can fathom.

I am, of course, referring to the term popularized in the very recent past by the likes of "Jesus" Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, and any movie or television personality that can be gotten on Celebrity Poker Showdown. The television age has opened the public's eyes to a craft perfected by such pioneers as "Amarillo Slim," Puggy Pearson, and "Treetop" Straus.

A whole new breed of athlete, having honed his or her skill in the smoke-filled back rooms of warehouses, dank groggeries, and cabarets, has emerged, packing a wallet full of money, a pocket full of lucky charms, and a truckload of lies, tricks, and dreams. These are the often portly and somewhat slovenly athletes of the game called Texas Hold 'Em and they've become every bit as large a part of our sporting world as the chiseled leapers of the NBA, the swollen goliaths of the NFL, and crafty batsmen of the MLB.

What does this magic phrase really mean, you ask? Well, that's quite simple ... to go "all in" is, as it is known in popular culture these days, to wager all funds available in any given table game with the obvious intent of winning you're opponent(s) monies, generally in a tournament forum. More succinctly put, it is to put all your faith in one glorious hand and bet all your money. As alluded to earlier, the term has wormed its way into the pop culture lexicon through hours of cable television poker exposure and weekend card games with your buddies.

Never before has Johnny Average, sitting in his favorite La-Z-Boy, been able to feel so close to a professional athlete. Suddenly, his two pack-a-day smoking habit and fast-food-crafted abs don't stand in the way of a lucrative sponsorship on an ESPN network. Now I know, there is always the question of whether or not you can call poker a "sport," but if bass fishing, auto racing, and curling are sports, well, friends, so is poker.

That being said, it is unique to the sporting world in at least one regard, and that is it gives the aforementioned Mr. Average a chance to win (or, unfortunately, to lose) like the pro athletes he's longed to be like. (Just one quick aside here ... I can't help but notice the irony of the pro sports fan. We long to be on par with these incredible athletes, all the while eating ourselves out of shape and lounging around like hibernating bears ... the longer we watch in awe, the less chance we have of being like them. It's quite a bizarre human trait. Fortunately, this "poker as a sport" argument helps heal those wounds, but I digress...)

Like a right hook from Ali or a Superfly Snooka dive from the top ropes (dating myself a bit there with that vague WWF reference, but you get the point), "all in" is one of the all time power moves in sport. Unlike a 500-foot Sammy Sosa homerun or two-handed Tracy McGrady windmill dunk, though, this power move is one that can be repeated by even the novice pseudo-athlete. This latter fact is the difference-maker, the part that endears it to you and to me and to Johnny Average alike.

Never before has two simple worlds had the ability to turn the sporting community on its collective head. Admit it, you'd switch from a Colts/Patriots playoff football game, if even just for a minute, to watch a 350-lb. man wearing plastic dime-store lizard glasses push his stack of chips into the middle one time with pocket aces, regardless of what quarter it was, what the score was, or who had the ball and where. Reread that last sentence one more time for effect and truly think about its content. Now tell me this, wouldn't you call that a revolution?
I know I would.
By Matt Thomas

Evan Dawson (East Rochester, NY) 04/28/05 - Millions of Americans from college campuses to casinos play poker every day, but outside of casinos, businesses cannot take a profit from poker in New York state.

That could change if a local school counselor wins his legal battle.

Several weeks ago, police raided a poker club in East Rochester. The business had obtained a permit and was run by 29-year-old Phil Corleto who believes he did not break the law.

His attorney thinks he will win his fight in court.

Jerry Manley and his wife were playing poker at the club in East Rochester when police raided it. Manley thought the club was being robbed.

"It was 30 cops in full SWAT gear taking down people's grandparents," Manley said.

The raid shut down the club and Corleto is charged with promoting gambling.

When a Texas Hold ‘em hand ends, before the chips are given out, the club running the game will often take a cut of the pot for itself.

The poker club was not doing this; instead, they charged players $6 per hour to play. Owner Phil Corleto believes this should be viewed differently in court.

Corleto’s attorney Dave Morabito said, "From day one he did not want to violate the law. He's been very up front."

However, Monroe County District Attorney Mike Green said the law finds no difference between charging admission to play poker and taking a cut of each hand, nor does the law currently recognize poker as a game of skill instead of luck.

Said Green, "If you have a problem with the way the law is, you don't break it. You go to the legislature and you lobby them to change it. But the way the law is, it is illegal to profit from gambling or to advance gambling."

If Corleto loses his case, lobbying the legislature might be the only way poker players like Jerry Manley could win this fight.

Assemblyman David Gantt said he would block any effort to legalize poker and card rooms.

The poker club advocates are hoping to set a precedent in court.

Morabito said, "At any country club in Rochester, in police headquarters, there's gambling and poker being played on the side, and we're bringing this out into the open. Let's address what is legal and what is not."

The court showdown starts May 2.

LAS VEGAS Apr 27, 2005 — For five years, casino developer Steve Wynn has labored over his latest creation, the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas, forbidding photographs of the interior and keeping most of its design aspects secret.

The wait to see Wynn's much-hyped design was ending early Thursday as the towering, bronze glass hotel-casino with 2,700 rooms made its official debut, perhaps bringing with it a new era of architecture that could reshape the city.

"I think this redefines what a large-scale luxury resort can be," said Ron Kramer, president of Wynn Resorts Ltd., the property's parent company. "Whatever the future of Las Vegas is, it starts April 28, 2005."

Ultimately, the public will pass judgment on Wynn's curvy property, but a tour of Wynn Las Vegas reveals an intriguing design that differs in many ways from his previous hotel-casinos such as the Bellagio, The Mirage and Treasure Island. Wynn lost control of those properties when Mirage Resorts was acquired by billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian in 2000, creating MGM Mirage Inc.

Along with Wynn Las Vegas, the gambling tycoon is building Encore, an adjacent $1.4 billion hotel-casino scheduled to open in 2008. Wynn is also erecting a $700 million casino in Macau and is bidding on one in Singapore.

Shares of Wynn Resorts fell $1.66, or 3 percent, to $54.69 on Wednesday, extending a slide from above $76 a share a month ago. In an investor's note Tuesday, David Anders, a Merrill Lynch gambling analyst, downgraded Wynn's stock from neutral to sell.

While the days of dark, smoky casinos have long passed, Wynn has finally taken full advantage of the sun that illuminates this desert valley. Light pours into many of its spaces, providing a sense of openness.

Vibrant and distinct colors are everywhere from the powerful red carpets with purple and green to the chocolate-brown ceilings.

Wynn Las Vegas, located on the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, also embraces nature. He has built an atrium that connects the property's two main entrances filled with an array of mums and orchids. His restaurant, Okada, boasts an authentic Japanese garden with a pond teeming with vegetation found traditionally in Asia.

The 2005 World Series of Poker circuit schedule makes its fourth stop starting today at Harveys Resort and Casino in Stateline.

The 15-day event begins at 4 p.m. with a $200 buy-in super satellite and concludes May 11 with ESPN-televised final table coverage of the $10,000 buy-in, No-Limit Hold'em tournament.

Each day at noon will mark the beginning of either a No-Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em or a Pot-Limit Hold'em game.

Tables for the event are located outside the Hard Rock Cafe. Spectator viewing will be available.

There are five WSOP circuit events that lead up to the main World Series of Poker being held June 2-June 15 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For more information, call 1-800-367-9544 or visit www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

Station Casinos Inc.'s Green Valley Ranch Station Casino has closed a restaurant near its sports book to make way for a new poker room that will open in a few weeks.

The company this week bought out the lease for Trophy's and closed the sports-themed restaurant.

"This is the first step in responding to guest demand for what we see as an increasingly popular game," Station Casinos spokeswoman Lesley Pittman said.

The number of poker tables in the room isn't yet known, she said.

The company will open a 24-hour casual restaurant in June to replace the restaurant.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Are actors better bluffers
or will the poker professionals sweep the celebrities in the high stakes game
of No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em? The question will be answered when GSN premieres
POKER ROYALE: CELEBRITIES VS. POKER PROS, a seven-episode series debuting as
part of GSN's weekly Casino Night, Friday, May 6 at 9:00PM ET/PT. The
announcement was made today by Ian Valentine, Senior Vice President of
Programming, GSN.
Shot on location at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula,
California, the latest edition of GSN's POKER ROYALE franchise sparked witty
banter across the table between the pros and the representatives of the
fastest growing group in the poker world, celebrity players. Not
underestimating their opponents, the experienced pros put on their best game
faces in an attempt to make it to the final table for a chance for the
$50,000 championship grand prize.
"Our goal is to make our POKER ROYALE series better than other poker shows
and this new format of the celebrities challenging the pros is totally cool,"
said Valentine. "Viewers will enjoy the unpredictable action, great table
talk and top notch poker on both sides."
The team of celebrities include: Lance Bass (*NSYNC), Tracy Bingham (The
Surreal Life, Baywatch), Morris Chestnut (The Best Man, Boyz N the Hood, GI
Jane, Ladder 49,), Mimi Rogers (The Door in the Floor, Austin Powers),
Jennifer Tilly (Liar Liar, Bound), and Patrick Warburton (Less Than Perfect,
Seinfeld).
The professionals include Scott Fischman (Two World Series of Poker
bracelets), Kathy Liebert (One World Series of Poker bracelet), Cindy Violette
(One World Series of Poker bracelet), Roxci Rhodes (Ranked one of the top ten
women players by Card Player magazine), Paul Darden (Winner of the 2003 World
Poker Tour Gold Rush Tournament) and Kenna James (One World Series of Poker
bracelet).
The third installment of GSN's poker franchise will be hosted by John
Ahlers, who calls his first poker tournament. Ahlers is the play-by-play
voice of the NHL's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Joining him on POKER ROYALE is
sideline reporter Lisa Dergan who was named as the sexiest sportscaster by
STUFF magazine and also appears on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show."
Returning as color commentator is professional poker player Robert Williamson
III.
In the first six one-hour episodes of POKER ROYALE: CELEBRITIES VS. POKER
PROS three professionals and three celebrities face off. Every episode
champion wins $10,000 and ten points. The player who finishes second receives
eight points, third place receives six points, fourth place receives four
points, fifth place receives two points and last place receives zero points.
The players who make the final table will each receive $10,000 in chips to
begin.
In the two-hour finale, the top three point leaders for both the
celebrities and the pros take the top seats. Airing on June 17, the finale
winner will take the $50,000 grand prize.
POKER ROYALE: CELEBRITIES VS. POKER PROS is the third installment of GSN's
poker franchise, following on the heels of the extremely successful BATTLE OF
THE SEXES. The series airs on GSN's Friday Casino Night, the only casino
branded night on television, and includes CELEBRITY BLACKJACK and WORLD SERIES
OF BLACKJACK.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated
to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network
features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports
programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN
features over 84 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows
viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via
GSN.com. Reaching 56 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S.
through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is
jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation.
For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

Imagine this: You visit a Web site, download a program and register with the site. A few minutes later, you're sitting at a virtual poker table, happily playing Texas Hold 'Em.

You're playing with real money. You've paid for virtual betting chips via an escrow service. And, if you're lucky enough to win, your account will be credited with money.

What's wrong with this picture? It's illegal, according to the Department of Justice.

Thousands of gambling Web sites operate offshore, conveniently beyond the grasp of U.S. regulation. According to Keith Furlong, deputy director of Interactive Gaming Council, an industry trade organization in Canada, online casinos will attract about $10 billion this year. Americans make up 60 percent to 65 percent of their business, he said.

Some states have passed laws prohibiting online gambling, but no federal laws specifically address it. Instead, the federal government relies on the Wire Wager Act to prosecute online casino operators.

Under the act, business owners who accept bets via a "wire communication facility" face fines and imprisonment. The act was intended to curb the use of the phone to accept bets.

Opponents are quick to note that the act was written in 1961 -- long before the Internet. They question whether the law applies to online gambling.

However, the Justice Department is adamant that online gambling is illegal. And in 2000, it successfully prosecuted American Jay Cohen, part owner of the World Sports Exchange in Antigua.

Since 2002, the Justice Department has pressured media companies to pull ads for online gambling.

Banks also have come under pressure. Many decline credit card transactions from online casinos. Bank One, which recently merged with JP Morgan Chase, is among them.

Other payment options also are becoming scarce. PayPal stopped processing such payments in 2002.

Recently, the World Trade Organization ruled the United States can regulate online gambling to protect public morals. However, the ruling says U.S. laws must be clarified.

The ruling followed a suit by Antigua and Barbuda, claiming U.S. restrictions amounted to unfair trade practices. The Caribbean nation relies heavily on Internet gambling and points out that the United States allows gambling within its borders. And, in the case of state lotteries, the gambling is sometimes government-sponsored.

Currently, the federal government does not prosecute the sites' customers, but some states do.

The WTO hopes to reach a final resolution about the dispute between the United States and Antigua and Barbuda later this year. Meanwhile, Americans may well be breaking U.S. laws when playing poker online.

Guests paying either $7,500 or $1,500 will get the first look at the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas as part of a charity fund-raiser Wednesday evening.

The public will be allowed into the resort at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, just as the private party festivities are wrapping up.

Denise Randazzo, a spokeswoman for Wynn Resorts Ltd., said the private party was sold out and tickets were limited to 2,087, the number of seats in the The Wynn Theater, that will house performances of the Franco Dragone-directed production show "Le Reve."

The charity gala benefits three organizations: the Foundation Fighting Blindness, the Greater Las Vegas After-School All-Stars, and Communities in Schools.

Guests paying $7,500 for two people can check into a one-bedroom Wynn Las Vegas suite Wednesday, use the hotel's spa, have a private shopping spree in the property's retail area and have lunch at one of two restaurants, Tableau or Corsa Cucina.

A black-tie reception is scheduled for that evening that includes a "moveable feast" -- samplings from each of the property's restaurants -- and seating at the premiere performance of "Le Reve." A private dessert reception follows the show.

Guests paying $1,500 each can attend the "moveable feast," "Le Reve" and the private dessert reception.

When the public is allowed into the resort after midnight, gaming will be allowed, but all restaurants except the property's 24-hour restaurant will be closed. Fireworks are being planned as well as a countdown on the Wynn Las Vegas marquee.

Student poker players and spectators filled The Varsity Thursday night as the East Asian Student Association (EASA) hosted their annual spring event. With the room appropriately decorated with a string of playing cards, their theme consisted of luck, strategy, and having that straight “poker face” as the participants took part in a tough game of Texas Hold ‘Em.

The event, appropriately titled, “All or Nothing,” allowed SMU students, as well as those from other surrounding universities, to join in a night of fun and relaxation. “I think this is great that we can all come tonight to show support for another organization on campus before things get crazy with finals!” said Sharyne Ng, junior Art History major. The students mingled and socialized with each other among hot dogs and drinks.

Extra poker tables were brought in as the number of participants continued to increase. “We weren’t expecting this many players, but this is great,” said David Tiro, the incoming 2005-2006 EASA president. With the successful turn-out of students of all ethnicities and backgrounds, school involvement among minority students continues to stay strong.

Tables of nine players each competed among each other for the ultimate prizes, an Ipod Shuffle and the bragging rights to the title of Poker Champion. Those not keen to playing poker were given the choice of competing in the popular X-Box game, Halo. Two televisions set up for an intense game for four players. Students were also able to play for donated gift-certificates to nearby restaurants.

Though, the majority of players were male students, female students joined in as a cheering team for the players. “I’m here to support EASA,” said Lien Dang, sophomore Finance major. Students were able to enjoy the night of festivities even as spectators.

As the night draws to a close, both winners and losers were able to display their talents and share a couple of laughs. Though one player may walk away a winner, it is the journey that counts.

Professional gambler Annie Duke played in the World Poker Tour championship, which runs through Sunday. It kicked off Monday at the Bellagio. More than 450 players ponied up a $25,000 buy-in to compete for a first-place payout of about $3 million from a total prize pool of about $11.3 million. That compares with last year's 343 players, $8.6 million prize pool and $2.7 million top prize.

Wynn Las Vegas opens to the public in less than nine days, and the inside of the $2.7 billion megaresort already looks spectacular.

Wynn Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn offered the Las Vegas Sun a Monday tour of the property slated to open at the stroke of midnight on April 28, and the Strip's newest hotel and casino is almost ready for its debut.

Construction crews were finishing work on the property while Wynn showed off his newest creation, and hundreds of the 9,500 employees were familiarizing themselves with their new workplace.

Wynn said the employees are the property's most critical ingredient, and he thinks he's acquired the best workforce in the business, even better than the casts he assembled for his 1998 opening of Bellagio and 1989 premiere of the Mirage when he was at the helm of Mirage Resorts.

"The building is dandy," Wynn said of his chocolate-colored hotel tower and its many features. "It's a good job -- it's done. The building can't do anything more. It stands as is. But it won't be about the building. It will be about the people. It always is.

"Someone likes our flowers, or they don't. Someone likes our look, or they don't. It's exactly the position we've been in at the Mirage and Bellagio. It's up to our staff to bring the building to life for our guests. They'll experience the building through the rhythm the staff brings.

"Give me a second-rate building and a first-rate staff anytime, instead of a first-rate building and a second-rate staff. But if you have a first-rate building and a first-rate staff, you'll light it up."

The news media won't be allowed to take photographs of the property until the May 4 release of Vanity Fair magazine, which Wynn offered an exclusive first look. Wynn spokeswoman Denise Randazzo said Wynn decided not to do an elaborate preopening public relations blitz like he did when he opened Treasure Island in 1993.

Despite admitting some preopening anxiety, it's clear Wynn believes he's created a masterpiece.

As he showed off the look of the property's casino, restaurants, showroom areas, retail areas and entrances, Wynn beamed, but declined to say what he thought of his new baby.

"I'm too close to this," he demurred, but quickly noted that the Wall Street analysts, casino executives and Wynn friends who've seen the property as it's taken shape have been blown away by the hotel and its look.

"DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg was here four weeks ago, then again Sunday night," Wynn said. He said it outstripped Katzenberg's expectations, as did the other people who've seen it.

The look of the inside of the casino is almost exactly the same as the look of a mock-up casino Wynn erected behind the old Desert Inn in 2002.

Similar to Bellagio, tapestries and soft, cream-colored accents make the big casino seem more intimate. Unlike Bellagio, the Wynn Las Vegas color scheme incorporates a number of colorful accents, including festive tile mosaics on the floors.

Wynn said he wanted to make each separate space inside his hotel provide his guests with a unique environment, one that would engage them.

"We wanted a clean, sophisticated look, and to create a series of theaters, visually experiential theaters that stimulate the guest," he said.

Probably the property's most dramatic design feature is the mini-mountain that sits on the Strip side of the property, between Las Vegas Boulevard and the west side of the casino, restaurants and shops.

A dramatic foyer bracketed by curving escalators overlooks one part of the mountain, with brightly covered whimsical glass umbrellas suspended overhead.

The property's main hotel registration area overlooks a different part of the mountain, as does Okada, the property's Japanese restaurant.

Wynn stood in one of the sliding-glass doorways that separate Okada, named for Wynn Resorts Vice Chairman Kazuo Okada, from a serene pond that wraps around that wedge of the mountain. "It would cost more than $100 million to replicate this kind of a setting," he said.

The part of the restaurant with tableside cooking overlooks another mountain theater, a lagoon that will provide a dramatic backdrop for one of the resort's nightclubs.

The casino's entrances are separated from the fast pace and bright lights of the Strip by a lot of trees, flowers and plants -- transition areas Wynn said are key to the first impression made on guests.

The developer said he wishes he had more time to smooth the property's few remaining wrinkles, but believes Wynn Las Vegas will be nearly perfect for next week's opening.

"Having a hard opening date of April 28th was probably a mistake," Wynn said. "But we're going to make it. Everything will be ready.

"But I'd love to have another month to play with every part of it, adjusting the lighting and making sure everything's perfect."

Wynn plans to meet with each of the property's employees in three giant Sunday meetings.

"I can't wait to talk to 'em," Wynn enthused. "There's no newcomers here, but I'll be telling them that what we've got to do is go back to fundamentals. It's all about the guest."

He said 105,000 people applied for positions at the hotel. He estimated that 3,500 of the property's workers were recruited by Wynn Resorts, meaning that the 105,000 applicants were whittled down to the best 6,000 candidates.

"They're all jazzed," Wynn said, a comment that was reinforced by the beaming faces and appreciative comments offered from workers as Wynn showed off the property.

Wynn said he and builder Tony Marnell have learned a lot during the Wynn Las Vegas project that will make building Wynn Resorts' planned Encore resort much easier.

Slated to be built just north of Wynn Las Vegas, with groundbreaking scheduled for the end of summer, Encore will be better planned than its neighbor, Wynn said.

Marnell said the project was much more difficult to build than was Bellagio, and that his workers accomplished the mission in 30 months, six less than it took him to build the older project, the Strip's biggest money maker.

At Bellagio, Marnell's company staged the project from what eventually became the property's lake. At Wynn Las Vegas, he had no such luxury, and far less maneuverability.

"Steve Wynn put a mountain in my way," Marnell said.

"The building is vastly more complicated than anything we've done before, in its ambition for the guest experience," Wynn added.

Former Sheriff Jerry Keller, Wynn Las Vegas' security chief, said his staff will be busy for the next two weeks.

"There's not much time, and we've got a lot to do," Keller said.

Wynn said the reactions of people who've toured the hotel are one of two strong indicators of the kind of business Wynn Las Vegas will do.

The property's convention bookings are the other measure, and he said that bookings and room rates have both exceeded expectations. Convention-related room rates were projected at $236 per night but have been booked at a $245 nightly clip.

"And we could have charged more, but we wanted to focus on the quality of the groups," Wynn said.

He said his lineup of chefs and ability to cater exceptionally high-end events will separate Wynn Las Vegas from other Strip hotels.

"The convention bookers are the first group of people we attempted to show the property to," he said. "We have a five-star catering chef. As a matter of fact, all of our chefs are five-star or James Beard award-winning chefs. They're from Paris, from the Midwest, from New York. They came from everywhere."

He disputed a newspaper columnist's recent report that Wynn didn't like celebrity chefs.

"I don't like celebrity chefs?" he asked. "I got nothing but celebrity chefs."

Wynn bristled at the same columnist's contention that others who've viewed the property said its hotel rooms have giant plasma televisions that aren't visible from the rooms' beds.

"The televisions are right in the middle, aimed straight at the bed," he offered.

The recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling in favour of Antigua will act as a significant deterrent to anti-egaming legislation in the US, according to the CEO of SportingBet.
“The WTO ruling is more than a moral victory, as it will significantly deter any prohibititive legislation being given any significant airtime in the near future,” Nigel Payne, chief executive of Sportingbet, said.

“This is the first time in the history of my time at Sportingbet that I can remember sitting here in April without a bill to defeat in the US.”

Both sides have claimed victory in the case, but the ruling is more heavily weighted in favour of Antigua.

Antigua’s complaint that the US actions to restrict access to Antigua-based online gaming firms was in contravention of international trade agreements was upheld.

But it claimed the WTO would allow it to use a public interest defence if it made small changes to existing legislation, including repealing the interstate horseracing act.

The act permits horseracing wagers to be placed over the internet, but Payne said he felt the act was in no real danger.

“It’s extremely unlikely they will overturn the horseracing act.”

“The US will say it will cancel all these acts, and then it will become apparent it cannot do that and we will be back to square one in a year’s time,” he added.

He said he did not expect to see the US take any remedial action as a result of the ruling for at least 18 months.

Other industry voices have also maintained the WTO ruling makes it difficult for the US to continue to legislate against online gaming.

“This ruling helps to make the case for regulated interactive gambling in the US by putting pressure on policymakers to reconsider their inconsistent, ill-advised approaches,” Keith Furlong, deputy director of the Interactive Gaming Council, said.

Darrell Goodwin said, yes, absolutely, he was nervous when he lost half his chips in one poker hand as the clock was running out Sunday night at the Kansas Coliseum Pavilion.

But Goodwin, a Cessna worker, bounced back with a straight to win the Park City Poker Round-up, billed as the largest Texas Hold 'Em tournament in the world.

"I qualified on my first day so I could come back and play just for practice. I got better and better," Goodwin said after besting nearly 15,000 other players from as far away as South Africa, Israel, Hawaii and a whole busload from Dallas.

"I told my friends that if I could get to the final table, I would have the advantage. All I had to do was be patient."

After eight hours and five minutes of play, the dealer turned over a queen, which gave Goodwin the straight he needed.

Coming in second -- so near yet so far -- was Greg Buell of Wichita.

"It felt pretty darned good to get this far. It was a hoot," said Buell, who earlier said he was representing all the players over 50 to show that seniors had the right stuff.

"I had three chances to win at the end, but I was only one card away," he said.

Goodwin won an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas and the $10,000 buy-in to participate in the World Series of Poker on July 15, where the top prize will be $5 million.

Park City's four-weekend poker tourney was sponsored by the Wichita-based Amateur Poker League, run by Shawn Riley and Kurt McPhail.

The $10,000 buy-in prize, however, was provided by Chisholm Creek Ventures LLC, a group headed by former Wichita Mayor Bob Knight that is seeking to build a destination casino in Park City.

Tournament players were asked to donate $25 each day they played because Kansas law forbids charging a fee. But fewer than half the players actually gave any money.

"I was disappointed at the number of people who played for free because this was an expensive event for us to put on," said Park City Mayor Dee Stuart, who took office only five days ago.

Park City Pride, a nonprofit civic group, had hoped to raise funds from the tournament for a skate board park. Estimates now are that the park will receive between $25,000 and $40,000.

"That won't be enough to complete the park, but something is better than nothing. I am absolutely glad we did it," Stuart said.

Knight said he, too, was disappointed that so many players stiffed the event because it was a fundraiser.

But for himself and his group, he said, money was not the object.

"I didn't go into this to make a lot of money. I wanted to show skeptics that people would come to Park City for recreational purposes. We have proved that," Knight said.

Each of the seven days of preliminary competitions since February attracted between 2,000 and 2,300 people. Sunday's finals began with 960 people who had qualified.

Play began at noon. By 6 p.m., only 41 players remained. By 7 p.m., it was down to 11.

The last woman player exited as No. 18. The last Texan left in sixth place. The last out-of-stater -- from Fort Collins, Colo., --departed at No. 4, leaving three Wichitans.

At 7:40 p.m., the final two -- Goodwin and Buell -- squared off for 25 more minutes of nerve-wracking, back-and-forth, up-and-down fortunes that brought about 50 spectators to their feet for every move.

Monitors tried to keep spectators behind ropes to give players breathing room. But in the final intense moments, they gave up and let everyone crowd around the table.

The poker league's McPhail characterized the players as "die-hard amateurs."

"This is a great social activity," McPhail said." Where else can a 21-year-old and an 87-year-old sit down together and have something in common?"

A poker dealer looked around the table and counted up the players who called the hand's original bet.

"We've got five players," she said.

One of the players nervously waiting for the river card to be turned over was Sarah Norman. The 27-year-old fell in love with poker just more than a year ago.

"It's just a feeling. Heart pumps, races. Just that little feeling," she said.

Norman struggled during late morning tournament action. Her hands often covered her face as she folded hand after hand.

"I'm down a little. Not too much," she said after counting a stack of chips that once totalled 5,000.

She knew a few more losses and her seat in the Southern Classic Poker Tournament would be gone.

"You've gotta catch the cards. And I'm not getting them," she said.

Norman learned how to play poker on the internet. A year later, this Southaven cocktail waitress felt comfortable enough to enter a tournament dominated by men. And she fit right in.

Norman wore sunglasses, just like some of her male counterparts. And just like the guys, she had an earpiece connected to an MP3 player.

"I'm a big talker, so if I have that in, I don't talk a lot," she laughed. "Some people say I give my hands away when I talk so much."

Grand's Southern Classic tournament was south Mississippi's version of a high stakes poker shootout. It featured a variety of poker regulars from all over the southeast.

"Poker has been popular around the country," said poker room manager Ted Vaughn. "And we just want to be a part of it."

That's why Grand Casinos hosted this week's Southern Classic in both Gulfport and Biloxi.

It's why Sarah Norman put up $540 to test her poker skills against the men.

"I didn't realize it had become so popular with women," said Norman. "But it has."

Thousands of dollars are up for grabs in the Grand Casino poker tournament. The finals will be held on Sunday.

NEW YORK — An infinite number of newly discovered monkeys trying to name themselves could have pounded on their keyboards a long time before coming up with this one: GoldenPalace.com.

The Internet casino paid $650,000 for the right to name the foot-high primate, online auction house CharityFolks.com announced Wednesday. GoldenPalace.com won a March 3 online auction that raised money to help manage Madidi National Park in Bolivia, where the species of titi monkey was discovered by a Wildlife Conservation Society scientist last year.

A statement from GoldenPalace.com CEO Richard Rowe suggested the company was looking for a publicity-generating investment more enduring than an item it paid $28,000 for in another online auction last year: a 10-year-old, partly eaten cheese sandwich thought to contain the image of the Virgin Mary.

"This species will bear our name for as long as it exists," Rowe said. "Hundreds, even thousands of years from now, the GoldenPalace.com Monkey will live to carry our name through the ages."

The GoldenPalace.com monkey, one of about 30 species of titi monkeys found in South America, has a golden crown and a white-tipped tail. Its formal name will be Callicebus aureipalatii -- Latin for "golden palace."

Scientific staff at the Wildlife Conservation Society believe the new name will comply with the rules of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, according to Alison Power, a spokeswoman for the society.

She said the name would be included in a publication about the species in a scientific journal within the next few months.

The monkey name and the cheese sandwich aren't the only oddities in Golden Palace's stable.

In December, the company bought a metal walking cane that once belonged to a 6-year-old boy's grandfather for $65,000. The boy's mother auctioned off the cane to ease her son's fears that his grandfather's ghost was haunting their home.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Admit it. You've succumbed to the poker craze. You want to be the next Chris Moneymaker or Annie Duke. You fantasize about bluffing your way to a big pot against Hollywood poker aficionados like Ben Affleck.

Poker is hot, particularly the game known as Texas Hold'em, thanks to TV shows like ESPN's "World Series of Poker" and Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown".

But perhaps the most successful poker series of them all is the "World Poker Tour," airing on the Travel Channel. The show, which features top poker players in tournaments around the globe, started airing in 2003 and its third season began last month. A fourth season is in the works.

And since poker has become such a cultural juggernaut, it should be no surprise that the game is also "the nuts" (that's lingo for the best hand for you poker newbies) on Wall Street.

WPT Enterprises (Research), the company that runs the World Poker Tour, went public last August, as a spin-off of casino operator Lakes Entertainment (Research), and shares have more than doubled since the IPO. So should investors wager on WPT or check the bet?
Online gaming the ace up WPT's sleeve?

The company is tiny, but rapidly growing. WPT reported fourth quarter revenues of $5.7 million in March, up from sales of just $317,000 in the same period a year ago. It posted a loss of 2 cents per share in the quarter, however.

For now, WPT generates the vast majority of its sales from television and product licensing fees. But one analyst that follows the stock said investors are excited about the possibility of WPT hitting it big from online gaming.

"This is a major new revenue stream that has helped support the stock at current levels," said Dennis Nielsen, an analyst with Feltl & Company, a Minneapolis-based investment bank.

WPT launched a beta version of a poker Web site -- WPTOnline.com -- earlier this year. Later this year, international card sharks will be able to go there to play poker for money.

Betting online is illegal in the United States, however, and WPT spokesman Gus Okwu said that software will prevent bets from markets where online gambling is prohibited. He added that the company would mainly promote the site on international broadcasts of the World Poker Tour.

Nielsen said he is conservatively estimating that WPT will generate about $2 million in sales from the online poker room this year. Overall, he thinks WPT will post about $25 million in total revenues and earnings of 13 cents per share.

Only one other Wall Street analyst follows the stock and the "consensus" estimate for WPT is a profit of 18 cents a share in 2005 and sales of $26.8 million. Based on that, the stock is trading at a price/earnings ratio of nearly 90 and a price/sales ratio of 11...multiples that should give even the most skilled poker player reason to pause.

That's because even if poker doesn't turn out to be a fad that eventually burns out, there are still many risks in the stock that are worth noting.
Mucking this hand makes sense

For one, short sellers, investors who think that a stock is going to fall in the near-term, have pegged shares of WPT as an easy mark.

According to figures from the Nasdaq, more than 40 percent of WPT's available shares outstanding, or float, were owned by short sellers as of early March, an extremely high amount. At the very least, this could contribute to volatility in the stock.

Nielsen also noted that some insiders, including CEO Steve Lipscomb, have sold sizable amount of shares lately.

Finally, it's uncertain whether online poker will ever be a huge generator of profits for WPT. There is plenty of competition and the size of the market is limited by the U.S. restriction.

"The valuation for this stock and optimism is based on expectations for success in online gaming. But attempting to quantify that is difficult so there is certainly some risk because of that," said Nielsen.

The other analyst that formally follows WPT, Nicholas Danna with Sterne Agee & Leach in Birmingham, Alabama, estimates however that the online poker market outside of the U.S. could be worth about $600 million this year and that it could double next year. So even if WPT gets a small piece of this, it should increase earnings substantially, he said.

Still, until WPT can show that online poker can be a royal flush of earnings, WPT is essentially an overpriced media company, said Todd Campbell, president of E.B. Capital Markets, an independent research firm catering to institutional clients. He thinks that instead of investing in WPT, the better way to play the poker trend is to invest in casino companies.

"Without a doubt, poker is driving U.S. tourists to Las Vegas, Atlantic City and river boats," Campbell said. "A safer bet, pun intended, is to invest in actual casinos."

So it looks like a decision to buy WPT now would be equivalent to calling before the flop with a 2-7 offsuit. In other words, a pretty foolish thing to do since that's the worst possible hand in poker.

For a look at casino stocks, click here.

For a look at how to profit on gambling and other baby boomer trends, click here.

Analysts quoted in this story do not own shares of WPT Enterprises. Feltl & Co. was one of the underwriters of WPT's IPO but other firms do not have banking ties to WPT.

Quietly and with virtually no fanfare, Wynn Resorts launched a new Web site recently for the upcoming $2.6 billion Wynn Las Vegas Resort offering a tantalizing sneak peek.

Due to open April 28, the details of the hotel have been shrouded in secrecy until now. Here's a rundown of some of the details of the resort.

The bulk of the hotel's 2,700 rooms are situated in the gracefully curving bronze tower, which will apparently be separated into two sections. The standard rooms will be accessible from the main hotel lobby, while the VIP tower section is accessed through a private, gated entry with a separate check-in.

If the pictures are a fair representation, the decor is surprisingly modern, with bold and dramatic colors and plush-looking furnishings that lean more toward the contemporary side of things but still have a traditional element.

There are six types of rooms.

The resort suite is the most common. At 640 square feet, it is larger than most standard hotel rooms in the city, with the exception those at the Venetian and THEhotel. It has a fairly standard layout -- bathroom as soon as you walk in, the rest of the room past that -- except that in the rooms with one bed it is situated on the wall between the living area and the bathroom facing the windows, as opposed to along the wall between rooms.

It features a marble entry; a sitting area with a couch, two chairs, a small dining table, and a desk; a comfy-looking bed or two with 320-thread-count linens; a flat-screen LCD television; a cordless phone, fax machine, and high-speed Internet access; and a marble bath with soaking tub and separate shower, dual vanity, water closet, and another LCD TV.

Panoramic View Suites are the same as the Resort Suites, only with better views, presumably through the floor to ceiling, wall-to-wall windows.

The rooms known as the Tower Suites are also laid out identically to the Resort and Panoramic View Suites but are located in the more exclusive part of the tower and will, presumably, have a few more perks included, although the Web site didn't really indicate what those might be.

From there you move into the bigger suites, including the Executive Suites at 933-square-feet, a single over-sized room with a sitting area and his-and-hers baths; the Parlor Suite, at 1,280 square feet with a big living room and separate bedroom, wet bar, and a 42-inch plasma television; and the huge, 1,950-square-foot Salon Suites a giant living rooms, separate bedrooms, full size bars (no wussy wet bars tucked in a corner), a massage room, and a 50-inch plasma screen television.

There are also the Fairway Villas, house-size units facing the golf course that are so super-exclusive they aren't even detailed on the Web site. This is where the celebrities and the really high-rollers will be staying.

The standard Resort Suites will start at around $200 and go up from there, with $400 a night on busy weekends not uncommon. I don't even want to think about how much the bigger suites will be going for.

The casino will feature all the standard table games, including blackjack, craps, roulette, Let It Ride, Three-Card Poker, Caribbean Stud poker, Pai Gow poker and more.

More than 1,900 slot and video-poker machines will feature the latest ticket-in, ticket-out technology, with denominations ranging from one cent to $5,000 a pull. There's also a poker room, keno and a state-of-the-art sports book.

They Wynn Resorts players' club will be called the Red Card, presumably for the color of the card you will be given to use around the casino. Word on the streets is the players' club will be the stingiest in town, offering rewards and comps only to the people who spend so much money that they really don't need to worry about rewards and comps.

However, if you use the card in the casino at a slot machine you will be eligible for the unique Bonus Bingo game. These free bonus games will happen at random intervals and up to $10,000 will be awarded at no cost to you (other than the money you're pumping into the slot machine in front of you).

There will be two shows eventually, but only one at the opening. It's called "Le Reve: A Small Collection of Imperfect Dreams." It is described on the Web site as an "aquatic spectacular" from Franco Dragone (Mystere, O, Celine Dion's A New Day) performed in the domed theater-in-the-round with no seat further than 40 feet from the action. It will be presented 7:30 and 10:30 Thursday through Monday with tickets going for $121 apiece.

If you're hungry while you're there you'll have nearly two dozen options for your dining enjoyment. Among the notables are French Riviera cuisine at Alex from chef Alessandro Stratta, formerly of the celebrated Renoir at the Mirage; SW Steakhouse from chef Eric Klein, winner of Best New Chef awards from Food and Wine Magazine and Angeleno Magazine; Daniel Boulud Brasserie, a French bistro from the James Beard Award-winning namesake chef; Bartolotta, Italian cuisine from Paul Bartolotta, winner of the Best American Chef -- Midwest from the James Beard Foundation; Okada, a Japanese restaurant from Takashi Yagahashi, another James Beard Foundation award winner; Red 8, featuring Southeast Asian cuisine from Hisham Johari; Tableua, offering American cuisine from chef Mark LoRusso; and Corsa Cucina from chef Stephen Kalt will be an upscale cafe style restaurant.

Those are just the big ones -- there are many others, including a giant buffet.

If you have a credit-card burning a hole in your pocket, it better have a really high spending limit if you want to do some shopping at Wynn Las Vegas. The list of stores reads like a Rodeo Drive map: Manolo Blahnik, Dior, Cartier, Gaultier, Oscar de la Renta, Jo Malone, Graff, Judith Leiber, Brioni and Chanel and just a few examples. Of course, what would a luxury resort be without its own Ferrari and Maserati dealership?

The golf course is all new from Tom Fazio and Steve Wynn, who previously paired together on Shadow Creek, the $500-a-tee course considered by many to be one of the best in the entire world. The new course replaces the legendary old Desert Inn course and features an 18 hole, par 70 course totaling 7,042 yards, a clubhouse lounge and restaurant, a pro shop, a chipping green, a putting green and a 10-acre driving range.

According the site, designers went all out on the landscaping, moving more than 800,000 cubic yards of earth to sculpt the course, adding hills, valleys, streams, waterfalls and marshlands. They even saved more than 1,200 trees from the old Desert Inn course, including a few dating back to the original construction more than 50 years ago.

A full spa and salon, a couple of full-service wedding chapels, and lots of meeting and convention space round out the offerings.

Wynn Las Vegas is scheduled to open on April 28.

1. First, you''ve got to identify opponents who habitually use deception, since these are the ones that bother you and interfere with your prospects of making profit from weaker foes. It''s easy to identify them.

They slow play hands that at surprising times. At other times, they bet and keep betting. They raise often and sometimes unexpectedly. They bluff often, along with all those other annoying and aggressive maneuvers. In short, it''s hard for you to determine what they''re doing at any moment.

But, even though they''re hard to figure out, they''re not really playing a profitable game of poker. They suffer from what we call “Fancy Play Syndrome” – the habit of trying to find the most creative play instead of the most profitable, more obvious one. (We''ll probably delve into that more in a future column).

All you know about Jack and Jill is they''re tricky and, on balance, way too aggressive for your taste. Identifying these deceptive players is easy. What to do about them is what might not be obvious, but all I''m asking you to do first is identify them by their traits.

2. Now that you''ve identified these aggressive-and-deceptive opponents, here''s the simple part of the secret. Whenever you''re faced with this type of opponent, you should bet into them less often and call their bets more often. You should also raise them less often.

The governing logic is that you can make marginal “value bets” against opponents who are timid and who are intimidated by you. Remember, all this super-aggressive betting and raising, when used at the right times, means you''re targeting a few extra dollars of profit. You''re pushing things to the limit. But all this backfires when your opponents are aggressive and unpredictable. Those are the opponents that you don''t what to value bet into and that you don''t want to make marginal raises against.

Sure, sometimes you might make a forceful raise just to encourage an opponent to back off and “play nice.” But this doesn''t work often with players like Jack and Jill. It''s especially unlikely to work if they have superior position, meaning they are seated close to your left, acting after you most of the time.

And if they''re seated to your left, you should do a lot of checking and calling. That will drive them nuts and completely dismantle their aggressive-and-deceptive tactics.

Checking and calling is especially good if they bluff a lot. Repeat: On each betting round, just check and call. That way, you''ll get maximum value from their bluff attempts. Betting with marginal hands isn''t good (even though this would be long-range profitable against timid opponents), because they''ll maximize their profit by raising too often when they do have you beat. Additionally, by betting, you give them less opportunity to lose money by making their mistake of bluffing too often.

3. Another part of the secret is that trying to get even with Jack and Jill is interfering with your strategy against the weaker players, which is where your profit lies. Even if you could fight back to an even footing against J and J by using their own tactics, you will have diminished your profit by neglecting to concentrate on extracting money from the weak, timid opponents. So, let them have the stage. Let them try to destroy you with their too-forceful tactics. Realize that it''s impossible for them to succeed unless you let them.

Even professionals have their bad days.

Playing in the last game series of this year's New England Poker Classic at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Greg "Fossilman" Raymer and Matt Matros were among 150 others eliminated on day one of $5,000 No Limit Hold 'em, a game that will draw a potential first-place prize of $1.9 million by the time it ends Monday.

"I'm disappointed of course, but you've got to get used to that," Raymer said from his home in Stonington. "If you play poker tournaments often, you have to get used to getting out early. If you play lots of tournaments, a common occurrence is to bust out early."

Such is the reality of professional poker players, many of whom spend the majority of their year following tournaments in gambling hotspots with lucrative prize pools. Sometimes they hit the $5 million jackpot, as Raymer did last year by finishing first in the World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas, or they take home $700,000 as Matros did by finishing third in the 2004 World Poker Tour in the same city.

Getting to the top tier of poker players works much the same as any sport: Serious players read books, do their research, play often and hope they win a place at the major tables by qualifying in lesser games leading up to the main event.

"(Professional players) are regular people who just hapen to be highly skilled poker players," Raymer said. "Many have worked very hard studying. i spend a lot of time reading books and participaing in poker discussion groups."

Raymer's big poker win has turned the former corporate patent attorney at Pfizer Inc. into a celebrity poker figure. Saturday, he drove to ESPN studios in Bristol for an interview on poker playing, is a signed pitchman for pokerstars.com, and has been tapped to write a book on the game.

His celebrity, characterized by his signature sunglasses he occasional wears and a fossil paperweight that pins his cards to the table, has also landed him a bobblehead doll in his likeness; he'll appear on instructional DVD videos, a soon-to-be realased Playstation and cell phone video games. Plus, he is in the process of writing a book.

The exposure has brought him attention. Raymer said he gets noticed at grocery stores, airport terminals and especially casino floors.

"Certainly the celebrity thing applies to me nowadays," Raymer said. "I wouldn't care if I was giving it up as long as I had an equally enjoyable way of bringing in the money."

Raymer's strategy of keeping his poker bankroll in the black is by playing in more games with less skilled poker players, as he says you have less chance of a profit by playing against people who are highly skilled. And he never convinces himself that he will win a certain tournament or take home all the chips.

"It makes a lot more sense to say 'I will play as good as humanly possible at poker,'" Raymer said. "To say 'I'm going to get up my chip count, or I'm going to win certain tournaments,' is foolish because it's not an athletic sport -- you can't will yourself to win. In poker it doesn't work that way, because you are playing against someone else and the cards."

At 27, Matt Matros is among the growing number of younger players who have embraced the poker pastime. The Brooklyn, N.Y., resident started playing poker seriously while a senior at Yale University, where graduated with a mathematics degree. He started making the one-hour drive to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, then began his tournament play.

"Big reason seeing so many of them is Internet poker, which has enabled young people to play poker in their homes, and another reason is television," Matros said. "Young players on the whole ... there are probably a lot who are wasting their time, and some who are vey good and making a lot of money."

Matros has written a book, "The Making of a Poker Player," from his poker-playing successes and said he plans to play about the next 10 years, while the poker craze lasts. He is planning to enter the World Poker Tour, which is a $25,000 buy-in game, at the end of this month.

"Right now it's at its height," Matros said. "If you are going to be playing poker, do it now."

Antigua has hit out at suggestions by the US that the WTO ruled in its favour yesterday, with its lead counsel calling the US claims “wishful thinking”.
Members of the US Trade Representatives said the WTO effectively ruled in favour of its restrictions on internet gambling and it merely needed to tweak its legislation to comply with WTO rules.

But Mark Mendel, lead legal counsel for Antigua, said there were no grounds for the claim.

“The ruling notes that, in effect, the US laws discriminate against foreign commerce,” Mendel said.

“Unless the US wishes to repeal all of its laws that currently permit any form of domestic remote gambling and adopt laws to affirmatively prohibit it in all forms country-wide, then they will have to provide Antiguan online gaming companies fair access to the US market.”

The final WTO ruling can not be contested, but the US is expected to pursue other routes of preventing remedial action.

However, Antigua said they will use the WTO ruling to open up negotiations both with the US and with media and banking organisations.

Mendel said he is prepared to take banks and media firms to court if necessary to pursue the claim.

“We expect that major internet search engines, including Google and Yahoo!, financial institutions and credit card service providers will be required to accept advertising from Antiguan internet gaming sites,” Mendel said.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Police and prosecutors in Utah's most populous county on Thursday said they've banded together to crack down more evenly on poker tournaments in private clubs -- which are becoming an increasingly popular marketing tool to get people to come out on weeknights.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard, District Attorney David Yocom, police and attorneys from municipalities throughout the county appeared for the announcement, which came one day after the Statewide Association of Prosecutors of Utah passed a resolution to "diligently" prosecute these cases.

Kennard said he hoped the announcement "might prevent some future citizens from suffering financially or emotionally" through gambling.

Utah is one of only a handful of states where gambling is illegal -- including a state lottery. But as poker tournaments set up to bring crowds into bars -- many featuring Texas hold 'em, a game depicted on television and movies -- have raised eyebrows in law enforcement, bar owners have become increasingly more crafty about finding loopholes to make sure they're not sponsoring "gambling" by holding card tournaments.

In order for something to legally constitute gambling, three conditions must exist: Players must be risking something, the game must include at least some element of chance and players must stand to gain something of value in winning.

Some bar owners, like Michael Kampros of Club 90 in Sandy, have stopped charging players any kind of an entry fee. Kampros estimates that at least 80 people come to his bar every Sunday through Thursday for poker night, and that as many as 30 percent of them don't buy anything.

In order to play, a patron must only have a membership to his bar. Even without an entry fee, Kampros is able to give out more than a thousand dollars each week in prize money and still make it worth his while to draw people in with the game -- though he declined to be more specific.

Kampros said the announcement won't prompt him to change anything about his business, because he isn't doing anything illegal. Still, he commiserated that the state is needlessly tough on bar owners.

"They'll allow it in bingo parlors, but not in private clubs," he said. "This is their state, this is their ballpark, and they make all the ground rules," he said of the liquor commission.

Kennard said it was important to stem the tide of illicit poker games before it becomes a bigger problem, but also conceded that authorities still weren't going to be able to devote extensive resources to it.

Part of the problem, the officials said, was that increased media attention on poker has prompted more public complaints that officers have to investigate.

Salt Lake Police Chief Rick Dinse said police generally don't investigate something unless it's either "conspicuous, commercial or complained about."

Another purpose of the gathering, authorities said, was to inform the general public that they might be unknowingly breaking the law simply by participating in one of these poker games.

In February, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates bars and private clubs, sent a letter to licensees warning that sanctioning gambling is a "grave violation" carrying a possible penalty of a suspended or revoked liquor license and a fine from $1,000 to $25,000.

GENEVA (AFP) - The World Trade Organization largely reversed an earlier ruling and accepted that US state prohibitions on cross-border Internet gambling were valid under global trade rules.

A WTO appeals body accepted Washington's argument that the laws were necessary to "protect public morals or maintain public order", in a final ruling released here.

The appeal followed the WTO's disputes settlement body decision in February favouring a complaint brought by the tiny Carribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda.

However, the ruling added that the United States had not been able to show that US laws on horse racing bets were applied equitably to foreign and domestic online betting suppliers, a key condition of global trade rules.

The appeals decision effectively allowed state laws in Louisiana, Massachusetts, South Dakota and Utah prohibiting cross-border Internet gambling, reversing the previous negative ruling.

But it maintained that some restrictions imposed under US federal laws were inconsistent with the trade body's GATS services agreement.

Antigua had argued in the complaint it launched in March 2003 that US prohibitions were harming its online gaming business, which is aimed at reducing the island's economic dependence on tourism.

The Caribbean island, with a population of about 68,000, is one of the centres for offshore Internet gaming operations, attracting large numbers of US residents to its casino-style games and betting services.

US Deputy Trade Representative Peter Allgeier welcomed the decision.

"US restrictions on Internet gambling can be maintained. This report says essentially that if we clarify US Internet gambling restrictions in certain ways we'll be fine," he told AFP.

Similar restrictions on cross-border gambling are enforced by other countries.

MASHANTUCKET (AP) -- It's just another day at Foxwoods Resort Casino and the wait for a seat at a poker table is well over an hour. All 81 tables, all 810 seats at New England's only poker room, are filled.

"Look around. This place is packed," says Mark Whittaker, a home theater installer from Ashland, Mass., who drove an hour and a half to play Texas Hold 'Em but is playing Omaha instead because of the wait. "And it's what, noon on a Wednesday?"

Not too long ago, many gaming executives considered rooms like this to be wasted space. The games are too long and the casino's cut is too small to make poker anything but a dud for the bottom line.

But poker's resurgence, driven by televised championships, celebrity tournaments and online games, has changed the equation. While it remains a game of incredibly small profits, destination hotels have stopped comparing poker to slot machines and are seeing it as a must-have amenity like boxing, concerts and shows.

At Foxwoods, executives plan to add more tables and have made poker part of a marketing strategy to quintuple convention and group sales in the coming years. Last month, executives added a poker brochure to their convention packets.

"It's the hot thing right now, and they'll ask for it: 'Can we set up a poker tournament?"' said Joan Esneault, executive director of resort sales. "Maybe they have a reception on one side of the room and a gaming lesson or an actual tournament on the other side."

Even casinos that folded their poker operations are getting back into the game. In Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget, Harrah's, and the Imperial Palace have reopened poker rooms and the MGM Grand has plans to do so this spring.

With cable stations seemingly running games around the clock and poker stars becoming sports celebrities, jumping into the game might seem an easy business decision. After all, Nevada poker revenue is up 38 percent and the average table earns 67 percent more than a decade ago.

But despite its popularity, the balance sheets show that poker remains a gamble. It steadily accounts for less than 1 percent of Nevada gaming revenue. With just five slot machines, a casino can match a poker table's earnings without paying a dealer or a support staff. Indian casinos typically are not required to report table game revenues, but experts say the numbers are comparable.

Casinos are again offering poker for the same reason they build giant pyramids and exploding volcanos, hire go-go dancers and hand out complimentary meal tickets. "It's not a profitable game," said Sylke Finnegan, spokeswoman for the Golden Nugget, which last year dealt its first poker hands in nearly two decades.

"But they want the whole Las Vegas experience. They want to see a show and eat at some of the best restaurants in the world. Why not go to Las Vegas and play poker?"

Casino consultants have noticed the philosophical shift.

"It just never paid to invest in poker because the return was limited," said Paul Girvan, director of the Innovation Group, a Louisiana consulting firm. "Now what's been discovered is, with its popularity, poker has the ability to draw people into the casino that might not otherwise be there."

If a basement poker player visits a casino, spends three hours at a table while his wife plays the slots, has dinner and leaves, poker has done its job. If he tries other games or gets a hotel room, even better. Not everyone buys into that strategy. Mohegan Sun, just a few miles from Foxwoods, closed its poker room 18 months ago and filled it with slots.

Today, with fewer machines, its slot revenue regularly exceeds Foxwoods and its chief executive says he has no regrets. But poker rooms are opening faster than they're closing. Twenty-five Nevada casinos have joined the game in just over two years.

At the Imperial Palace, executives aren't even pitching their new poker room to the people who play big pots and make more money for the house. Their low-stakes games attract tourists and beginners and create brand loyalty.

"If you offer that amenity, you will increase your appeal to a broader customer base," said David Strow, spokesman for Harrah's Entertainment, which recently purchased the rights to the World Series of Poker. "Many of them are not going to stop just at poker. You'll see an indirect increase casino revenues overall."

The UK Gambling Bill is set to become law this week, after the government was forced to make major concessions to safeguard the remote gaming and other key sections of the bill.

Only one Las Vegas style land-based casino will now be approved - down from the initial target of eight.

Time is running out for the bill with Prime Minister Tony Blair announcing today that Parliament will be dissolved on 11 April to prepare for a general election on May 5.

The bill has already passed in the House of Commons but it still needs to pass a House of Lords vote, where the government’s opposition has a majority.

As a result the government had to concede to opposition demands to reduce the number of Las Vegas style regional casinos.

Although it will be seen as a major political embarrassment it will mean the remote gaming sections of the bill survive intact.

If the bill passes it will introduce a regulated regime for online casino and poker gaming in the UK for the first time.

There is widespread belief that cross-party agreement on the need to regulate the egaming industry had been a crucial deciding factor in forcing the legislation through.

There are several key amendments to the remote gaming section bill, facing a Lords vote this week.

One of the most important amendments would allow UK operators to remain members of poker networks, with the government no longer pushing for all egaming equipment to be based in the UK.

New amendments will allow the Gambling Commission to take a case by case approach to deciding which items of gambling equipment can be located outside Great Britain.

Another series of amendments will allow the government the “flexibility to judge which equipment can be located off-shore”.

If the amendments pass it will be a significant victory for the online gaming sector, which has lobbied heavily to get the bill changed.

In poker, there are three mistakes that many players make time after time – playing every hand, raising every bet, and fighting to the very end no matter what to be the winner of the coveted pot! In other words, many players become so engrossed in the game that they stop choosing their battles wisely. To become a great poker player, the most valuable lesson you can learn is to be wise when playing.

Obviously, the goal in poker is to win more hands than you lose. To accomplish this, you have to bet on a winning hand and fold on a losing hand – it is that simple. Just remember that good strategy goes well beyond the obvious. Learning how to choose your battles wisely is not impossible but it does take some maturity. The key is to choose only the battles that match your playing ability and the amount of money you are willing to bet, and possibly lose.

Without doubt, players that have deep pockets generally have a playing edge. Remember that the game of poker has one primary concept – putting money in and taking money out. For high betting games, the larger stacks of chips generally win over the smaller stacks for two reasons – there is a greater ability to manipulate value and you as the player have many more options. While a shorter stack of chips can take, a game from even smaller stacks occasionally, to be crushed only takes a quick sweep of one large stack.

Just because you are not a big better does not mean you should allow yourself to feel defeated. Think of betting this way – every denomination of money is one more piece of artillery with which to do battle. To make money in poker, you need to remember the key word, “repetition”. This means to apply and reapplying your advantages over another player that is not as strong or disciplined as you are. What makes this approach so intriguing is that it is not even noticed by most players, even good players. Think of the casino, they do not become rich from the big betters. Instead, they make their millions and billions of dollars through small cuts from the pots and/or the collection charges.

For instance, let us look at two scenarios. For the first, you would bet $100,000 on an opportunity giving 60/40 odds. While not bad, this is very dangerous, especially if the $100,000 is all the money you have in the world. If you won, you would walk away with $200,000. However, since there is a risk that you could walk away with zero, this type of bet is not sensible.

The second scenario is that you place a $10 bet with the same 60/40 odds. Now, if you win, you would win $1,000 with the opportunity to continue betting until you won the maximum of $200,000. This means that while the wins would be in smaller increments, since you have an astronomical chance of losing all your money, you still have the potential to make $200,000 but can walk away a winner at any stage of the game. In other words, good players know to choose their battles wisely, winning as many small pots as possible rather than focusing on winning just one large pot.

If you are a good player but interested in improving your edge, try to keep the betting denomination small. Keep in mind that players looking only for a big score are not good players at all. Think about poker tournaments - bad players look for multi-way action pots with only average hands. The problem with this is that they do not have enough artillery in their hand values or in the chip stack.

When you try to play the big pots, you are literally setting yourself up for “poker suicide.” Typically, tournament players that go for the big pot are the exception and definitely not the rule. Again, using the military as an analogy, think of your money as soldiers. You want a strategic plan where small forces go out and retrieve value any way they can. Just imagine what would happen if you sent all your soldiers (money) out at once? You would experience sure failure, the same as in poker.

Now keep in mind that there is one time when playing for the big pot is acceptable – knowing you have a huge advantage. Let us say you placed another $10 bet, this time, the player with the 40% odds raises the stakes by betting $1,000 more. If you only want to play $10, you have the option to fold. However, if that player continues to raise the stakes and you keep folding, you are losing two things – a $10 bet each game and your edge.

If you find you have a chance to play a big pot and you know without doubt that you have an advantage, try to play it. However, the better option is to move your game toward playing for pots that you know your artillery can conquer. If you play in tournaments, this is even more important since the amount of money a player has is always relevant. Therefore, play smaller pots. Although you may not always win the pot, you will win pots more often.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2005--Seizing to continue to capitalize on the poker craze it helped to launch, The Travel Channel exercised its option early and announced today that the Travel Channel will broadcast the fourth season of the WORLD POKER TOUR® (WPT) which airs on Wednesday nights at 9pm ET/PT.

The WPT is the league that launched the poker phenomenon when it first aired on the Travel Channel on March 30, 2003, and it continues to lead the way in developing poker as a major international sport. The highest rated show ever on The Travel Channel, the WPT is now seen in over 60 countries worldwide, and its tournaments are held at first class locales and resorts as far ranging as Paris, the Bahamas and Las Vegas. When the WPT rolls into town, players are accorded a hero's welcome and poker fans plan their schedules around the WPT Final Table taping.

"We are thrilled to extend our relationship with The Travel Channel," said Executive Producer and Founder of the WORLD POKER TOUR, Steven Lipscomb. "Their commitment further reinforces the WORLD POKER TOUR as the preeminent brand of poker while maintaining Wednesday night as Poker Night! Together we will continue to build Poker as a mainstream sports sensation.

"The WORLD POKER TOUR has demonstrated its ability to resonate with viewers, and we remain confident that the audience will grow over the fourth season," said Vice President of Programming at Travel Channel, Dan Russell. The WORLD POKER TOUR continues to be a ratings juggernaut, and the extension of our deal with the WORLD POKER TOUR will keep the popular weekly series a fixture on the network."

The WORLD POKER TOUR series airs every Wednesday night on the Travel Channel from 9-11 PM (ET/PT). The Third Season began airing on March 2, 2005. For more information on WORLD POKER TOUR, go to www.worldpokertour.com

The WORLD POKER TOUR series blends the compelling drama of reality television with the production values of leading sports programming, including expert commentary. Thirteen cameras capture the action, including tiny cameras that reveal the player's hole cards, which let viewers see who is bluffing and who is not. At stake on a single hand can be as much as a million dollars.

The WORLD POKER TOUR series is produced for the Travel Channel by WPT Enterprises, Inc. Steven Lipscomb is the show's creator and serves as Executive Producer. Joe Swift is the Executive Producer for the Travel Channel. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc.

Representatives of Antigua have said it is confident of victory on 7 April in the final ruling from the WTO in its long-running battle with the US, and predicted it would lead to sweeping changes.
As previously reported in eGaming Review, Antigua’s gaming commission anticipates some of the major media and banking companies will be forced to drop their self-imposed bans on working with egaming firms.

Many of the main US banks refused to process online gambling transactions as a result of the threat of prosecution from Eliot Spitzer, the ex-Attorney General of New York.

Similar warnings from the US Department of Justice caused most media outlets in the US to drop egaming adverts, but Antigua is intending to use the WTO ruling to push for those bans to be overturned.

Mark Mendel, Antigua’s lead counsel during the dispute, said he was looking forward to using the case as a springboard for future negotiations.

"We expect major internet search engines, financial institutions and credit card service providers will have to do business with Antiguan internet gaming sites on the same basis as they do with US domestic gaming interests,” Mendel said.

“Potential compliance issues facing various US corporations and the US Department of Justice will be resolved in a manner which is favourable to fair and responsible international commerce."

One of the most popular poker games is Texas Hold ‘em. When you sit down to play some serious poker, you need to set your advantage at the beginning of the hand. This means that the first two cards dealt are extremely important. In most cases, players gain their advantage when they fold their hand before adding any money to the pot.

When playing a No Fold ‘em Hold ‘em game, hole cards featuring a plus sign located in the Hands Won percentage column are the beginning hands that have a higher winning potential when it comes to ten-player games. Typically, this type of table is ten-hand, and intended for No Fold ‘em. Tables designed for less than ten players will have pocket pairs being ranked a little higher when it comes to winning potential as well as more hole cards being above average.

Some Poker players believe that all hole cards are created equal until it comes time for the flop. At that point, some players choose to fold some of the hole cards, while still playing weaker cards. On the other hand, other players prefer to fold their hand based on four things:

1. Number of players in the hand
2. Playing position
3. Pot being raised
4. Amount of win or loss

Some players make the choice to play every hand, as long as they are winning. However, when the winning stops, they start being a little more selective. When it comes to this poker game, many of the decisions are hard to predict, which is exactly what makes this game so fun and exciting. Since there is no way for you to know what hole cards to fold or play, you need to use common sense and player’s intuition.

Playing some hole cards while folding others higher at the No Fold ‘em table may not work well. Additionally, playing hole cards that have a below average winning potential is never a good option. Keep in mind that when playing tight, you will reach a point where the returns start to diminish. Therefore, by playing too tight a game, your money will be sucked up by blind bets.

Just remember that you must gain the advantage in the first round of play. Then, when you reach the point to flop, river, or turn, no strategies can improve a disadvantage based on mathematical facts. In Hold ‘em, when you have one bad play after another, your game will be disastrous. To win with a hole card strategy, you will need to pull all of your poker-playing skills off the shelf, putting them to good use so you come out the winner more often than not.

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2005--The first issue of Poker Pro Magazine will be available in major bookstore outlets such as Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Tower Books and in 90 airport newsstands nationwide in the United States and Canada on July 1, 2005.

The 80-page glossy will be published bimonthly (July, September, and November) in 2005 and monthly beginning in January 2006. Ingram Periodicals and the Hudson Group will coordinate national distribution. Total initial circulation will begin at 50,000 copies and is expected to rapidly grow as an aggressive subscription campaign is launched to coincide with monthly distribution.

Targeting beginning to intermediate players of all ages, Poker Pro will provide a diverse offering of features and columns ranging from tutorials and instruction from the game's biggest players to poker-related lifestyle articles and coverage of the game's biggest tournaments and Hollywood Stars who play poker. Poker Pro has a close working relationship with the World Poker Tour, giving them an inside track on major events and news from the circuit.

The first issue will run with a cover story of poker 'Godfather' Doyle Brunson, one of the most successful poker players in the history of the game. Says Will Jordan, Poker Pro's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, "It was a real coup getting Doyle on the cover of our premiere issue. Everyone who knows poker knows of Doyle Brunson. He's a legend in the game."

Poker Pro Magazine is being launched with one of the largest initial circulations of any poker publication in the US and is being financed by Dan Jacobs, managing member of several corporations including Florida Micro LLC, a privately held international IT solutions company headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

For more information on Poker Pro Magazine, contact Dan Jacobs at Poker Pro (561-702-4625) or djacobs@pokerprofs.com.

THE BIG NAMES OF POKER are not expected at the New England Poker Classic, and that's OK with the staff and the players at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

This is the otherpoker tournament, a regional event that has grown steadily since it started 10 years ago. Thousands of players will compete for millions of dollars between now and April 11, but the New England Poker Classic is not expected to draw a lot of players from Las Vegas and the West Coast.

“This tournament is in conflict with one at the Bellagio,” said Kathy Raymond, Foxwoods' director of poker. “We don't care. It makes the field a little more manageable.”

Foxwoods hosts celebrities and pros at its poker tables all the time. It was a founding member of the World Poker Tour, which has become a major television event. The World Poker Finals, taped last November at Foxwoods, airs April 13 and 16 on the Travel Channel.

The legends of poker will return to Foxwoods later this year, but in the next few weeks the casino will cater to its regional poker audience. Foxwoods hosted a media charity tournament on Wednesday morning, donating $15,000 to the favorite charities of 10 newspaper, television and radio personalities from throughout New England. The real tournament players eked out hand after hand in the Sunset Ballroom.

The prize pool for the final game is expected to be between $2 million and $3 million. The price to play in the “big game,” the No Limit Texas Hold 'Em tournament, is $5,000, but players can compete in satellite games, called “acts,” and win a seat for as little as $60.

“We want it to be a friendly hometown tournament with a big prize pool,” said Raymond.

Foxwoods was running tournaments before they became all the rage, and some of the poker regulars have earned tidy profits. Neal Gersony of Rocky Hill said he has won $200,000 over the past eight years.

“It's been great for me,” Gersony said over the clink of poker chips as dealers dealt dozens of live games. “I spent from 1997 to the boom playing a lot of tournaments, and I got better.”

The tournament drew an array of young and old players, many of them dressed in baseball hats and sunglasses, windbreakers or polo shirts. The field was mostly male, but that didn't keep Regina Brown of Cromwell from joining the game. Brown has played in every New England Poker Classic since it started and has watched the game grow in popularity. She works full time and plays mostly on weekends. She said she can afford the higher costs of buying into poker tournaments.

“I've grown as a player and so has my bankroll,” she said. Foxwoods, she said, has grown with the times and become a leader in the poker world.

“They'll try something and you'll see someone else try it,” Brown said. “New England was just starved for something like this.”

Brown had already won a seat in the upcoming big game, but 80-year-old Peter J. Gialluca of Norwich was still trying. He plays once a week at Foxwoods and often watches poker on TV.

“My wife wishes they never put it on there,” he said.

Despite the continuing popularity of poker, Mohegan Sun President and Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Etess said the casino has no plans to reintroduce the game. The Mohegans closed their poker room two years ago and replaced its card tables with more slot machines, which executives said are more profitable.

“Poker is very popular on television, but to our standpoint it isn't any more profitable than it was, and we have no regrets about our decision,” Etess said. The casino's non-poker table game business is continuing to grow, however. Etess said 12 new tables would open in the Hall of Lost Tribes by Memorial Day.
By KAREN FLORIN

The craze over poker games in the United States reached a whole new level with the announcement of the first ever World Series of Poker Consumer Retail Show.

That's right -- a trade show for poker fanatics.

According to a news release, the four-day long show, to be held at the Rio Suites hotel July 6-9, will "enable poker enthusiasts to learn about, experience and purchase many of the latest products that fit the lifestyle of the poker aficionado."

Felt vests? Poker chip earrings? I don't know.

But since it's open to the public and is being held during the fever pitched final weeks of the World Series of Poker, you can expect major crowds carrying away their "Poker Players Do It Without Bluffing" t-shirts.

In the game of poker, bluffing is a common action that refers to deceiving other players about a hand, whether good or bad. To be successful with bluffing, you need to know how and when to bluff and special techniques to determine when other players are bluffing. With playing poker, the amount of money and way in which you place your bet is based on your hand in addition to the hands of the other players. For this reason, learning the art of bluffing can provide you with a huge advantage over other players.

The most important thing is to establish a reputation for yourself that you play fair. Therefore, if you do bluff, this will cause other players to question whether they should judge you. Now remember that bluffing on occasion is not a bad decision but playing your best cards is what will build your reputation. For this reason, keep in mind that there is a time and place for clever deception and it should always be done discreetly.

The key to being a good bluffer is to bluff only good players, never average or bad players. Now, that might have surprised you a little but the reason is that good players are the ones that will lay their cards down first, giving you a better chance of winning. The poker player that expects to win on only good hands would probably do, better playing a different game. Although bluffing is not the only element to winning, it is definitely an important one.

Each time you bluff, it is crucial that you maintain your behavior as if you were playing with a winning hand. A good rule to play by is that you should base your bluffing on the pot odds. Typically, when a player bluffs, they anticipate folding a minimum of one hand. However, if there is no fold, then the bluff failed and you have been exposed. The more money in the pot, the less likely a player is to fold because they have more to gain by playing while with a small pot, your bluff will fold more hands. Therefore, do not waste a bluff on a large pot.

Another important consideration when it comes to bluffing is the number of players at your table. Obviously, bluffing one player is easy, but bluffing two or more is an almost impossible task. Maintain a mindset that you are trying to make other players leave the game, letting them believe that you have a better hand.

Now, let us talk about the frequency of a bluff. To determine how much bluffing is too much, consider the table you are playing as well as how other players will perceive you. For instance, if you were playing at a loose table, you want to bluff less often than if you were playing a tight table. Additionally, if the high bets do not make players nervous enough to back out of a hand you should reduce the number and frequency of your bluff. Be flexible, making assessments and adjustments about bluffing per game.

Okay, if you find another player bluffing excessively, you could use that against him or her to your own advantage just as other players could use your excessive bluffing against you. Bluffing occasionally creates an image of doubt. Therefore, if caught with a minor bluff, do not stress about it. On the other hand, if you bluff and no one notices, never tell. Remember, a simple bluff is just enough to plant a spark of doubt in the other players’ mind, which is a benefit for your game.

When it comes to reading other players, watch for what is often referred to as a “tell”. This is anything that would give away the player’s intentions or feelings. In most cases, novice players tend to be more dramatic and often try too hard to act as though they have a good or bad hand. For example, a beginner may jump up with excitement about a perceived good hand or hit his or her fist on the table, demonstrating being dealt a bad hand.

Once you have established yourself at a poker table, be a good observer, meaning listen consistently to comments made in association with the shown hand or watch physical reactions. Always appear as though you are ignoring other players when in fact, you are watching from the corner of your eye and listening to everything word spoken. Most of all, have fun, play smart, and bluff wisely!

A big part of playing Winning Poker is knowing about odds and probability. Let's take a look at a few cold facts concerning the realities of a flush draw.

Starting Hands

Getting two suited cards as a starting hand is fairly common. The probability of being dealt two suited cards is 23.58% which means those who like to play ASAP will have plenty of chances to enter the pot. Completing your flush is a lot more difficult.

The Flop

The probability of flopping three of you suit giving you a complete flush is .842%.

The odds against you is 118:1

The probability of flopping two of your suit for a four flush is 10.944 %.

The odds are 8:1 against you

The probability of only flopping one of your suit is 41.6%.

The odds are 1.4:1

The Turn

If you have a four flush after the flop the probability of making a flush on the turn or river is 34.97%.

The Odds against you are 1.86:1

The River

If you have a four flush after the turn the probability of making a flush on the river 17.4%.

The odds against you are 4.7:1

Turn and River

If you flop only one of your suit the probability of hitting your suit on the turn and the river is 4.2%.

The odds against you are 23:1.

Finally for all the possibilities if you start suited and stay to see all seven cards (your two and the five board cards) the probability that you will make a flush is 5.77%. The odds against you are 16.3:1

Simply put for every time you play two suited cards you will only make your flush about once in 16 tries. If you play low suited cards you still have to worry about a bigger flush beating you.

The reason you play your suited cards in late position when there is a lot of players in the pot is that you will then be getting the correct pot odds to justify attempting a flush draw. The money you win when you make your flush will offset the money you lose when you don't make it. In a live game you can reach in you pocket if you go broke and buy more chips. In the long run you will make money with flush draws as long as you get proper odds to try.

In a tournament you have to be cautious because the chips you lose on a busted draw play can't be replaced. When you go broke you go home. Even when you are getting correct odds you can do serious damage to your tournament chip stack if you don't make it. Playing every time you have suited cards without regards pot odds is suicide.

Now you see why playing Any Suited from Any Position can make you lose your chips quickly and why ASAP is a good acronym for this type of player.

POKER is a fascinating game but explaining its appeal to non-believers can be a thankless task.

A friend asked me why poker was so compulsive last week and I had a hard time trying to get the message across.

I tried to outline the ebb and flow, the action that makes it exciting to play and to watch.

As the impetus swings one way then the other, each player continually tries to gain advantage by betting, folding, raising or changing tactics.

At every stage he is aware that he can lose all his chips.

But this intrigue failed to convince my pal so I tried to personalise things by talking about the types of players you find round a table.

Most poker players can be categorised as either 'loose' or 'tight' and 'passive' or 'aggressive', resulting in four widely recognised types.

This scheme is the brainchild of Alan Scoonmaker and is explained in his book The Psychology of Poker.

Betting patterns and behaviour provide the best clues but there are devious souls who will try to bluff you.

At the bottom end of the scale is the Loose-Passive, a player who rarely raises or takes the lead but is so bad that he blindly calls irrespective of his hand.

As his chip pile plummets the only thing you have to do to beat him is bet on your good hands and get rid of the bad ones.

Next up is the Tight-Passive, the guy who plays so few hands that as soon as he reaches for his chips the whole table knows he has fantastic cards.

Then there's the Loose- Aggressive or 'maniac' who raises the pot continually.

Betting is seen as a macho challenge and he takes big risks. But even maniacs occasionally get good hands and he could take you to the cleaners.

Finally, there's the player we all want to be - the Tight- Aggressive. He does not overplay because he has an excellent understanding of the game and its various strategies.

Even after this masterclass in psychology I didn't know if my friend was a poker convert. After all, it's impossible to read someone's mind...
By Peter Sharkey

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1 player will win T$595 that can be used for a seat in the Semi-Final. There is a maximum of 100 total players in the tournament and a minimum of 40 players for the tournament to start.

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Buy-in: $560+$35

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Nate Belt graduated first in his class at Greenwood High School in 2004. He’s majoring in biology and is a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of Kentucky.

He doesn’t even have a B on his college record, unless you count the one in his last name.

Oh, and he also just won $11,500 in college scholarship money playing poker.

Belt, a freshman at UK, recently got back from Cancun, Mexico, where he won the grand prize in the World Poker Exchange Intercollegiate Poker Championship – a prize package that included $10,000 in scholarship money, a five-day trip in August to London and entry in the London Open Poker Championship, a professional poker tournament.

“I had no idea what I was getting into when I started,” he admitted. “Now it looks like I’m going to London.”

More than 100 schools participated in the Texas hold ’em event, each holding its own school tournament. The winners from each school then moved on to one of six regional finals, with the six regional winners receiving a Dell laptop computer, a $1,500 scholarship and a trip to Cancun.

All this began for Belt several years ago when he first saw the World Series of Poker on television.

“That’s the only reason I ever started,” he said. “Just watching it all on ESPN.”

After watching the games on TV, Belt said he and his friends began games of their own, for slightly smaller stakes.

“I just started playing with friends a couple of times a week,” he said. “They don’t think I’m that good, actually.”

He said he entered the free tournament at UK after noticing an ad online.

“I just saw an ad on the Internet,” he said. “I had to play two rounds online.”

Once he won the UK bracket, he went on to the regional and notified one of his old poker-playing friends from high school.

Belt’s buddy, Josh Poling, a freshman at Miami University in Ohio, said he had little faith when he heard about Belt’s victory in the school tournament.

“He told me that he was playing in a tournament and I kind of assumed he definitely wouldn’t win,” he said. “He doesn’t dominate.”

Belt and Poling have been playing poker together for several years, and Poling said he was glad to see his friend do well, if only because Belt took him along to Cancun as part of his regional victory.

“Within 12 hours, I went from staying in Bowling Green for spring break to going to Cancun,” he said. “I had 12 hours notice.”

Once in Cancun, Belt said that the poker game was difficult because it was played in a busy downtown bar.

“We actually played in the middle of Fat Tuesday’s,” he said. “There were a couple thousand people watching me the whole time. It was kind of hard to concentrate. People that don’t like UK were screaming stuff.”

Poling said the yelling was distracting even for him, sitting in the crowd among the screamers.

“I couldn’t imagine being a part of it,” he said. “It was just such a large amount of people standing around. Everyone was screaming the entire time.”

Poling said Belt has always made school his top priority, but that this poker trip was “an awesome experience.”

“He’s really, really smart and he works really, really hard at school, too,” Poling said. “That by far is always his first commitment.”

Rob Belt, Nate’s father, said that he doesn’t mind Nate’s poker playing as long as it doesn’t hurt his schoolwork.

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with his schooling, I don’t see a whole lot of harm in it,” he said.

He added that he was a bit skeptical about the prizes until Nate held them in his hands.

“I doubted it was real. I thought it might be some kind of scam,” he said. “I don’t know that he was certain it was legitimate or not. Until he got the airline tickets in his hands, I had my doubts.”

Belt said his other sons, Nate’s younger brothers, think this is “cool,” but that no one expects too much of Nate’s appearance in the London Open.

“He just had some really good luck,” he said. “He’s an intelligent kid. He just got lucky.”

Nate Belt said he’s excited about the trip and the tournament, even though he will be surrounded by the poker elite.

“From what I’ve read, they’re trying to get as many professional players and celebrities in it as possible,” he said. “It will be very exciting. I’ve never been to Europe or anything. I’ll probably get killed, but it will be fun.”

BISMARCK - With a final gasp, a Fargo legislator's bid to regulate Internet poker died at the hands of the Senate on Friday.

The proposal, led by Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, was approved by the House but met fierce opposition in the Senate, where lawmakers viewed it as an extension of gambling.

A bill that established the regulatory system died Monday, 44-3. Its companion resolution, which would have amended the state constitution if also approved in a statewide vote, lost Friday by on a 43-3 vote.

Supporters

The resolution's supporters were Sens. John Syverson, R-Fargo; John Traynor, R-Devils Lake; and Connie Triplett, D-Grand Forks.

Syverson said millions of people play Internet poker, but the sites are not regulated and thus are available to gambling addicts, minors and others who should not be playing.

Regulation

By regulating the industry, the state could prevent these people from getting access, he argued.

Sen. Nick Hacker, R-Grand Forks, said many of the companies would stay unregulated and still would be available to minors. Regulation by North Dakota would do little to stop those people, he said.

UNITED STATES -- (PRESS RELEASE) --A new poker magazine is debuting that will cater to the ever-growing number of female poker players. Woman Poker Player magazine is a one-of-a-kind, lifestyle publication covering issues unique to women who enjoy the sport of poker.

The magazine's chief editor is professional poker player Barbara Enright, the only woman ever to make the final table at the World Series of Poker championship event. The editorial merges powerful experiences from poker-playing women and men around the globe, the mathematics and strategies of poker, tournament trip reports, profiles of popular female professional players, and will include lifestyle concerns such as, fashion and wellness.

"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." Says Enright. "They have proven they can hold their own against men, and this was dramatically underscored when three women won gold bracelets at last year's World Series of Poker, although women represented less than five per cent of the participants."

"Even so, women can be timid when they first enter a casino. This is where Woman Poker Player magazine comes in. We will be offering valuable pointers on general strategy, and strategy especially designed for women."

April's premiere issue includes profiles on professional women poker players, tips on playing with male players, and a glimpse into what to expect while playing your first live tournament.

(Hartford-AP, Mar. 24, 2005 10:35 PM) _ Legislation allowing bars and restaurants to hold poker and card tournaments has fizzled.

Several legislators and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal questioned whether such a law would violate the compact between Connecticut and the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes.

Representative Brian O'Connor of Clinton wants a legislative committee or a panel of state agency officials to take a closer look at the compact, which grants the tribes an exclusive right to operate gambling casinos in return for giving the state a portion of slot machine revenues.

O'Connor says he'd like to know what type of gambling, if any, is permitted at places other than the two Indian casinos in the state. He also says it would help if legislators know what would happen if the compact is violated.

A legislative committee has approved O'Connor's bill. It awaits action in the House of Representatives.

A constitutional amendment to require the Legislature to license Internet poker companies got a lukewarm reception from North Dakota senators, who have already defeated a bill to regulate online card rooms.

The Senate Judiciary Committee, which reviewed the amendment Wednesday, forwarded it to the full Senate without making a recommendation on whether it should be approved.

The panel had a similar deadlock on a separate bill to license and tax Internet poker sites, which went on to get a pummeling in the Senate. Only three of the 47 senators voted for it.

Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, who is the amendment's sponsor, said he would give "no wager, no odds" on its Senate prospects.

"I believe the people of North Dakota have the right to vote on this issue," he said at the Judiciary Committee hearing. "The revenue that could come to North Dakota from this is huge."

Former Gov. Arthur Link, a prominent gambling critic who testified against the measure Wednesday, said he was encouraged by the committee's lack of support.

"I don't want North Dakota to become known as the poker capital of the world," he told lawmakers.

Supporters of Kasper's legislation say North Dakota could earn millions in tax revenues with little effort by licensing Internet poker tables and taxing the proceeds, which are now collected by businesses headquartered in other countries.

"Why are we sending this (money) elsewhere? We can't pretend that it's not happening," said Mitch Schock of the Dakota Poker Tour, which organizes poker tournaments for charitable organizations.

North Dakota also could safeguard youngsters by requiring poker sites to exclude players younger than 18, a regulation that isn't guaranteed with overseas operations, Kasper said.

"The phenomenon of poker is here to stay, not only in the United States but around the world," he said. "We have an opportunity to be on the front end of the regulation of the industry on the Internet."

Opponents of the measure referred to the U.S. Justice Department's stand that Internet gambling of any kind is illegal. The government's position has stalled efforts in Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands to license Internet casinos.

"We're asking people to vote on something illegal, and if it passes, we're requiring the Legislature to do something illegal," said Warren DeKrey, of Bismarck, the chairman of the North Dakota Council on Gambling Problems.

If approved by the Legislature, Kasper's measure would appear on the June 2006 primary ballot. If voters approve it, the amendment would direct the 2007 Legislature to "authorize Internet live poker located in the state and licensed and regulated by the state."

Online poker would then join charitable gambling and the lottery as exceptions to the North Dakota Constitution's ban on state-authorized wagering.

Sen. Tom Trenbeath, R-Cavalier, wondered if the amendment should instead ask North Dakotans to repeal the gambling prohibition. It says: "The legislative assembly shall not authorize any game of chance, lottery, or gift enterprises, under any pretense, for any purpose whatsoever."

"This is like being nibbled to death by a thousand ducks," Trenbeath said. "If the constitution should be amended, shouldn't it be amended to remove the impediment rather than to mandate an action?"

The committee deadlocked several times, tallying 3-3 votes on motions to amend the resolution, and to recommend its approval and defeat. The six committee members eventually voted unanimously to send the bill to the Senate without recommendation.

The amendment, like Kasper's earlier Internet poker bill, already has been approved in the House.

Kasper said he could not predict the Senate's response, but he has said he will not pursue an initiated measure if the Legislature balks at licensing online poker.

"Put it on the ballot and let the people make their decision. That's what I hope the Senate will do," he said.

The amendment is HCR3035.

Check, bet, call, raise and fold. Each term alone can carry a variety of meanings, but as a combination, they make poker, a game that is growing in popularity with many college students today.

Students play with various different groups, with friends, with acquaintances and with people they’ve never met. They play at friends’ houses, apartments, in the dorms and online.

Jordan Morgan, economics junior, plays games around Norman and online. He said the popularity of the game seems to have grown in recent years based on the growth of online poker sites and poker on television.

“It’s just made people look at the game a lot more and play a lot more,” Morgan said.

According to BravoTV.com, the station’s new poker show, “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” is one of the popularizing programs that features five celebrities each week playing Texas Hold ’Em to win money for their charity of choice. Both the Travel Channel and ESPN have been recently televising poker tournaments.

Morgan said partypoker.com is one of the most popular poker sites. Partypoker.com was started in 2001 and hosts both free play and play for money, according to the Web site.

Morgan said he began playing with students around Norman when he met someone from the Web site who played in the local area.

“For a while I was playing games at apartments,” Morgan said.

Morgan said he does most of his gaming online now, but said he met various people while playing around town.

Around town games vary in size, Morgan said, with bets ranging from a $5 buy-in to $100. He said the most popular game is Texas Hold ’Em.

Chase Nottingham, international and area studies junior, said he plays poker games around Norman, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He said he has been playing for over four years now, and has been getting into playing games with higher buy-ins.

“I just pretty much have a group of buddies around OU that just sit around and play,” Nottingham said.

Brian Hansen, international business sophomore, said he plays most of his poker online, but he used to play poker with guys in his fraternity house last year.

Hansen recently won a scholarship and a free trip to Cancun by being the south-central winner of a poker tournament on WorldPX.com. He said someone from the Web site advertised the tournament at his fraternity house and from there he decided to check out the Web site and play.

“They had a school-wide tournament, and then a regional,” Hansen said.

After winning for OU and the south-central region, Hansen went to Cancun for the final tournament and finished in fourth place.

“I want to do it for a living,” Hansen said. “Winning a lot of money online and then traveling to some of the bigger live tournaments.”

Hansen said he thinks there are a lot of people around campus who play. He said the thrill and hopeful economic gain of gambling could be a reason why so many people are into it.

Morgan said the main reason he plays is that he just enjoys playing games in general, and poker is one that earns money.

I take a huge swig of Diet Coke as I watch another $100+ pot move towards my opponent. The night starts off well enough-I am up about $200 in the first 15 minutes-but it quickly deteriorates into the worst session I've ever experienced. In three hours, I lose $1500, putting me at a -$1300 on the night. Wow.

I look behind me at the clock above my bed and see that it's 4:15 a.m. I make the decision to head to the bathroom, freshen up, and go to sleep. As I play a final hand before getting up, I see pocket kings, the second-best starting hand in Texas Hold'em. The hand is played, and when all the cards are face up on the table, I end up raking in a $109 pot.

Suddenly, a moment of clarity descends upon me. In this fit of brilliance, I achieve the one true moment of genius I will ever know: I will not pee until I make $1300 back. I understand how Einstein felt as he scribbled the simple equation that would become the Theory of Relativity. Barring a burst bladder, no urine will escape my body until I earn back every penny I have lost. With newfound physical and emotional determination, I prepare for a long, painful night.

To be perfectly honest, the hands are a blur as they come and go. Even the pots begin to lose their value as the discomfort escalates to near-epic proportions. Around 6:40 a.m., I make the switch from open-legged stance to a more feminine cross-legged position to escape the searing sensation emanating from my mid-section. At 7:55 a.m., I resort to standing in front of my computer as I struggle to restrain myself.

Finally, at 8:26 a.m., pocket nines turn into three of a kind on the flop, I net $70 on the pot, and I find myself at +$6 on the night. Within a matter of seconds, my pants are around my ankles as I rush towards the bathroom.

The purpose of this story is not to disgust you. It is to inform you of how absolutely insane you need to be in order to deal with the losses and gains you will have if you play any upper-level online poker. There will be nights where you lose a lot of money, and you have to be a plant not to let it affect you, but as soon as you begin to blame yourself, terrible things will happen. Did I actually think that not relieving myself would start me on a winning streak? Absolutely not, but it was something I did to force myself to play until I made the money back.

Beginning players sometimes internalize the bad beats they initially suffer, chalking it up to bad play and poor decision-making. They lose confidence in their ability to play tight, aggressive poker and end up loosening up and losing even more money. The key to the game is realizing that the bad swings are going to happen, and if you put in enough hands (and you're an overall winner), you will make the money back. Whether you need to deprive yourself of basic human necessities in order to sit down long enough to earn back your losses is your decision, but make sure that you do not lose any of the raw ability and knowledge that makes you a winning player.
By Alex Schwartz

ST. PAUL — For a moment, it appeared Phil Gordon's efforts to help legalize No-Limit Texas Hold'em Poker tournaments in Minnesota might backfire.

Pitted head-to-head, champion poker player Gordon and Sen. Dave Kleis played a friendly round Monday at the Capitol to show the media crowd there was nothing to fear from the game, or from Kleis' efforts to legalize Texas Hold'em tournaments at bars statewide.

Those efforts depend on convincing lawmakers that such tournaments do not equal gambling, and on showing that Texas Hold'em is a game of skill, not chance.

"See, we're having fun. No money, just a little T-shirt at stake," said Gordon, the co-host of "Celebrity Poker Showdown" on Bravo Television Network. "Just having fun."

Gordon had come to St. Paul from Las Vegas to testify on behalf of Kleis' bill at a critical committee hearing Monday.

Kleis' defeat at the hands of a man who has won more than $1 million in professional poker tournaments appeared imminent.

But then a climactic hand, a dramatic turn of the cards, and it appeared as if Kleis was about to take most of Gordon's chips. Gordon's smile almost vanished. Could the St. Cloud Republican — first loser at a demonstration game among legislators last month — upset a seasoned pro?

As it turns out, no.

When the final card was dealt, Gordon managed to split the hand with Kleis and avert disaster.

Gordon eventually took all of Kleis' chips and the St. Cloud State University Huskies T-shirt that was the prize. And the smile was back.

"Folks, that's how we do it on the World Poker Tour," Gordon said afterward. "Poker really is the cruelest game."

While the game may have been cruel to Kleis, Gordon's appearance helped the bill sail through the Senate State and Local Government Operations committee Monday.

And while Kleis has struggled to keep his poker bill separate from discussions about expanding gambling in Minnesota this session, his efforts have drawn national attention, including a write-up in the New York Times that Gordon said is the reason he volunteered to come and testify.

Local enthusiasm

Gordon's appearance was a chance for Dominic Wirz and Ryan Pruse to meet one of their heroes.

The St. Cloud poker fans recently started Full Tilt Magazine, dedicated to poker playing in the Midwest. On Monday, they came to the Capitol and talked poker with Gordon.

Pruse, 32, mused on the effects of a state-led raid of a Texas Hold'em tournament last year at Granite Bowl that prompted Kleis' bill. Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall declined to prosecute Granite Bowl owner Dave Bischoff or the people playing cards, but the raid shook people up, Pruse said.

"There's a lot of people in St. Cloud who want to play but won't, because they're afraid the police will walk in on them," he said.

Kleis' bill would allow bars and bowling alleys such as Bischoff's to sponsor Texas Hold'em tournaments as long as there is no entrance fee, the house doesn't get any money directly from the tournament and prizes are limited to no more than $200 total.

Amendments to the Senate bill would allow local governments to regulate the tournaments and charge a fee up to $200 to license them, and people younger than 18 would be prohibited from entering.

Kleis vowed to keep his bill free of other gambling expansion efforts and to limit it to adding Texas Hold'em to a list of other games people can play in free tournaments, such as bridge, cribbage, euchre and whist.

"This bill is not in any way an expansion of gambling," he said.

Expansion plans?

Bischoff has resumed the weekly tournaments at his establishment and is working with Wirz and Pruse to expand similar tournaments to at least six other St. Cloud establishments by next month.

If Kleis' bill becomes law, Bischoff said he sees his tournament-organizing efforts increasing.

"Eventually, we'd like to take it statewide," he said. "I'm sure eventually we'll reach a saturation point, but I think there's a great demand out there right now."

Wirz said he wouldn't mind eventually expanding the prize options to make Minnesota more akin to states that offer cruises and cars as grand prizes.

Gordon made it clear he thinks people should be able to play all forms of poker in tournaments, though Kleis' bill only touches on Texas Hold'em.

"There's really no reason for social poker to have the stigma of illegality it now possesses," he said. "Poker is not gambling."

Not that he thinks there's anything wrong with playing poker for real money.

"Card rooms where they play for money are legal in just about every state," he said. "But I'm not here trying to legalize poker for money. That's a different issue."

Follow SF317/HF519 throughout the legislative session at: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legis.asp

YOU may remember him from such multi-million dollar ventures as the Bellagio and the Mirage. And while billionaire Steve Wynn has long since sold off those properties, you probably didn't expect the 63 year-old to simply disappear.

As of next month, Wynn is back in business. The eponymous Wynn Las Vegas resort will open its bronze doors either on or shortly after his wife's birthday, April 28. Located on the site of the old Desert Inn, across from the Fashion Show Mall, the 217-acre resort cost $2.7 billion to build - the most expensive ever built in the United States. Here, the facts.

WHERE YOU'LL STAY

Guests can choose among 2,716 rooms and suites. Floor-to-ceiling windows will be covered in automatic drapes, which can be controlled from the bed.

THE ENTERTAINMENT

Wynn paid $8 million for the exclusive touring rights to the TonyAward-winning puppet show "Avenue Q,"which gets its own $40 million theater. Additionally, Franco Dragone's show, "Le Reve," will perform in a theater-in-the-round.

THE CASINO

Wynn's gaming floor is a relatively "intimate" 111,000 square feet. Catering to high-rollers is Wynn's M.O., but among the 2,000 slots you'll find penny machines, too.

THE GOLF COURSE

This will be the only hotel to have an on-site course on the Strip. It cost $22 million and comes with a 37-foot waterfall on the 18th hole. Bring extra balls - 11 holes have water hazards.

THE ART

The hotel/casino art gallery thing has been done before - by Wynn himself, at the Bellagio. An even bigger collection of fine art will open here to the public.

THE RESTAURANTS

Besides Daniel Boulud, don't look for any "celebrity" chefs cooking at the 18 eateries. The hotel is focusing on regional stars from across the country.

THE SHOPS

Get ready for 29 luxe boutiques, as well as Maserati and Ferrari dealerships.

THE POKER ROOM

This 25-table room already has a waiting list. Poker ace Daniel Negreanu will be the room's ambassador.

THE SPA

You'll get 45 treatments rooms centered around a garden-like relaxation area.

MORE INFO

wynnlasvegas.com

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) -- The Legislature's dalliance with Internet poker regulation ended abruptly Monday, when a bill to make North Dakota the first state to license cyberspace poker tables got only three votes supporting it.

"This is just another vehicle for more gambling in North Dakota, and I'm not sure that we want it," said Sen. David Nething, R-Jamestown.

The measure lost in the Senate, 44-3, after a brief debate Monday. It squeaked through the House last month, 49-43, and its sponsor, Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, has been lobbying senators on the measure's behalf.

Other critics of the bill said they were wary of the U.S. Justice Department's stand that Internet gambling in general is illegal. North Dakota's attorney general, Wayne Stenehjem, and Gov. John Hoeven have declined to endorse the legislation.

Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands have approved measures that would authorize state regulation of Internet casinos, but they have been reluctant to move forward given the opposition of federal prosecutors.

"There are at least three federal laws out there that make this legislation suspect," said Sen. Carolyn Nelson, D-Fargo. ------

The bill is HB1509

ANTIGUA, England, March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- World Poker Exchange has engaged poker legend Matt Savage as tournament director of the Aug. 3-6 London Open. The gaming and lifestyle event, produced by one of the world's fastest-growing online poker sites, will incorporate an exciting array of lifestyle events framed by the allure of United Kingdom landmarks.

"Destination poker tournaments such as this signature World Poker Exchange competition are the future of this game. Europe is experiencing a huge boom in interest and play, both on-line and off line. My involvement is especially exciting as World Poker Exchange is both bringing poker to the center of this continent and establishing a more sophisticated expectation with players in the global poker arena," says Savage.

The World Poker Exchange is elevating poker tournaments to an entirely new level with this summer's highly anticipated event. Every element of the London Open will convey the organization's distinctive approach from the setting at the Old Billingsgate Market -- a nineteenth century landmark building in a prime position on the River Thames with views across to Tower Bridge, London Bridge and the South Bank -- to the celebrity mix and memorable atmosphere. Designed to be the first lifestyle poker tournament of its kind, The London Open incorporates exclusive outings each night of the tournament and will feature a $2 million prize pool. Among the evening excursions are a Kensington Palace private tour, backstage passes for The Producers, a champagne reception in the Millennium Wheel, a private tour of Saatchi gallery, and a Savile Row custom tailor tour.

Haden Ware, CEO of World Poker Exchange, explains "By including the impressive array of exclusive, non-poker activities for the players and their guests, the World Poker Exchange London Open marks a new era in gaming and truly makes the London Open a lifestyle tournament. Not only do we envision the London Open to become a perennial event that will be part of the professional circuit for years to come, but a unique holiday opportunity for the players' loved ones to also share. The participation of Matt Savage as our tournament director further reflects our commitment to host the most professionally run tournament possible at the heart of the overall event."

The offline poker tournament will be held in conjunction with marketing partner, FHM UK, and The Bravo Channel, the UK's leading men's entertainment network. The event promises to attract both world-renowned poker players and international celebrities. The overall tournament will be filmed as a primetime TV special, World Poker Exchange London Open which documents the highs and lows of 10 FHM qualifying players as they play for the $2 million prize pool. It will be broadcast on Flextech's Bravo and freeview channel Ftn, in addition to multinational syndication.

LAS VEGAS, March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Russell Sears was postponing going to bed in hopes of winning a spin on the Wheel of Fortune® dollar machine he was playing at Caesars Palace; he ended up being very glad he stayed awake. The Camillus, New York, man won a MegaJackpots® top award of $4.1 million in the wee hours Sunday morning.

"I was just thinking, when am I going to get my next spin," Sears said, "and I knew I had won but still can't believe it!"

Sears, 59, works in the finance industry and says he's going to look into moving up his retirement when he gets home.

"This will change our lives a lot," he said. "And I'd like to help our children buy houses. I'd also like to make a contribution to a charity such as the Make A Wish Foundation."

Based on the world's most popular game show, Wheel of Fortune® is a Nevada MegaJackpots(TM) systems operated by IGT, a world leader in the manufacturing of gaming machines and proprietary software for progressive gaming systems. All IGT MegaJackpots® top awards are paid in annual installments upon verification, except MegaJackpots Instant Winners Jackpots(TM) and Rapid Riches MegaJackpots® awards, which are paid in their entirety upon verification.

North Dakota's Senate has been left to decide the fate of an Internet poker licensing bill without guidance from a key committee whose members split on whether to endorse it. One senator called the idea a "tar baby" of potential lawsuits.

The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked twice on the legislation Friday before agreeing to forward it to the full Senate, without a recommendation on whether it should be approved or defeated.

The committee's chairman, Sen. Jack Traynor, R-Devils Lake, and Sens. John Syverson, R-Fargo, and Connie Triplett, D-Grand Forks, supported the measure. Sens. Tom Trenbeath, R-Cavalier, Nick Hacker, R-Grand Forks, and Carolyn Nelson, D-Fargo, opposed it.

The U.S. Justice Department contends Internet gambling is illegal, and sent a warning letter to Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem relaying the agency's concerns. Trenbeath said the federal agency's opinion influenced his own decision.

"My only true concern with respect to this is ... the tar baby that we might be attaching ourselves to in the threat of a lawsuit by the federal government," Trenbeath said.

Traynor said he was less bothered by the Justice Department's stand. He noted that a federal appeals court decision concluded that the Wire Act, which is a federal anti-gambling law, applied to sports wagering but not to other types of Internet gambling.

"This is persuasive legal authority," said Traynor, who is a lawyer. "I believe it's much more persuasive than a letter from the Justice Department, by someone interpreting the statutes. I would rather have the court interpret the statutes."

To take effect, the legislation also requires an amendment to the North Dakota Constitution. The Senate will consider a separate resolution to put the amendment to a vote in June 2006.

Traynor said that fact made him more comfortable in supporting the Internet poker bill.

"I think it would be judicious for us to let the people decide," Traynor said. "All of the arguments will be out in the open. The people will have an opportunity to evaluate their foundations, and their worth."

The Legislature's committees review proposed bills and make recommendations about whether the full House or Senate should approve or reject them.

Lawmakers often rely on committee advice in deciding how they should vote, and it is unusual for a committee to forward a bill without a recommendation.

Under the legislation, North Dakota's attorney general would be responsible for licensing and regulating Internet poker sites that were based in the state.

The Judiciary Committee did agree on a set of changes to the Internet poker measure, including more specific language on the attorney general's regulatory power. The amendments also require that the state collect at least $1 million in licensing fees before any poker site may operate.

After the full Senate reviews the amendments next week, the Senate Appropriations Committee will look over the bill.

The Appropriations Committee, which helps write North Dakota's two-year budget, has jurisdiction because of the estimated cost of poker industry regulation. The Appropriations Committee will attempt to make its own recommendation on the bill's merits.

Syverson and Triplett said they saw consumer protection benefits in regulating Internet poker. North Dakota would become the first state to license Internet poker sites if the legislation is approved, and if voters approve the constitutional amendment.

"It seems to me that somebody in this country has an obligation to regulate this stuff. And maybe we're not the best people to start it," Triplett said. "But I sure think that somebody needs to be regulating it."

Lobbyists for the Internet poker industry have been pushing the bill, and one Internet gambling executive has described the industry as "crying out" for regulation.

Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, said he was disappointed by the Judiciary Committee's vote. Kasper is the sponsor of both the Internet poker bill and the constitutional amendment, which have both been approved by the House.

"Internet poker is not going away. It's going to grow. The market is worldwide, and North Dakota has an opportunity to benefit from that market," Kasper said.

Former Gov. Arthur Link, a gambling critic who watched the Judiciary Committee's deliberations, said he was optimistic the Senate will defeat the bill.

"I think the attitude of the average member is pretty well crystallizing," Link said. "If I were to judge by the people who speak to me ... they're opposed to the passage of this bill."

The bill is HB1509.
By DALE WETZEL

The internet poker bills are still in the state senate... where some lawmakers still question the legality of allowing on-line gambling.
But the driving force behind the bill appeared before the press today... armed with legal documents he says clear the way for North Dakota to allow internet poker... if the voters say yes.
Representative Jim Kasper says several offshore websites are waiting for a state to give the green light and regulate them... and he says the state that takes the plunge could reap hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues.
He says eighty percent of the funds would go towards property tax relief... and North Dakotans won't have to worry about any federal lawsuits.

Rep. Jim Kasper/(R) Fargo: "Attorney General Stenehjem, in our discussions, defends lawsuits all the time. The governor, as an example, has told the state of North Dakota to proceed with building the ditch out of Devils Lake. The Canadians are objecting and the Minnesotans are objecting. You know what, there may be some legal action there. Well, sometimes you have to take a risk. You have to take a risk based on prudent decision making and what is the benefits to the people of the state of North Dakota."
Kasper says the bill has been amended to require internet poker sites to pay all start-up costs in the state and to contribute to a two million dollar legal defense fund in case the state is sued.

China will award online gaming licences within the next two years, according to one of the leading operators in the region.
“China is a market that will eventually grant some kind of licences for betting, and it could be as soon as two to three years,” Tim Lambe, chief executive of Easybets, said.

"If China is determined to push something through it can happen in months rather than years, but it all depends on how politically sensitive it is as the time."

Lambe tipped Citic Pacific, the huge Hong Kong-based construction and financial firm, to obtain the first licence.

Citic recently opened a Macau-based betting exchange through a white-label deal with Irish firm Betdaq.

And Lambe said the firm would not have taken the surprising move if it was not confident of the potential for a Chinese licence further down the road.

“Citic have strong connections in China at the highest levels, and there is speculation they might be able to lobby to get licences in China,” Lambe said.

"Initially it may start in the border provinces, but then it will start moving inwards into the big cities."

Although the Chinese authorities are currently in the midst of a high-profile crackdown on internet gambling, operators in the region are confident regulation is looking increasingly likely.

Several of egaming’s biggest names are currently targeting the Chinese-speaking world, with Ladbrokes one of the highest-profile firms in the region.

Alternative payment processing firm NETeller is one firm with big plans for the region, and it announced last week it had bought Macau-based payment firm Quick Access.

Quick Access, owned by Macau telecom service provider CTM, operates the leading debit-based payment solution 1Pay.

IT is a big deal now on some US campuses.

And some see it as a dangerous trend.

Spurred by televised poker championships and a proliferation of websites that offer online poker game, Ivy Leagues and state universities alike have seen a spurt in the popularity of poker games.

Columbia University for one held a 80-player with a minimum $10 bet, while the University of North Carolina held one with 175 players last year, reported the New York Times.

At the University of Pennsylvania, games are a nightly event.

'It's the TV programmes that are driving it,' said Ms Elizabeth George, chief executive of the North American Training Institute, a non-profit organisation that specialises in the problems of pathological and underage gambling.

'Young people particularly are drawn to it. There are superstars, then there's advertising, plus the Internet.

'So with all of those elements, put that into a bag and shake it up and what you have is a remarkably dangerous situation.'

Mr Dan Kline, president of the poker society at the University of Pennsylvania, says that everyone is playing poker at his university.

NAIVE ABOUT DANGERS

'When we started this thing in 2002, about 10 people joined,' Mr Kline said.

'Now when we have a tournament, we'll get 500 people responding in a half-hour to our e-mail.'

Some experts said they fear that college-age gamblers are swallowing the hype of big-stakes poker without coming to grips with the dangers of addiction.

'With gambling on TV, there's been lots of glamorisation, but not much responsibility,' said Mr Keith S Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

'The administrations don't do a good job of telling students how to get help,' he said, 'the same way they're sending the 'prevention and responsibility' messages for alcohol, substance abuse and date rape.'

LOVE FOR POKER AFFECTS STUDIES

THIS Princeton University student claims he has won big sums since he started playing poker. But his studies have gone down the drain.

Mr Michael Sandberg, 22, splits his time between Princeton, where he is a senior and a politics major, and Atlantic City, where he plays high-stakes poker.

Since September, he said, he has won US$120,000 ($194,000), including $30,000 in Atlantic City and $90,000 playing at PartyPoker.

He told the New York Times that his parents are aware that he loves playing poker, but don't know that he spends almost every weekend in Atlantic City, nor how much he has earned.

His mother, he said, 'thinks I just don't tell her about the times I lose'.

But his weakness for poker caused him to fail an exam and he ranks in the bottom fifth of his class.

IT is a big deal now on some US campuses.

And some see it as a dangerous trend.

Spurred by televised poker championships and a proliferation of websites that offer online poker game, Ivy Leagues and state universities alike have seen a spurt in the popularity of poker games.

Columbia University for one held a 80-player with a minimum $10 bet, while the University of North Carolina held one with 175 players last year, reported the New York Times.

At the University of Pennsylvania, games are a nightly event.

'It's the TV programmes that are driving it,' said Ms Elizabeth George, chief executive of the North American Training Institute, a non-profit organisation that specialises in the problems of pathological and underage gambling.

'Young people particularly are drawn to it. There are superstars, then there's advertising, plus the Internet.

'So with all of those elements, put that into a bag and shake it up and what you have is a remarkably dangerous situation.'

Mr Dan Kline, president of the poker society at the University of Pennsylvania, says that everyone is playing poker at his university.

NAIVE ABOUT DANGERS

'When we started this thing in 2002, about 10 people joined,' Mr Kline said.

'Now when we have a tournament, we'll get 500 people responding in a half-hour to our e-mail.'

Some experts said they fear that college-age gamblers are swallowing the hype of big-stakes poker without coming to grips with the dangers of addiction.

'With gambling on TV, there's been lots of glamorisation, but not much responsibility,' said Mr Keith S Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling.

'The administrations don't do a good job of telling students how to get help,' he said, 'the same way they're sending the 'prevention and responsibility' messages for alcohol, substance abuse and date rape.'

LOVE FOR POKER AFFECTS STUDIES

THIS Princeton University student claims he has won big sums since he started playing poker. But his studies have gone down the drain.

Mr Michael Sandberg, 22, splits his time between Princeton, where he is a senior and a politics major, and Atlantic City, where he plays high-stakes poker.

Since September, he said, he has won US$120,000 ($194,000), including $30,000 in Atlantic City and $90,000 playing at PartyPoker.

He told the New York Times that his parents are aware that he loves playing poker, but don't know that he spends almost every weekend in Atlantic City, nor how much he has earned.

His mother, he said, 'thinks I just don't tell her about the times I lose'.

But his weakness for poker caused him to fail an exam and he ranks in the bottom fifth of his class.