Casino Buzz

Bars across the country have attempted to capitalize on the poker craze by offering free poker tournaments where winners can earn bragging rights, cash prizes and even entries to big casino tournaments.

But there may soon be an easier way for watering holes to invite wagering on poker games without attracting attention from local law enforcement. PokerTek, which makes an electronic, dealerless poker game for casinos, is also rolling out a poker game for bars, restaurants and other noncasino venues that plays like a video game.

Resembling the sit-down "Pac-Man" games of old, the "Heads-Up Challenge" game allows two people to play no-limit hold 'em poker on digital green felt for about $4.

But that probably won't be the only money changing hands.

"People are going to bet on these things like crazy," said Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. In other words, why spend only $4 when you and your buddy could each lay side bets of $50 on the action? Spectators could also grow that pot, he said.
By Liz Benston

The advice in this column may seem counterintuitive at first, but soon you'll understand why it actually makes sense to bluff more and play more aggressively against skilled opponents. The old-school rule on this topic has always been to play tough competitors very cautiously, favoring a more conservative, straightforward approach to the game. I agree with that thinking for the most part.

However, when every player in the game is a real tough cookie, well, that changes everything dramatically. Suppose you're in a cash game with just one solid player and the others are all novices. It just wouldn't make sense for you to tangle with the shark, especially if you have a marginal hand. You'd be better off avoiding him whenever possible. Instead, look to exploit mistakes that the weaker players will eventually make. Let's tweak that scenario a little bit.

This time you're playing tournament poker. At your table you find Doyle Brunson, Gus Hansen, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Ted Forrest — some of the best players in the world. If this weren't a tournament, your best move would be to pack it in and find a softer game. Unfortunately, that's simply not an option in tournament play. The first thing you should do — even before playing a single hand — would be to ask a floorman about the table breaking order. Knowing this information will help you gauge how long you'll likely be stuck at this tough table.

If your table is one of the earliest to break, tighten up your game. Don't get involved with marginal hands. Conserve your chips; you'll want as many as possible when you get to an easier table after the break. Now, if your table isn't set to break for a long while, face it, you'll be forced to play against the big boys. As much as you might like to sit back and play ABC poker — slowly accumulating chips by playing strong hands and rarely bluffing — that approach isn't going to work well against Doyle and his pals. Remember, great players won't pay you off on your strong hands. They'll push you around like a mop if you lay down your cards when nothing solid hits on the flop. It's a tough situation. To succeed, you've got to be willing to go down fighting.

It's all about recognizing when you're outclassed and then doing something about it. In these situations, play borderline hands aggressively, bluff more often in dangerous situations, and take more calculated risk than you normally would.

Here's an example. Playing against a pro, you're dealt Kh-10h. You hit a flush draw when the flop comes Qh-7s-2h. This is precisely the kind of situation that calls for an aggressive approach. If your opponent leads out with a bet, raise him back. Unless he has a very strong hand himself, or puts you on a bluff, he might very well fold. And even if he does call your raise, you still have a chance to win the pot by catching another heart.

When playing against a table full of novices, however, go ahead and play that ABC style of poker. There's no need to take big risks; eventually one of the weak players at the table will make a big mistake and hand his chips to you.

So, in that same example, if a novice bets the flop, your best course of action would be to simply call. If you raise, he'd probably call anyway, putting you in a position where you'd need to get lucky to win. Relying on good luck is not the way to play against a weaker opponent.
By Daniel Negreanu

David "Chip" Reese, whose mix of intellect, poise and nerve propelled him to renowned eminence among the minuscule club of those who convene to wager millions on poker games, died Dec. 4 at his home in Las Vegas. He was 56.

His friend Doyle Brunson, also a renowned poker player, said Reese appeared to have died of a heart attack the same day he learned he had pneumonia.

At age 6, Reese was beating fifth-graders at card games. He so dominated poker play at his Dartmouth fraternity that it named the card room after him. He was admitted to Stanford Law School but gave up plans to go there after stopping in Las Vegas and turning $400 into $66,000. His placid sans-souci mien was a professional gambler's dream.

"I can bet $100,000 and feel nothing," he said in an interview with People magazine in 2003. "If you think about the money and what it means, you're gone."

Reese won three World Series of Poker events, the crown jewels of tournament poker, but his preference was for high-stakes private games with high rollers.

Even as better-known poker players appeared under bright lights for television, he lurked off camera in games with considerably more remunerative potential.

"Many consider Chip the greatest cash player who ever lived," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker.

Brunson and Reese played regularly at Bobby's Room in the Bellagio hotel in an event called the Big Game, in which $100,000 buys a seat and $2 million can be won or lost.

Reese became the 19th person inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1991, the third living player and the youngest.

In his last years, Reese played publicly only so his children could see him on television.

David Edward Reese was born March 28, 1951, in Centerville, Ohio, and attributed his later success to contracting rheumatic fever during his first year of elementary school. His mother stayed at home and taught him card games. Once he was well, he won almost every baseball card in the neighborhood.

In high school, he played football and debated, winning an Ohio state championship and advancing to the national finals. At Dartmouth, he vanquished professors as well as students at bridge, gin rummy and poker.

It was in 1974 that Reese visited Las Vegas with $400 in his pocket and slowly built his bankroll to $20,000 in moderate-stakes poker games. One evening at the Flamingo Hotel, he decided he could beat the high rollers at seven-card stud, his game. He left with $66,000 and the beginning of a reputation. His first World Series victories were in 1978 and 1982.

Reese also won big and regularly in other forms of gambling, including backgammon, chess and sports betting; he and Brunson also ran a successful sports-betting tout service for a time, until the Securities and Exchange Commission tightened rules for 900 phone numbers.

Unlike many, Reese could leave a table when he was losing: He was once $700,000 behind when he left to watch his son's Little League game.
By Douglas Martin

LAS VEGAS (AP) — David "Chip" Reese, a card star who won one of the biggest cash games in the world and three World Series of Poker championships, has died. He was 56.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

None of the ventures was successful, Brunson said.

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

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

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

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

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

Casinos and other poker tournament sponsors will be required to report most payouts to winners and the Internal Revenue Service next year.

Some casinos and players have questioned whether sponsors who hold money for participants in a poker tournament are required to report the winnings to the IRS and withhold tax on the winnings.

The new requirement, which goes into effect March 4, 2008, is designed to clarify tax-reporting rules for poker tournaments.

For tournaments completed before March 4, casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments will not be required to report winnings or withhold tax. After then, the IRS will require all sponsors to report winnings exceeding $5,000, most likely on an IRS Form W-2G.

Tournament sponsors who comply do not need to withhold federal income tax. If a sponsor does not report winnings, the IRS will enforce the requirement and require the sponsor to pay any tax that should have been withheld from the winner if the requirement had been asserted.

Withholding normally is 25 percent of any amounts that should have been reported.

For tournament sponsors to comply, a winner must provide a taxpayer identification number to a sponsor. If a winner fails to do so, the sponsor must withhold federal income tax at the rate of 28 percent.

Tournament winners by law must report all winnings on federal income tax returns regardless of the amount whether the winner receives a Form W-2G or any other reporting form.
by Christian Moises

( PRWEB ) December 1, 2007 -- Following a recent evaluation of the current business, the management of Universal Gaming Concepts Inc. decided that it is no longer feasible to continue to operate the Global Player brands.

"The current changes in the legal and economic landscape of the gaming industry has made it increasingly difficult for us to compete and retain our market share" said Giancarlo Bettini, CEO of UGC Inc. "The strategic decision to cease operations while we are still in the position to satisfy our obligations to players, vendors, affiliates and staff reinforces our integrity and commitment to good business practices."

The Global Player brand has enjoyed eight successful years in the online gambling space starting with its launch in September 1999 using its own proprietary casino software and has continued with its re-launch on Boss Media's casino and poker platform in May of this year.

About Universal Gaming Concepts Inc.
Universal Gaming Concepts Inc. ("UGC") is a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Gaming Concepts Billing and Customer Support Ltd., Ireland. The company, which is licensed and bonded by the Government of Antigua & Barbuda, has been operating Online since 1999.

In a structured-limit game, like $10-$20 Limit Hold'em, you'll face simple decisions when it comes to betting: check, bet the designated amount, or raise.

Players don't have to think about how much to bet and raise, because both actions are predetermined by the structure.

That's not the case in No Limit Texas Hold'em. It's a more complex game with multiple betting variables to consider and more decisions.

In this column, we'll examine one of the more common sources of disagreement among expert players: How much to raise pre-flop.

Let's look at an example.

In a game with blinds at $400-$800, plus a $100 ante, the minimum raise is to $1,600. You won't see many professionals make that raise, however. They're much more likely to raise to three times the big blind, the industry standard making it $2,400 to go.

I can live with that kind of raise in some cases but caution that you shouldn't go with it in all situations. If you did, you'd become far too predictable, and that's bad for your game.

Leave betting options
I tend to play a small-ball style in No Limit Hold'em, with a standard pre-flop raise of 2 1/2 times the big blind. So, in this same example, I'd usually raise to $2,000 but would always leave myself betting options.

Why? Because in poker, always doing this or never doing that isn't optimal; you've got to be willing to mix it up.

Let's add a twist to our sample hand.

Say two players called the $800 bet before the action gets to you. Well, if you're planning to raise, make it some amount greater than three times the blind.

Since the other players have clearly shown interest in the hand, it's almost certain that they'd call an additional $1,600. And that might be just what you want. If it is, keep in mind that they'd probably call another $2,200, or even $3,000 more.

You see, the greater the number of players that call the $800 in front of you, the larger pre-flop raise you should make. When multiple opponents call before the flop, the pot grows so large that they'll be enticed to try to chase you down. The perceived payoff is worth the extra chips.

When several players limp into the pot and you want to raise, ask yourself these questions before you act:

• Do I want all these players to call?
• Do I want everyone to fold so I can steal the pot?
• Do I want all but one of the players out so I can play the hand heads-up?
Then, after you've clarified your objective, decide the amount you need to raise to increase the chances of achieving your goal.

Want to steal the pot?
If there's $4,000 in there, and your goal is to steal the pot without seeing a flop, make a large raise to force out players with marginal hands. That might mean raising as much as $5,000 or more.

Or, if you have pocket aces and hope to get a little action, you might raise only another $2,400. That size raise might even induce someone else to re-raise before the flop.

There's no perfect amount to raise in No Limit Hold'em, but you can properly size your bet within a range that will best accomplish your objective. As your poker skills improve, you'll be able to read situations quickly and come up with a raise that feels about right.

As with most things in life, practice makes perfect in poker, too. It will become easier to determine the proper pre-flop raise in different situations as you gain more playing experience.
By DANIEL NEGREANU

BURNABY, BC, November 14, 2007 --- ESI Entertainment Systems Inc. ("ESI") (TSX:ESY) a leading provider of secure payment processing services to international e-commerce industries, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Citadel Commerce Corp., has commenced live operations of Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer.

Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer is a revolutionary payment solution that provides the capability for consumers to instantly and securely pay for purchased items using local bank transfers, with real time notification of funds receipt to the merchant. This is accomplished by the consumer logging into their own Internet banking system and securely initiating a payment to a Citadel owned bank account.

Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer is a new alternative payment solution that supports an international base of banks without relying on traditional banking infrastructure. It encompasses a payment interface that can be easily and rapidly integrated directly into merchant sites, along with a sophisticated fully automated backend that supports and reconciles a large network of international bank accounts, handles foreign currencies, and supports international treasury management functions.

"We are very pleased to have formed strategic relationships with a select group of key large merchants, who have commenced using our new product for international payment processing", stated Michael Meeks, President of ESI and Citadel Commerce. "We feel Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer provides a very fast and cost effective international payment solution which no other payment processor or bank can offer. We have been able to create a world class solution, and with ongoing guidance and input from our key merchants, we will continue to enhance and evolve the product."

Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer presently supports real time payments from Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Spain, and United Kingdom, with additional countries constantly being added.

Citadel Rapid Bank Transfer is available for direct integration to merchant sites for both debit and credit transactions, and is also available via Citadel's myCitadel World Wide Wallet. Citadel also supports international paper cheque payouts in local currencies drawn on local banks.

Miami, FL ( PRWEB ) November 8, 2007 -- Absolute Poker today announced a new weekly online poker tournament that promises to catapult the winner into the industry's most popular guaranteed events.

"We've extended the excitement of our guaranteed weekend tourneys by brining an incredible new event into the mix," stated David Clainer, senior vice president for Absolute Poker.

The online poker site has added the Absolute Poker Triple Header to its tournament schedule. The single Texas Hold'em tournament takes place every Monday at 20:30 ET and pays out a seat in three major online poker tournaments including:

• Saturday's $150,000 Guaranteed Poker Tournament
• Sunday's $75,000 Guaranteed Tournament
• Wednesday's $100,000 Pro Bounty

Collectively, the three online poker tournaments feature $325,000 in guaranteed prize money. Online poker players can buy directly into the event for $150+12 or satellite into the tournament for as little as $5.

Complete details on the Absolute Poker Triple Header are available at Absolute Poker.

About Absolute Poker
Team Absolute is dedicated to providing players from around the world with an online poker game experience that is second to none. Players worldwide can access Absolute Poker online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any PC or Mac and experience the best multi-player game online poker has to offer. Absolute Poker is committed to remaining the most trusted and best online poker experience, created by poker players for poker players.

October 30, 2007 (London, UK) Premier poker magazine, Bluff Europe, and the UK’s only licensed bespoke poker club, Dusk Till Dawn (DTD) in Nottingham, have teamed up to offer the membership of DTD with free copies of Europe’s #1 poker publication.

“We’re tremendously excited that Dusk Till Dawn has finally been given the green light. We’re committed to being Europe’s premier poker club,” said Dusk Till Dawn’s Media Executive, Adam O’Connell. “Furthermore, our players want to read the best poker magazines and in Bluff Europe, we’ve got the best.”

“Of course we want to work with Dusk Till Dawn,” added Bluff Europe Editor-in-Chief Michael Caselli. “They are Europe’s biggest card room! Besides that, they have worked so hard to make this club a reality that they deserve all the support that the industry can bring. We are supporting them the best way we can, by supplying magazines to their members and by offering them some space in our Grass Roots section to tell the rest of Europe what these guys are doing up in Nottingham. These are exciting times for poker in Europe!”

History was made when Dusk Till Dawn (DTD) was issued with a casino license making it the UK’s first legal bespoke poker club and the largest card room in Western Europe.

On Saturday 1st December, Dusk Till Dawn will be hosting the most exclusive poker tournament in Europe. Only 108 players will be allowed to enter, the majority of whom will have been personally invited. It's a hot ticket that can't be bought for love nor money, but it can be acquired by skill! Bluff Europe will be following the action in its January Edition.

October 29, 2007 -- Poker players who descended on Capitol Hill last week face long odds in trying to convince Congress to legalize playing the card game on the Internet.

But one wild card could force Washington's hand: an international trade dispute with Antigua over online gambling that could end up leaving the U.S. on the hook for billions of dollars.

The World Trade Organization recently ruled that the U.S. violated its international treaty commitments by going after offshore online gambling outfits without cracking down on American operators offering remote betting on horse and dog racing.

After the ruling, Washington said it would remove Internet gambling from its WTO treaty obligations. That raised the ire of such allies as Europe and Japan, which filed separate compensation claims against the U.S.

"In a matter of months, you're going to see billions of dollars in trade sanctions coming down against the United States," former New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the lobbying group Poker Players Alliance, told The Post.

"Then, I believe we will start to have a profoundly new and different group lobbying, saying you've got to stop this prohibition [on Internet gambling]," he said. "We look like the ugly American."

Playing poker online for money isn't explicitly illegal in the U.S. And Congress stopped short of passing an outright ban on Internet gambling sites last October.

Instead, lawmakers cracked down by banning credit card companies from making payments to online gambling sites through legislation snuck on to a late-night bill on port security.

The Poker Players Alliance, which fronts Chris Moneymaker, Annie Duke and many other poker champions, met with about 50 members of Congress to try to build support for two pro-online gambling bills.

One bill from Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) would broadly legalize and regulate Internet gambling. Another more narrow proposal from Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) would allow Internet poker bets by grouping poker with other skill games, such as backgammon and chess.
By JANET WHITMAN

SANTA MONICA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning Monday, November 5, GSN's HIGH STAKES POKER raises the cash buy-in for the world's best poker players from $100,000 to $500,000. This television first presents over five million dollars of the player's own money at risk. Unlike poker tournament shows, HIGH STAKES POKER is the only "cash game" televised of no-limit Texas Hold'em and airs Mondays at 9 PM ET/8:00 PM CT on GSN.
HIGH STAKES POKER IV will feature seven episodes with the half a million dollar buy-in action. The all-star line-up includes a who's who of the poker world and one ultra successful businessman. Sitting down at the table are the following players:
Doyle Brunson: Regarded as arguably the greatest player of
all-time. Brunson has won 10 World Series of Poker
bracelets.
Sammy Farha: One of the most popular and successful cash game
players, Farha has played in all four seasons of
HSP.
David Benyamine: Originally from France, Benyamine is a cash game
specialist who regularly plays in the "Big Game" in
Las Vegas.
Barry Greenstein: Excels at both cash games and tournaments.
Greenstein authored the popular poker book, Ace on
the River.
Antonio Esfandiari: "The Magician" has appeared on all four seasons of
HSP and excels at both tournaments and cash games.
Jamie Gold: Gold was the winner of the 2006 World Series of
Poker with the largest grand prize ever of over $12
million.
Daniel Negreanu: One of the biggest stars in poker, Negreanu has won
multiple tournaments and been involved in some of
the largest hands ever on HSP.
Patrik Antonius: Antonius is one of the top cash game players from
Finland and his buy-in this season was $1 million.
Guy Laliberte: A newcomer to HSP, Laliberte is a successful
businessman who is the co-founder and CEO of Cirque
du Soleil. Laliberte is donating a portion of his
winnings to his charity, the One Drop foundation.

Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza call the action on HIGH STAKES POKER. New episodes of HSP IV are on Monday nights at 9 PM with encore showings on Saturday nights at 7 PM and Wednesday nights at 2 AM.

Well-known poker player Russell Fox, an Enrolled Agent who is admitted to practice before the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), will be a Featured Presenter at the First Annual California Poker Players Conference (CPPC) being hosted by the Hollywood Park Casino in Inglewood, California on Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21. The CPPC, one of this year’s premiere “poker education” events, is being held in conjunction with the National Championship of Poker.

In what may be the first public discussion of a new IRS regulation related to poker tournament play, slated to go into effect in early 2008, Fox will explain what the regulation means and how it may have significant impact on millions of people playing in poker tournaments, and on the casinos that host poker tournaments.

Fox will also participate in a special Panel Discussion at the CPPC on Sunday afternoon with other leading experts from the poker world.

You can register for the CPPC by visiting the Web site (http://www.2007CPPC.com) or by phoning Marilyn Brison at the Hollywood Park Casino: (310) 330-2841, ext. 2601. Registration in advance of the first day of the conference saves 10%. In addition, Hollywood Park Casino has a special gift for the first 97 conference registrants.

For those coming from out of town, Hollywood Park Casino has arranged a special low “stay and play” lodging rate of only $89 per night at the nearby Renaissance Hotel (9620 Airport Blvd.). Contact Marilyn Brison at (310) 330-2841, ext. 2601 who will make your reservations for you.

BARCELONA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Sportingbet is in talks with U.S. authorities over a deal that could end the threat of prosecution for taking bets there, the British gambling firm's chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday.

Andy McIver added that trading over the first two months of the company's new financial year had been "in-line with market expectations", with early season soccer results helping cushion horse race cancellations in Australia due to an outbreak of equine flu.

"It (race cancellations) has impacted around 200,000 pounds but not enough for us to issue a profit warning" McIver told Reuters on the sidelines of the European i-Gaming conference.

He revealed Sportingbet was, like rivals Party Gaming, in talks with U.S. authorities to cut a deal to end the threat of retrospective prosecution for taking wagers from U.S. punters before online gambling was effectively outlawed a year ago.

"We are in talks. It's a very slow process, you work to their agenda," said McIver.

"They have never named a figure (fine) but talked about a formula... All the conversations we have had have all been amicable and have all been constructive."

The legality of Internet gambling in the United States was ambiguous for many years, but it was effectively banned last October when President George W. Bush signed legislation outlawing financial payments for gambling.

Since then, U.S. authorities have prosecuted some founders of online firms as well company executives.

If the threat of prosecution is removed, analysts say, there could be a rush of online gambling firm mergers as the biggest players look to bulk up their online poker networks and save on expensive software, call centres and advertising.

They say it will also allow firms to borrow meaningfully from currently wary banks to speed their acquisition ambitions as well as hand cash back to shareholders.
By Marc Jones

September 26, 2007 (London, UK) – Teenage poker sensation Annette Obrestad is the poker phenomenon that took the world by storm when she became the first woman and youngest poker player ever to win a Main Event at the World Series of Poker.

The Norwegian player fought off some of the best players in the world who’d congregated in London for the £10,000 buy-in, 6-day tournament. To celebrate, Bluff Europe has a series of interview outtakes which it is releasing in the lead up to the exclusive full post-win interview in Bluff Europe Magazine’s October Issue.

Eighteen-year-old Obrestad (who turned 19, days after the main event finished) beat off 362 runners to win £1,000,000 ($2 million) and the coveted gold bracelet. Best recognised by her online handle, Annette_15, Annette tells all in an emotionally charged interview held moments after winning the poker world’s highest honour, and its £1 million cash prize.

Interview Outtake #2 – Annette on emerging from the shadows into the live arena:

“I think I preferred playing online a year ago, but now I prefer live. It’s just so different and exciting.”

Interview Outtake #3 – On her cult internet stardom:

“You have rails online where people are wishing me good luck on every table I’m playing. When I’m all-in deep in a tournament, the chat box is full of people going, ‘Ace-ace-ace-ace!’ It’s real cute because everyone is rooting for me.”

“The WSOPE proved that a World Series could be staged successfully out of the US,” said Bluff Europe editor-in-chief Michael Caselli. “It was tremendous to see a European player crowned champion and I thank Harrah’s, Betfair and The Empire Casino on behalf of Bluff Europe and our readers who will now get to meet the lucky winner.”

October’s Bluff Europe will feature Annette_15 on its cover and will provide an overview of the WSOPE in the lead-up to the interview.

Absolute Poker reaffirms its commitment to the US marketplace. The popular online poker website plans on launching some new initiatives in the coming weeks that will appeal to both US and worldwide players.

Miami, FL (PRWE September 15, 2007 -- Absolute Poker today reaffirmed its commitment to the US market by announcing that it intends to further enhance the online poker experience for US players.

"There's never been a more exciting time for US players at Absolute Poker," stated David Clainer, Senior Vice President for Absolute Poker. "Bad Beat Jackpot and the Absolute Dream Package continue to attract Texas Hold'em fans in droves and our players can look forward to some exciting, new initiatives launching in the coming weeks."

The popular online poker website is offering all US-based first time depositors a lucrative 100% Deposit Bonus up to $500. Full details on the limited-time bonus are available at www.absolutepoker.com.

Absolute Poker and the Absolute Poker website are solely owned and operated by Tokwiro Enterprises ENRG, Route 138, Kahnawake, Quebec J0L 1B0. Tokwiro Enterprises ENRG is owned by a Mohawk of Kahnawake and is operated from the sovereign nation of the Mohawks of Kahnawake, located near Montreal Quebec. The Mohawks of Kahnawake have an aboriginal right to conduct online gaming that is recognized and protected by the Canadian Constitution.

Absolute Poker is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (http://www.kahnawake.com/gamingcommission/) that enforces regulations designed to ensure, amongst other goals, that: (1) only suitable persons/entities operate within Kahnawake; (2) all games offered are fair to the player; and (3) all winners are paid.

About Absolute Poker:
Team Absolute is dedicated to providing players from around the world with the best online poker game experience that is second to none. Players worldwide can access Absolute Poker online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from any PC or Mac and experience the best multi-player game online poker has to offer. Absolute Poker is committed to remaining the most trusted and best online poker experience, created by poker players for poker players.

Atlanta, GA (July 31, 2007) Bluff Magazine (www.bluffmagazine.com), America’s leading poker magazine, announced today that voting is now open for the Magazine’s Annual Readers Choice Awards.

Categories for the 2007 Bluff Reader’s Choice Awards include: Most Entertaining Player to Watch, Favorite Pro Poker Player, Best Poker Broadcast, Best Live Tournament, Best All-Around Online and Live Poker Room, and Best WPT/WSOP Satellite.

“The first Bluff Magazine reader’s choice awards were a tremendous success and gave the readers clout and a say in shaping the future of poker. We’ve expanded the categories this year based on readers’ input including ”Best Poker Blog” which will make this year’s voting that much more compelling for the poker fan” said Eric Morris, Co-President of Bluff Magazine.

Bluff Magazine readers and poker fans worldwide can participate in Bluff Magazine’s 2nd Annual Readers Choice Awards by visiting www.bluffmagazine.com or directly by visiting www.bluffmagazine.com/readersChoice/. All voters will automatically qualify for a chance to win one of five World Series of Poker Academy entries. Instructors this year at the Academy include former WSOP Main Event Winners Phil Hellmuth, Greg Raymer, and Joseph Hachem.

Contact: Jimmy Shapiro, Zucker Media Group
425-292-0425, js@zuckermediagroup.com

About Bluff Media (www.bluffmagazine.com)
Bluff Media is the publisher of BLUFF magazine, America's leading poker publication, and publisher of newly launched FIGHT! Magazine, a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) publication. Bluff Media pioneered poker on the radio by broadcasting final table play-by-play of 2006 World Series of Poker events on satellite radio. Bluff currently owns the digital rights to the 2007 World Series of Poker. Bluff Media continues to be a leader in covering the world of competitive poker through its various print, internet, and broadcast media properties.

Dear Mark: I finally hit my first royal flush in over twenty years of playing video poker, but first, my confession. I didn't play -- as you always recommend -- the full amount required. I lost out on a 4,000-coin payout and received just 500 coins because I only played two dollars. I just wanted to share what happened to me with your readers so that others will not experience my win/lose event. Anita R.

It's hard to fashion a graceful way to put congratulations and condolences in the same sentence, but I suppose you deserve both.

Correct you are, Anita, that I have always recommended that you should play the full amount, but it's still the players responsibility to eyeball all the posted information concerning the number of coins to insert, lines needed to be lit, prizes or awards to be had.

Had Anita looked at the paytable that was smack dab in front of her, one small though not infinitesimal caveat should have set off pre-jackpot bells and whistles. She should have noticed a non-symmetrical progression on the royal flush payline.

A typical royal flush payline looks like this: 250, 500, 750, 1000, 4000. She missed the jump in payout when a fifth coin is inserted. That royal flush is so dominant in the casino payout calculations for video poker machines that not playing that fifth coin not only cost her champagne wishes and caviar dreams, but by playing the machine short, it will cost her 12% over the long haul.

Hey, and you slot players, listen up.

For almost all multiple-pay and multiple-play slot machines, playing the maximum coin level also yields the best percentage payback. Again, note the proportional differences among payoff categories. For example: One coin inserted pays 500 coins, two coins 1000, and three coins a tidy 4000. Pay dirt comes when you play three coins, but play fewer, you payback spirals south.

My parting thought is that if you can afford to play the maximum coins allowed, do so. If you can't hack it on a one-dollar one-armed bandit, switch to a lower denomination machine.

Dear Mark: In a recent article, a writer asked about blackjack where the dealer does not take a hole card until all hands have been played. I got on a cruse ship in San Juan, PR, and was introduced to this game. I watched a few hands and ran like hell. All the casinos that I could find played with this same rule. What a license to steal! Charlie L.

Living here in the states, I'm no expert on Puerto Rican blackjack (yep, I know people born in Puerto Rico are statutory U.S. citizens), but looking down on it from 36,000 feet, there is no need to go into a sorry Charlie tizzy unless the player loses their entire wager on splits or doubling against a natural.

As I have stated before, the casino advantage remains the same whether the dealer takes a hole card and peeks, or waits until play is complete.

Here's the deal, Charlie. If a player does split or double, and only the original bet is swept into the tray when the dealer has a natural, then the casinos don't have your called "license to steal" over a player.

The abracadabra black magic the casino does possess over all players is that you must act on your hand before the dealer takes action on his or hers. That is where their advantage lies.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "It's not whether you won or lost, but how many bad-beat stories you were able to tell." -- Grantland Rice, Sportswriter

Dear Mark: If casino claims that certain machines pays back “such and such” percentage, can I be reasonably sure than I’m playing on “such and such” machine.” Kay D.

Casinos regularly advertise their machines’ “such and such” percentage payback, sometimes with percentages as high as 98% plus. But their claim (advertisement) most likely crawfishes with, “on select machines.” The fishing expedition to find them falls to you, since in most cases that percentage is not posted on the machine itself, and generally will be limited to a few banks of machines in the casino.

If you can’t locate banks of machines through signage that states they are certified to return a certain payback percentage, avoid the legwork, Kay, and ask a slot employee, and if he or she doesn’t know, have one of them ask a direct supervisor.

Dear Mark: When I use my Player’s Card while playing slots, will all my winning be automatically reported to the IRS? Mary F.

The casino does NOT collectively add up your smaller wins and report the total to the IRS. Likewise, the use of a slot card has no effect on your tax liability. With any jackpot of $1,200 or more in a single spin -- which includes the original wager -- the casino will issue you a W2G and report the win whether or not a slot card is used.

Apart from your individual slot wins over $1,200, you are on the honor system on whether to report a net win over the entire year.

Dear Mark: I am about to play in my first EBJ tournament. Any advice? Jimmy O.

Yeah, practice, practice, and practice some more.

What Jimmy meant by an EBJ tournament is an Elimination Blackjack Tournament, and the strategy needed by him to be successful differs from that designed for your standard blackjack game found in the casino. His main objective in this game is to beat his opponents, not the house.

So what I’m recommending is that Jimmy play as many FREE tournaments as possible, and one such web site, PlayUBT.com, allows anyone to do just that. (Note: I’m not encouraging online gambling with your hard-earned money, but playing with no skin in the game).

Playing countless hands, especially at high speed online, helps you figure out how to keep from getting knocked out, especially when you get to elimination hands, betting strategies, hand play, understanding position, and chip counting, all at zero cost.

Let us know how you do, Jimmy.

Dear Mark: Can you please explain why the dealer has the advantage in draw poker? Stephan M.

Because with any draw poker game, before anyone does draw, the dealer gets information about how everyone bets before it is his or her turn to act.

Then at the time of the draw, he or she gets additional information about how many cards their opponents take, and, again, after the draw, he/she gets even more information about how they bet.

In a game like Texas Hold 'em, betting proceeds from the dealer's left, around the table and back to the observant dealer, amassing information on how each player plays their hand before having to act. This positional edge, Stephan, is known as dealer advantage.

Dear Mark: I read your article a couple of weeks ago regarding the odds of getting a royal in seven cards. What are the odds of getting one on the flop in Hold’em? I got one two weeks ago. Ken B.

There’s a total of 2,598,960 different possible hands that can initially be dealt to you, or 649,760 for each of four suits. Since you are only going to see five cards total at the flop, the odds of what would be a natural royal flush of your hand would be one to 649,760.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Chance, in some form, is a fundamental part of the way we perceive reality and can never be eliminated." --Mike Orkin
By Mark Pilarski

Dear Mark: In poker, is it taboo to ask opponents how they would play a particular hand? Jim F.

Not only is there nothing wrong with asking opponents for their opinions, Jim, I actually encourage it.

Nothing gives you more information about how an opponent plays than simply asking. Players love to hear themselves talk, especially about how skillful they are in playing a hand.

Those rarely volunteered operational schemes may come out over weeks of observation, but can be cheerfully had in mere seconds just by inquiring. Strange but true.
Dear Mark: Do dollar slot machines pay back the same amount as dollar video poker machines? Janice B.

Video Poker machines are much more liberal than slots, with paybacks ranging from 96% to over 100%, while slots range from 85% to 97% in comparable coin denominations.

With Video Poker, when you add comps and other slot club benefits, it’s not hard to break even or better, thus, your chances of winning at video poker are far greater. Best of all, Janice, you can easily determine the most liberal video poker machines just by eyeballing their paytables.

With slots, the paybacks are based on the generosity of the casino; and, as a breed, they are not necessarily known for their philanthropy.

Dear Mark: You mention in a previous column using a winning progressive method of betting by predetermining a percentage increase from each winning bet. You stated increasing your winning bets by approximately 50% after the second win. But don’t most who use this strategy begin the 50% progression after the first win? David M.

The $10 $15, $22, $30, $45 — repeat ad infinitum may work just fine, but locking up that first $10 wager as a winner, then progressively betting more, appeals to me. My conservative nature coming through, I suppose.

Dear Mark: You mentioned last week that sitting to the left of a loose player was the best place to sit. Is there any best place to sit for getting the best cards? Jeff G.

First off, Jeff, it isn’t just sitting to the left of a loose player that does it; most of the profits you will make at poker will come from your right. And that’s because of your positional advantage over those players. There is nothing more powerful in poker than seeing what the other player does before you act.

As to where to park your fanny for those good cards, well, because all cards are in theory randomly arranged, no seat is any better than any other. You should expect to get cards of the same value, no matter where you sit.

Sure, after a few hours of play you’ll notice that some seats have been blessed by “lady luck,” but that’s hindsight, and not something you can predict in advance. If you could, you wouldn’t be reading this column.

Dear Mark: At our weekly poker game, we often discuss how we should handle the dealer selecting the poker game he favors. Which is fairer, before each hand, or before each round? Steve M.

Because in many games the dealer has a positional advantage, “Dealer’s Choice,” (where the dealer is allowed to select the particular poker game that will be dealt on his own deal), is fairest when players take turns choosing the game for the entire round.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Las Vegas is the most honest, fake city in the world." --Frank Scoblete

( PRWEB ) June 22, 2007 -- Fans who do not enjoy listening to the banter between the players during a poker match may want to hit the mute button on their remote controls for this one. At times there is so much chatter going on that you’ll think you are watching someone’s home game, let alone a match between some of poker’s more colorful and talented players!

In another first for PAD (http://www.nbcsports.com/poker/index.html), this 6-handed match will be comprised of three men and three women, making it truly a battle of the sexes. It just so happens that the men, Howard Lederer, Gabe Kaplan, and Poker After Dark’s own Ali Nejad, are all television poker commentators, so you know they’ll have the gift of gab. But they’ll struggle to get a word in edgewise against the likes of Annie Duke, Vanessa Rousso, and Kristy Gazes.

This will be our first look at “The Voice” behind Poker After Dark, as Ali Nejad brings his unique brand of humor to the match. It should be interesting to hear Ali exchange verbal barbs with Gabe Kaplan, one of the game’s most prolific poker jokers. And while Nejad may not be as well known of a player as the others, he has been playing poker successfully for many years and has the added advantage of having seen how most of these players approach playing under the show’s structure and format.

Kristy “Mixed Games” Gazes also makes her Poker After Dark (http://www.nbcsports.com/poker/index.html) debut. Kristy was the first woman professional ever to reach the Round of 8 in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, doing so this year by defeating Clonie Gowen, Isabelle Mercier, and Scott Fischman before eventually succumbing to runner-up Chad Brown. She’s been running well of late, and a victory here would only solidify her reputation as a top-notch player.

Kaplan, Lederer, Duke, and Rousso have all appeared on Poker After Dark in the past, but only Lederer has laid claim to a victory. It will also be the first time Howard squares off against his sister Annie Duke on PAD, adding yet another element of drama to what turned out to be a match that the players obviously enjoyed participating in and one that viewers won’t want to miss.

Brief profiles of all six players follow. The match will begin airing late night Monday at 2:05 AM, June 25, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the Director’s Cut will air late night Saturday, June 30, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews, and conclude with the winner sitting down with Shana Hiatt to discuss and analyze the match.

Each of the match’s six segments can also be viewed daily on www.nbcsports.com/poker. More detailed information on the players is also available at this website.

Kaplan, Gabe: (Seat 1)

* Oft-seen commentator on several poker television programs and highly regarded for his knowledge of the game and the humor he infuses into his commentary
* Long time actor and comedian who has played poker for more than 30 years and has career tournament winnings in excess of $973,000

Lederer, Howard: (Seat 2)

* Has won two WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles
* Lifetime tournament winning in excess of $3.39 million, and ranks 46th on the all-time money list

Nejad, Oliver “Ali”: (Seat 3)

* Began playing poker in 1996, and has been a low-limit player, prop player, dealer, online player, and high-limit player
* Has served as commentator on several televised poker shows, including Poker After Dark, Poker Superstars 2, and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship

Rousso, Vanessa: (Seat 4)

* Graduated cum laude from Duke University in 2 ½ years and now balances playing poker and attending law school at the University of Miami
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $744,000

Duke, Annie: (Seat 5)

* Winner of one WSOP bracelet, and ranks 2nd on the women’s all-time money list, trailing only Kathy Liebert
* Career tournament winnings in excess of $3.37 million, and ranks 47th on the all-time money list

Gazes, Kristy: (Seat 6)

* Began playing poker in 1986 at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, and is primarily a cash game player
* Lifetime tournament winnings in excess of $798,000

Dear Mark: Why is it that casinos do not allow you to make a decent sized bet halfway through a shoe? I recently made a table maximum bet, but was sternly told that I had to wait until the shuffle? I’m guessing that had I made a table minimum $5 bet versus a $500 one, they would have let me play. Marty C.

It’s hard to say, Marty, that had you plunked down just $5, they would have let you put one toe in the water to see if you liked the temperature. I’m going to give the casino a fair shake here and state that there is the possibility that there was a sign posted on the blackjack table that stated NO Mid-Shoe Entry.

A NO Mid-Shoe Entry policy is just one of many casino countermeasures used by casinos to ward off card-counters. Mostly applied to shoe games, once a dealer shuffles the cards and starts dealing, any new player who comes up to the table cannot place a bet after the first round has been dealt, but must wait until the final hand of that shoe. The same holds true for the player who stops betting for a round; that player also will not be allowed to re-enter the game until the shoe is shuffled.

One of the main reasons for this rule is to discourage "table hoppers." The hopper counts down the shoe as a spectator, and then when the shoe turns favorable, enters the game with big bets.

Dear Mark: In poker, where is the best place to sit against a loose player, to their left, or right? Ken G.

Over the long haul, Ken, I think you will find that you will make more money sitting to the left of a loose player. By acting after the loose player, you can trap him/or more likely her into your pots when you raise. If you’re sitting to the right, you act beforehand, and your raises will often chase Mr/Ms. Loose out of the hand and you'll end up winning nothing.

Dear Mark: Is there a different strategy to playing blackjack when dealer doesn’t take a hole card until all the players finish their hands? Also, sticking with the dealers not giving themselves a hole card, have you ever heard of a casino taking not only the original bet, but also all additional bets if the dealer has a blackjack? I’ve heard that some casinos do this. Melvin H.

Any blackjack game in which the dealer does not take a second card until after all player hands are finished is a No Hole Card game. If a player splits or doubles, that hand loses and only the original bet is lost when the dealer has a natural.

A player's strategy and house edge remain the same as in a game where the dealer takes a hole card and checks it.

If the player loses the entire wager on splits or doubling against a natural, this game is called "European No Hole.” With this game, if the dealer gets a natural blackjack, a player who has split or doubled down loses not only his or her original bet but also all additional wagers. The name of this rule derives from the many games in Europe that are played with this rule in effect.

I’ve never seen this thievery in the States, nor know of it at any of the Canadian casinos, but if you ever happen upon one, I’d recommend you exit stage left.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Children gamble because they are greedy. They want to have everything, and are astounded when they don't get it." --Mario Puzo
By Mark Pilarski

June 13, 2007 (London, UK) - Bluff Europe (www.bluffeurope.com) is the first magazine in the world to offer its magazine subscriptions by SMS. By texting ‘bluff’ to short code 60155, poker enthusiasts can subscribe to the magazine and pay via their mobile phone bill. This innovative subscription service costs users £3 per month, which they pay via their phone bill through any UK mobile provider.

Once the SMS is sent by the subscriber to Bluff Europe, the sender receives a confirmation SMS followed by phone call from a subscriptions representative who takes the subscribers mailing address information. The subscriber will then get a copy of Bluff Europe sent directly to his home each month following. Once the magazine is dispatched, the user’s phone bill will be charged just £3.

“This is an innovate use of a common technology, and it works because it greatly simplifies an age-old, yet very tedious process – subscribing to a magazine. Forget filling out subscription cards and mailing them in, and forget about having to pull out your credit card and put your details in over the internet. This makes getting Bluff Europe incredibly easy,” said Michael Caselli, editor-in-chief of Bluff Europe.

The service went live on June 1st, in conjunction with Bluff Europe’s newsstand launch in the UK.

“I expect that by the end of the year, we will see copy-cat publishers offering this service too. I’m still excited that we invented it – and I know it’s going to catch on like wildfire,” continued Caselli.

Dear Mark: Outside of perfect basic strategy, is there any other key to winning at blackjack? Gary Z.

First off, Gary, you get a Gold Star for correctly identifying perfect basic strategy as an important factor for leveling the playing field against the house. The second essential key is money management.

In passing, most players try to take on the casino with too small a bankroll. Your bankroll is the amount of money that you are willing to put at risk, knowing that there is a reasonable possibility that you could lose that entire amount. Accordingly, you should never gamble with money you can’t afford to lose. So, Gary, if you’re front-and-center at a ten-dollar table, you’ll need a war chest of at least five hundred dollars. Count ‘em $ $ $ $ $.

Never bring your entire bankroll with you to one gambling session. You need a daily gambling budget. Start by dividing your bankroll by the number of days you’ll be gambling. Then divide your daily bankroll into the number of sessions you will be playing each day. Result: your single-session bankroll. Bet tomorrow’s money only when tomorrow comes.

Set win goals of between 50 to 100% for a single-session bankroll. Then, when you win something, set aside your original bankroll plus half of your winnings. Now play with the remainder and continue to set aside additional winnings.

Set loss limits, meaning that, when you’ve lost half your session bankroll -- your loss limit -- you walk.

Use the Winning Progressive method of betting by predetermining a percentage increase for each winning bet and sticking to it. For instance, you might want to increase your winning bets by approximately 50% after the second win. As an example, start with a $10 bet, followed by another $10, (both winners, you understand) then go to $15, $22, $30, $45, etc. You would continuously flat bet (the table minimum) when losing.

Never double-up your bet to catch up. Your money would just fizzle away like an Alka-Seltzer in warm water.

Identify the profitable opportunities in gambling by shopping for the best odds, rules, and playing conditions available where you play.

What I can’t guarantee, Gary, is that these tips will in any way affect the casino edge. Perfect basic strategy does that job. Nor can I guarantee that you will win more money. What these principles will do is minimize your losses and in most cases protect your winnings.

Dear Mark: I believe that adjoining pairs in Hold’em are usually of equal value, and that holds true with Kings versus Aces. Do you concur? Ted C.

Often, I’ve heard many a player like yourself proclaim that Aces and Kings are the ultimate starter hands in Hold’em, but I believe Kings are nowhere near as profitable as Aces.

I will agree that the difference is slight between smaller adjacent pairs, such as fives versus fours, but there is a very large gap between Aces and Kings in terms of profit when played correctly. Holding Aces before the flop belongs in a category all by itself.

With an A-A starter hand, you can expect to win 31% of the time. AND, if you average all the possible playing scenarios, you can figure Aces to be worth at least 40 percent more than Kings. But what I find that really makes the difference, is that when you consider actual betting strategy, Aces are much more likely to gain those extra bets, especially in a full-handed game with a bulk of the players staying to the river.

Trust this truism, Ted: Kings can do no wrong – until they run into a pair of Aces.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Avoid people with gold teeth who want to play cards.” --George Carlin
By Mark Pilarski

Dear Mark: After a five year absence, the local casino where I play reintroduced single deck blackjack. Are these single deck games always a better play for the player than multiple deck games they also offer? Howard M.

Typically, Howard, compared to a single deck game, the two-decker handicaps your play by 0.35%, with four decks it’s 0.48%, six decks 0.54%, and eight decks 0.58%. So, given the choice, I would normally recommend playing on a game with the smallest number of decks.

Furthermore, Howard, blackjacks, which pay 3 for 2 (a payoff of $3 for every $2 wagered), occur more frequently on single deck games than on multi-deck games. To illustrate this, let’s say your first card is an Ace. On a single deck game, 16 of the remaining 51 cards, or 31.37 percent, are the face or 10-value cards that would complete your blackjack. On a six-deck game, 96 of the remaining 311 cards, or 30.87 percent, would give you your blackjack.

So, the casual blackjack player who reads what I just penned thinks they’re getting a bargain when they happen upon a single deck blackjack game. If Pilarski said that a single deck blackjack game offers the best odds for the player, it’s gotta be true.

Oops, there’s itsy bitsy fine print to read first. The above statement is simply NOT always true, especially when it comes to a 6 to 5 game (a payoff of $6 for every $5 wagered). I’m pot heavy figuring that there’s a snowball’s chance that this game the casino reintroduced is anything but. Watch.

The house advantage on a normal single deck game is 0.18%, (“normal” meaning getting the maximum value for a blackjack, i.e. a game that pays 3 to 2). The 6 to 5 game has a house advantage of 1.45%, more than eight times the advantage the casino has on a normal single deck game, plus, it’s almost triple the house edge the casino carries on an eight deck shoe.

The arithmetic affecting your wallet concurs. If the player gets paid 3/2 on a blackjack on a $20 bet, the player gets paid $30. If the player gets paid 6 to 5 on a $20 bet, he gets paid only $24 for a blackjack.

Although a decreased payout of $6 per blackjack might seem bearable to some, with play at normal speed you can see as many as five blackjacks per hour. So being shorted $30 an hour is more moolah gone bye-bye that I’m ever willing to live with.

Dear Mark: In blackjack, why are the small cards good for the dealer? Tony T.

It’s because the dealer has to follow rigid rules regarding hitting, one being that he or she must hit a hand of less than 17. Thus, by being forced to hit these hands, guess what ends up being the most important card in the deck for the dealer. The five, Tony, as it will make at least 17 out of any stiff hand the dealer has.

Dear Mark: I am curious as to what are the odds of getting a royal flush in a 7-card game like Hold’em? I got one for the first time the other night. Kevin M.

With five cards dealt either to you or on the board, in combination with any two other cards, the probability is 1 in 30,940 of an always-elusive five-card royal.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability. ----Vannevar Bush, the Godfather of the wired age.

Dear Mark: If a larger denomination slot machine returns more, then how come when I play at a higher limit, like dollars versus quarters, I end up losing more money? Beth S.

Even though the house edge is lower when you play larger-denomination-coin machines, you can also have a greater expected loss. Let’s see why.

Using Nevada’s revenue statistics as an example, (the figures from other gaming jurisdictions will be within a percentage point or two) dollar slots pay back 4.5%, quarter slots 7.5%, nickel slots approximately 9% and penny slots around 12% of the money played through them.

Note, Beth, that the higher the denomination of the machine, the better your chances of being a winner. Yet, you are going to lose more money at the higher limits, especially without a significant win, simply because you are cycling more money through these machines, for a smaller hoped-for percent return, when you play at a higher denomination.

Dear Mark: On a Jacks and Better video poker machine, how should I play the following hand? Should I keep a suited 10 and Queen, or keep an unsuited Jack and Queen? Jeff D.

Smart players discard certain cards to optimize the “expected value” (win potential) of their hands. It’s called perfect basic strategy, Jeff, and it’s the secret to winning at video poker.

So exactly what do I mean by “expected value?” Expected value is the average value of all the wins attainable after the discards are replaced, assuming that the optimum cards are retained, and that each possible draw occurs. In your example, Jeff, the correct strategy is to keep the suited 10 and Queen and discard the unsuited Jack.

Dear Mark: In Texas Hold’em, what happens if both players use all five cards on the board to form their hand? Can both players use the unused cards in their hand to settle a tie? Shelly F.

In Texas Hold’em, any player remaining in the game at the end will determine the highest poker value amongst the combination of their two cards dealt face down, the five community cards, or both. It is NOT a requirement that the player use either of the hole cards.

When two or more players have poker values of the same rank, then the individual cards will be used to break the tie, and if necessary, all five cards will be considered.

What NEVER settles a tie, Shelly, is either player using the two unused cards in their hand.

Dear Mark: What should the meter be reading in Caribbean Stud Poker before it would be justified playing the progressive jackpot? Also, what is the casino edge on the game itself? Nick L.

Caribbean Stud offers a progressive jackpot that you may qualify to win on any hand by adding one additional dollar to your original wager. The top prize is paid when a player is dealt a royal flush. The problem, Nick, is that there are 2,598,560 possible five-card combinations in a standard 52-card deck. With four ways to make a royal flush, the true odds of hitting a natural royal are 649,760 to one. Huh? Pretty long odds, isn’t it?

Only you, Nick, can decide what size jackpot justifies making a dollar donation to the casino every 45 seconds.

As for the game itself, the casino edge for Caribbean Stud is a hefty 5.3%.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Try to decide how good your hand is at a given moment. Nothing else matters. Nothing!” -- Doyle Brunson

By Mark Pilarski

LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE)-- With the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas looming and with magazines hitting UK newsstands, Bluff Europe has a special preview issue this month featuring, on the cover, some of Britain's best hopes for WSOP glory: Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, Roland de Wolfe, and John Gale, a WSOP bracelet winner in 2006.

Roland de Wolfe burst onto the scene fairly recently and has torn the poker world apart, winning WPT and EPT titles. He finished runner-up in the prestigious Irish Open over Easter. John Gale, along with Praz Bansi, was one of only two Brits to win bracelets at last year's WSOP. This year the British contingent will be hoping for more success.

"We're thrilled to have gathered together some of the UK's best players for our special issue" said Editor Philip Conneller. "Over the past few years, British poker players have shown they have what it takes to compete with the very best in the world."

In addition, Bluff Europe has a full and frank interview with the British poker behemoth that is the Devilfish, a WSOP bracelet winner in 1997 and WPT winner in 2003.

Known for his trademark orange-tinted sunglasses, sharp suits, cowboy shirts and unmistakable gold knuckledusters, Devilfish has been a star on the poker scene long before Late Night Poker was a twinkle in its Daddy's eye.

"Devilfish is a legend in this game and goes to Vegas in great shape as possibly Britain's best hope for the top honours." said Editor-in-chief Michael Caselli. "We're sure our readers will be itching to hear his thoughts before the mayhem kicks off in Vegas."

This special issue of Bluff Europe hits UK newsstands on June 1st.

Dear Mark: You have used the term "action" a lot in your column. Exactly what does that mean for the typical blackjack player? Does it mean how much I'm betting per hand, or per session, or does it mean how much I need to bet to get my room comped? Justin B.

I recollect describing "action" at least these two different ways: as gamblese for the total amount of all your wagers, regardless of whether you win or lose, or, how the casino decides what comps you deserve for a crack at your play.

As an example of "action" representing the total amount of all your wagers-say you were to sit down at a blackjack table with $200 and proceed to play 100 hands an hour over three hours, betting $10 on each hand. Got it? Now multiply 100 (hands) times 3 (hours) by $10, and it comes out $3,000. This would be the amount of money you "put in action," even though your actual bankroll was just $200.

The latter description regarding "action" is how most casinos base their complimentary polices, i.e. the criteria a casino would use to assess your rating and eligibility for comps.

The joints I worked in had a simple mathematical formula to figure what your play was worth to them. To get your goodies, they wanted you to bet a decent chunk of change for a calculated stretch of time, and then they'd base your RFB merit (room, food and beverage) on what you were probably going to lose.

They considered your average bet, how many hours you were possibly going to play, the speed of the game, and the casino advantage. These factors, in theory, computed essentially your expected loss to the house over that period of time.

Going back to our original example, Justin, suppose again you are betting $10 a hand for three hours, averaging 100 hands per hour, and taking into account the house advantage of five percent the casino holds over the average blackjack player, the casino management could predict that you should lose $150 ($10 X 3 hrs. X 100 hands X .05 = $150) of the $3,000 wagered ("put in action").

Now that they theoretically see $150 of your hard-earned money coming their way, it would probably warrant a "good eats" extravaganza at the buffet.

Dear Mark: I'm writing to let you know that Atlantic City is changing their blackjack rules. On the $10 or $15 tables, at least half of them now hit a soft 17, and this rule change exists in the same casino. Only the $25 and up tables does the dealer stop on all 17's. Dave

Just so readers understand Dave's concern, anytime the dealer hits a soft 17 (and that's anywhere, not just Atlantic City), the house gets an additional two-tenths of one percent advantage over the player.

When the dealer gets that additional hit on a soft 17, the dealer can improve his or her hand with an Ace, 2, 3 or 4, or it remains the same with a 10, Jack, Queen or King. Consequently, eight of every 13 cards either improve the dealer's hand, or keep it the same. Moreover, if any of the other five cards is drawn, the dealer still has some chance to escalate his hand-value with yet another draw. A dealer whacking at a soft 17 might not drill a hole through your wallet, but I'd recommend playing on a game where the dealer stands.

By the way, Dave, the same basic strategy rationale dictates that the player should always hit a soft 17, or double down against a dealer who's showing a 3, 4, 5, or 6.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "If you are looking to cheat the house or beat it legitimately, forget about roulette. It's basically a sucker's game."-Mario Puzo

HE'S perfected his poker face, but card playing champion Joe Hachem is taking another gamble with his latest career move as a big-screen star.

The former world poker champion will make his film debut in the Australian flick Prey.

While he's unlikely to earn the $10 million prize pool he reaped in the 2005 World Series Poker title, Hachem is laying his talent on the table after signing for a small, but pivotal role in the film.

The poker ace will star alongside Rogue Traders babe Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Jesse Johnson, son of Miami Vice star Don Johnson.

Dear Mark: Why is it that I always lose in the casino? Am I simply playing the wrong games? Rachael M.

Hey, Rachael, I'm just guessin' here, but are you playing any of the games I recommend? Are you employing a solid strategy on those games? If not, then you have just answered your own questions.

Unless you’re making wagers that have a casino advantage of two percent or less, you’re like a greyhound at the track, chasing Rusty, the fake rabbit of gambling riches.

What you’ll need to do first is treat casinos as green felt jungles where you’re playing no-holds-barred war. The gurus of guerrilla gambling will tell you that you can fight back only by making bets that have a two percent house edge or less. When you do, you’ll stand a good chance of turning the tables back in your favor, staying in action longer, starting to smile, and yes, stopping the flow of your hard-earned cash into the casino’s well-manicured hands.

I have a simple solution for you, Rachael, or any other reader who’s interested. How about a laminated Casino Strategy Card that lists all the "Best Bets" in a casino, plus a list of the Money Management techniques the Pro's use. Allow me to send you, or anyone else a complimentary Best Bets Card. Yes, those same ones you see in gaming publications and casino gift shops for up to $5 can be yours for FREE, zippo, zilch, and don’t forget nada. All I ask is that you send a self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: Mark Pilarski, ATTN: Best Bets Card, P.O. Box 1234, Traverse City, MI 49685.

Now how simple is that?

Dear Mark: Maybe this is a dumb question, but it occurs to me that in roulette, if one were to put a dollar on each number, one through 36, that player would loose $35 but win $35 plus their dollar back. This cannot be true because it changes the odds to being on the bettor's side. Can you explain this illusion for me? Pete S.

They put warnings on hair dryers that say, "do not dry hair while standing in a puddle of water” for the same folks who e-mail the real incoherent inquires, and, of course, I answer those too. Remember when Gurth asked if I thought they would put a casino next to Yucca Mountain (Nevada), the nation's first long-term geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste?

Your question, Pete, stems from layout confusion, plus not knowing how the house does get its edge in roulette.

What you’re missing is that the casino’s advantage of 5.26% in roulette comes from the presence of the 0 and 00 on the layout. You admit to the belief that the casino pays all wagers according to how the odds would be if there were just 36 numbers on the wheel. But It ain’t so, my friend. Include the 0 and 00, and add ‘em up again. 38, right? That’s what pays the light bills. The true odds of hitting your number are 1/38, yet winners are paid only 35-1.

By playing on a single-zero game, you can cut the house edge in half; the house will still pay you 35-1, even though the true odds are improved for you to 1/37.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "When the card you need rises to the top of the deck to greet your delighted yet confident eyes, it is as close as I have ever come in my life to a religious feeling." --Mario Puzo

LAS VEGAS — All the chips were on the table in last year's World Series of Poker — and then some. The final count was 2.41 million more than was supposed to be in play.
A Nevada state gaming investigator says it looks like an unintentional mistake in a fast-paced tournament with thousands of players and tens of millions of chips.

Harrah's Entertainment, which operates the tournament, said it has investigated. So has the Nevada Gaming Commission. Neither is specifying what it found, though the commission says there will be no prosecution. When this year's main event begins July 6, there will be efforts to prevent a repeat.

"There were extra chips that had been introduced into the tournament, inadvertently apparently," Jerry Markling, chief of enforcement for the gaming commission, said Wednesday. "We looked at several angles to determine whether or not there was any criminal involvement, and we could not substantiate that there was any.

"We made some recommendations to Harrah's concerning ways to avoid that occurring in the future, and we closed the investigation."

FIND MORE STORIES IN: World Series | LAS VEGAS | Nevada | Harrah's Entertainment | Poker | Markling
In a statement, Harrah's said only that it had "conducted an investigation" and turned it over to the state.

According to the tournament's official website, there were 90.14 million chips held by nine players at the final table. The 8,773 players in the tournament each had a $10,000 buy-in. That comes to 87.73 million chips. The difference: 2.41 million.

Markling said some extra chips are introduced naturally during a process called "coloring up." Players turn in chips of lesser worth as the stakes rise. Some rounding up occurs. "It's not unusual. Nor would it benefit any one person," he said

He acknowledged that wouldn't account for 2.41 million, but he said the discrepancy did not "significantly impact" the tournament.

Main event champion Jamie Gold, in town Wednesday for a TV game, said it's a non-issue.

"They didn't give me any more chips," he said. "They just miscounted. It can happen. They're doing it so fast. … They did an amazing job."
By Gary Mihoces

Dear Mark: I recently saw an advertisement from a casino that said their slot and video poker machines are the loosest. How do they determine what loose is? Stan F.

What you saw, Stan is advertising gobbledygook; moreover, no one can truly give you a quantitative answer as to what "loose" really means, especially when it comes to video poker machines.

For slots, "loose" can mean one of two things, "more payouts" or “higher paybacks.” Now add this kicker, Stan: a slot machine’s payback is not necessarily related to the number of payouts.

You also might want to challenge the advertisement’s frame of reference. Does it imply that their casino slots are looser than a neighboring casino’s slots, looser than all the other slots in its gaming jurisdiction, that a select few of their own slots are looser than the rest of the machines on the gaming floor, or that their slots are now looser than in the past, meaning, Stan, that possibly their slot machines are now set for a slightly higher payback than they were last month.
As for loose video poker machines, no such animal creeps or crawls in the green felt jungle. Because every hand is dealt randomly, tightness and looseness of a video poker machine are strictly based on the machine’s paytable. A 6/5 paytable (6 coins returned for a full house, 5 for a flush with one coin inserted) would be considered very tight on a Jacks-or-Better machine, whereas a 9/6 machine (9 for a full house, 6 for a flush) would be loose.

You pin down the looseness of a video poker machine by standing directly in front of it, introducing yourself, and INSPECTING THE MACHINE’S PAYTABLE. The paytable reveals what the casino pays for a pair of Jacks-or-better, two pairs, three-of-a-kind, flushes, a full house, etc.

Scrutinizing one video poker machine’s paytable, versus another’s, Stan, is the simplest – nay, the ONLY way to determine loose versus tight.

Dear Mark: There are certain slot machines that I like to play on a regular basis. Yet it seems over the past few years it doesn’t make any sense to be loyal to any one particular machine because once you finally find a machine you like, the next time you go in it’s gone. Why is that? Ruth B.

Slot machines, Ruth, are a lot like reality-show contestants. They can and do get booted off the island. Their survivability is based on their showing reasonable results.

Slot managers place their machines strategically to maximize customer appeal and potential casino earnings. Unfortunately, Ruth, I can’t give you a tried-and-true reply as to how slot managers place their machines, because no two casinos do it exactly alike.
What I can tell you, though, is that a slot machine’s performance is measured by two factors: the amount of coins wagered daily (“coin in”) and the amount collected daily by the casino (“win”). If a machine’s performance (the ratio of “win/coin in”) falters ever so slightly, a slot manager could decide a change is warranted in the physical positioning of machines on the casino floor (what they call “slot mix”), possibly involving the deep six for a favorite of yours.

As for your love and devotion to any one particular machine, well …remember, though maybe fun and cute, it was only in it for your money.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "There is no such thing as a "good" roulette player. Being a good roulette player is like being a good smoker." -- Peter Grffin

The Big Laydown Poker professionals pride themselves on their ability to make big laydowns. A big laydown is a situation where you actually have a strong hand but fear your opponent has an even stronger one. So, you decide to fold your cards.

Here's a big laydown I made in a tournament in Atlantic City. Big might be an understatement.

The pot was raised before the flop, called, and then reraised to me. Sitting in the big blind, I was holding pocket kings. I wasn't about to mess around with the hand, so I decided to reraise again. Well, the first two players folded, but the remaining one went all-in.

Oh no, I thought, does this guy really have a pair of aces?

After giving it some serious thought, I decided to fold the second best possible hand before the flop.

There was only one problem. My opponent showed me his hand -- pocket queens!

I had him beat, but my hand was already in the muck. I outsmarted myself and lost an opportunity to double my money as a 4:1 favorite.

That's the problem with making a big laydown. When you're wrong, it's a fiscal nightmare. Having said that, if you never fold the best hand, you're probably calling too much.

Sometimes, though, a hand just seems too strong to throw away.

You're playing Limit Hold'em and start with Kh-10h. The final board reads Jh-6h-2c-7c-9h, giving you the second nut flush. Only the ace-high flush can beat you. But what happens if someone comes over the top with a raise?

He could be bluffing. He could be raising with a weaker flush. More often than not, though, he'll have precisely the one hand you can't beat -- the nut flush. So how do you play it?

The first thing to figure out is the price the pot is laying you to call. If there's $120 in there, and you only have to call $20 to see your opponent's hand, you're getting 6:1 odds that your opponent doesn't have the one hand that beats you. There's no laydown happening here. Throw in the $20 since you'd only have to be right one out of every six times for the call to be correct.

You're in a No Limit game and your bankroll is $280. You hold As-9s and the final board reads Qs-7s-7c-Jh-2s. This time, you have the nut flush, but remember, you don't have the nut hand, as any full house can beat you.

Let's say you're up against a very tight player, and you decide to bet the pot: $30. That leaves you with a total of $250.

What should you do if he decides to raise, putting you all-in?

This is no easy decision.

There are only two realistic scenarios here. You know he doesn't have the nut flush, since you do, so he either has a full house or he's bluffing.

Count the size of the pot and figure out the pot odds. There's already $90 in the pot plus an additional $250 that he raised. This means that you have to call $250 to win $340. Your pot odds are only a measly 1.36:1 ($340/$250), just slightly better than even. It's just not worth playing this hand. All the math does is help you determine if it's the right time to play or the right time to make the big laydown.
By Daniel Negreanu

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Losing a block of your largest exhibitors might spell doom for most trade shows.

Officials with the Gaming Life Expo, operated in conjunction with Harrah's Entertainment-owned World Series of Poker, believe otherwise.

With most of the major Internet poker gambling sites not welcome at the upcoming World Series of Poker, Rio executives switched the theme of the four-day show, scheduled for July 5-8 at the Rio Pavilion, from gambling to men's lifestyle.

"To be frank, it was a transition we were planning," said David Koloski, the Rio's marketing director who oversees the expo. The show is free and open to the public, but guests must be at least 21 to enter.

"We saw in the past two years that roughly 80 percent of our audience was male," Koloski said. "We began to make the push to switch the event to exhibitors that cater toward a men's lifestyle."

Expansive booths operated by Internet poker sites such as PokerStars, Bodog, Full Tilt, Paradise Poker, and Ultimate Bet, were the highlights of the expo and main drivers of an estimated 100,000 people visiting the show each of the past two years.

Some of the more well-known professional poker players and past World Poker champions helped bring fans into the booths. But provocatively dressed female models were the other draw. Last year, Bodog offered poker fans a chance to pose in bed with lingerie-clad models who were participating in pillow fights.

Harrah's is not allowing affiliates associated with Internet poker Web sites that still accept wagers from Americans to participate in this year's World Series of Poker. Instead, the booth space inside the 55,000-square-foot Rio Pavilion will be filled by golfing exhibits, race car simulators, alcoholic beverage firms, a working tattoo parlor and an indoor beach volleyball court that will include an all-female tournament.

Koloski said ancillary gambling products will still have a place at the expo, but the show is heading more toward the area of men's lifestyle.

"We had several inquiries from major businesses and products, which allowed us to move away from the gaming stuff somewhat," Koloski said. "If someone wants to promote a poker book or a player training academy, they can still lease booth space. Obviously, the show will be a little different and won't be as crazy as it was. We think it will be a little more high-end."

The Rio has room for 200 booths and Koloski expects the exhibit space to sell out. A 10-foot-by-10-foot booth two years ago leased for $2,000. This year's show has the same space leasing for $2,500, Koloski said.

While the expo operates in conjunction with the 38th World Series of Poker, scheduled to run June 1 through July 17 with 55 events, it is not affiliated with the tournament. The expo will take place during the media-celebrity event and the first three days of the World Series of Poker's main event, the $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas hold'em World Championship. The four days are expected to have the tournament's highest attendance.

Because of the ban on Internet gambling that was approved by Congress and signed by President Bush last year, Harrah's decided to limit the presence of poker dot-coms at the World Series.

"It's pretty simple. We can not be in business with Internet sites that accept wagering business from U.S. residents," World Series of Poker Communications Director Gary Thompson said. "Whatever the expo wants to do is their business, but you're probably not going to see the (Internet poker) presence like you have in the past."

Most on the Internet poker sites also leased out convention area breakout rooms for elaborate player lounges and hospitality suites. Thompson said that aspect will also be missing.

Internet poker gambling sites that don't accept wagers from American customers, such as Ladbrokes, may still lease a hospitality suite.

"They will want to do something for their customers, but it will probably be pretty small," Thompson said.
By Howard Stutz

Flop texture isn't discussed much, but it's an extremely important topic, especially when you're deciding whether to bluff at a pot. In this column, I'll focus on bluffing at paired flops. When a pair comes out on the flop, you're in good bluffing position. If you actually had what you're representing -- you made a set -- it's likely that your opponent would be drawing dead, or to very few outs.

Let's check out an example. You raise with Q-Q and two players call. Then the flop comes Jd-Js-4c. This is either an excellent flop for your hand, or it's a deathtrap. If you bet, and an opponent raises, you'll be faced with the classic poker question: Does he have the jack, or is he bluffing?

With a strong hand such as pocket queens, you'd normally lean toward calling a raise on the flop and deferring your critical decision until later in the hand.

What about when you don't have a hand that strong?

Say you bet the flop with A-K, and an opponent raises. It would be difficult to justify a call in this situation. If your opponent doesn't think you have the jack, he might try to bluff you with a hand as weak as 8-9. This time, let's put you in charge.

Bluffing from a blind position is an excellent way to pick up some chips. Here's the setting: Two players limp into the pot and you're sitting in the big blind with J-8. The flop comes 3c-3s-5d. Despite the fact that you completely missed this flop, it can be a good opportunity to bluff, as it's also unlikely that either of them stayed in with a three in their hand.

It's important to remember this: To avoid becoming too predictable, you should occasionally bluff from the blind on paired flops, and sometimes bet the flop when you hit your trips. Mixing it up will earn your bets more respect and make it more believable that you could actually have a hand when you do bluff.

Most intermediate to advanced players understand that these bluffing opportunities often turn into a war. It comes down to who is willing to make the bigger bluff.

I recently saw this illustrated in a hand played out on television. Player A raised to 300 with Q-9 and Player B called with 9c-7c. The flop came 10s-10d-5c and Player A bet 600.

Apparently, Player B didn't believe that his opponent held the 10, so he raised it 1,000 more. Player A thought about it for a little while, and finally decided to re-raise another 3,000.

This was an amazing read and a gutsy play. Player A made the bigger bluff, but the funny thing is, had Player B re-raised all-in, he would have won the pot. It was a stellar demonstration of poker at an elite level. Both players fought hard to win a pot with nothing.

Of course, there should have been a warning at the bottom of the TV screen that read, "Do not try this at home!" Unless you have an excellent read of your opponent, these plays are a bit too risky. Here's the bottom line: The key to bluffing at paired flops is making sure that you're mixing up your play. Just don't overdo it. Always keep your opponents guessing. If you fall into any pattern -- bluffing or not -- it won't take long for opponents to pick up on it. When that happens, you lose.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark: Do you recommend playing on just one video poker machine or moving and playing on others, especially if a machine I am currently playing on is not paying off? Once when I moved, the next player who came and sat in the seat I had previously occupied immediately hit MY royal flush. Also, suppose I get lucky and do hit a royal flush. Should I stay on the same machine or move since the chances of hitting another one are nil? Frank G.

I’ll get to your answer momentarily, Frank, but first let’s blow reveille: You should always play on video poker machines with the best paytables, period!

As to your question, it really doesn’t make a difference. There's no way to determine when a machine will hit a royal flush. Yes, people like to see "hot" and "cold" streaks in video poker machines; but that is simply a characteristic of combining wishful thinking with machine randomness.

Also, Frank, hitting a royal flush does not make a machine any more or less likely to hit another, although your question does prompt me to recall a gentleman named Stevey Tyler, who hit three-$4000 royal flushes in a row at a Reno, NV supermarket. The bagger asked “Paper or plastic?” for hauling out the loot.

Many players like you erroneously believe that if they had stayed put and inserted just five more coins, or had pressed the play button on a coinless machine one more time, that royal -- that someone else fortuitously hit -- would have been theirs.

In reality, when a machine is sitting in idle mode, even for a split second, it will be constantly crunching numbers waiting for the next sucker -- Oops! sportsman, I meant -- to come along. When the next participant walks over and inserts a coin, the machine is triggered into knowing it has a live gambler on the hook.

When you feed a coin into the machine, the random number generator (RGN) instantaneously stops crunching numbers and picks the combination of cards you will see on the screen. From your moving to another machine, until the next player inserts their coins, the combination of hand possibilities played through is incalculable. Yet the chances of anybody hitting that royal remain forever the same, about one in 40,000, no matter what the machine had been doing moments ago.

I would recommend that you do move from one machine to another if the buttons are sticky, or if the lights are blinking, or you particularly don’t enjoy cigarette smoke, or to hide from your tapped out brother-in-law, or for anything else that annoys you.

Oh, by the way, the odds of Mr. Tyler hitting those three royals in a row were 32.8 trillion to one. He took paper.

Dear Mark: Do you know if there is any blackjack game that allows the player to have an edge against the house, using just basic strategy and not counting cards? Jerry C.

Basic strategy is nothing more than how you play your hand against the dealer’s “up card.” Playing correctly, Jerry, you can lower the casino advantage down to less than one percent, which incidentally, can be done at any casino that offers blackjack.

In the past, I have come across a few casinos that offer a blackjack game that is beatable using perfect basic strategy alone. You’ll need to find the following combination of rules to get this edge: Single deck, the dealer stands on soft 17, and doubling down is allowed after splitting.

Bear in mind, Jerry, scarce as this game is now, if you can ferret out a blackjack game with these rules, you will have a .1% advantage against the house, which for a $10 bettor, will give you an expected return of about 60¢ an hour with perfect play.

I highly recommend you don’t quit your day job.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Playing the slots for any length of time is about as futile as tossing quarters into a wishing well and mumbling, "I wish I had money...I wish I had money." --Barry Meadow, "Blackjack Autumn"
By Mark Pilarski

There is a core skill that you need to master in order to do well at the poker table: the ability to sell. Figuring out the right amount to bet is one way to showcase this talent.

You see, being a great poker player is like being a successful car salesman.

When a salesman tries to sell you a Chevy, there are several tells he'll look for. This information helps him get maximum value for the sale. He’ll ask you what you do for a living, how much you make – things like that. The more information he gathers, the more likely he'll be able to sell you a car at the highest price.
So, you ask, what in the world does any of this have to do with poker?

Plenty.

In No Limit Hold'em, the amount you bet could be the difference between getting fully paid off for your strong hand or scaring away a potential “buyer”. It could mean the difference between a winning session and a losing session.

The key difference in poker, though, is that you only have one chance to get it right.

A car salesman can always lower his price if it looks like the sticker is too high, but a poker player doesn’t have that luxury. Therefore, it's even more important to do your market research and understand who the buyer is.
At the poker table, the clues you’re looking for are right in front of you.

You hold powerful cards, but how strong is your opponent's hand? The stronger you think it is, the more you should bet.
Does your opponent think you bluff a lot? If you were caught bluffing earlier, how much did you bet then? This is important because you may now want to bet the same amount with a strong hand.
How many chips does your opponent have? This is similar to the car salesman who asks his customer how much he makes. The fewer chips your opponent has, the more precious they are to him.
Selling your hand for maximum value is a skill that truly separates the great players from the wannabes. It takes true talent to figure out how much you can squeeze out of an opponent without scaring them off -- especially since you only have one chance to get it right.
I recently did a reality show where my job was to teach Rob, of “Survivor” fame, how to become a professional poker player. In one particular session, he took home a decent win of about $400, yet I still blasted him.

Rob could have won more from his opponents if he'd bet the right amount, but he just didn’t get it. His response was, "I won, didn't I?"
Yes, but he didn't win enough. If he had played his cards right, he would have won $1,000! The way I see it, Rob lost $600; when you’re a professional poker player, that's how you have to look at it.
You can teach anyone the right cards to play, the odds of this or that, and the power of position. However, the most important skill -- knowing the correct amount to bet -- is the most difficult to teach because it relies so heavily on your ability to sell.

Listen, there’s a big difference between a bet of $1,200 and one of $1,325. If you could have won $1,325, but instead only pocketed $1,200, you just lost $125 that an expert wouldn't have lost.

Like a good car salesman, study the customer and then close the deal.
By Daniel Negreanu

Some students wait tables, lifeguard, bartend or do office work as part-time jobs during college.

Others play online poker.

For Daniel Stermer, 19, and Kevin Laird, 20, playing online poker is not only fun, but a way to put money in their pockets.

"If you are good enough, you can make money," said Laird, a University of Florida sophomore. "Then it can be your part-time job."

Online poker began in 1998 with the launch of the Planet Poker Web site, according to the CBS News Web site. Since then it has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Among males 18 to 22, online gambling doubled in the past year, according to a report by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. More than 50 percent of college-aged males gamble on a monthly basis, the report stated.

Laird has played online poker for two years, but didn't start playing for money until a year ago.

In that time, Laird has won about $8,000 and plays five to six days a week.

"You have to take poker seriously," he said. "You have to approach it as a game of skill instead of a game of luck."

The number of online poker sites is in the hundreds, said Stermer, a UF finance sophomore.

The most popular sites are Poker Stars, Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Interpoker, Titan Poker, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet.

People have to make their own luck in poker and manipulate it in order to win, he said.

He has been playing poker for money online for seven months and has won about $5,000 playing almost every day of the week.

Depending on the game or tournament he enters, Stermer said he usually spends five to six hours a day playing.

Poker is a purely competitive activity, he said. The key to it is that a person has to have a passion for the game in order to be successful.

People gamble because they like the risk and the feeling of excitement while playing, said Ilan Shrira, a UF assistant psychology professor.

Men are more inclined to gamble, he said. Women tend to be more social than men and would prefer to play face to face than online.

Karlie Petrilla, a UF athletic training sophomore, said she started playing poker a year ago and now plays about once a week with a group of people who live on campus in the Murphree area.

She said she enjoys playing poker because it's fun, a good way to hang out with friends and meet new people.

She has never played poker online, but knows a friend who does.

"Poker is more about being around people than watching it on a screen," Petrilla said.

Natalie Arce Indelicato, a visiting clinical assistant professor at the UF Counseling Center, warns students of the potential to become addicted to gambling.

Gambling has legal, social and academic consequences, she said.

Indelicato said student gamblers may withdraw from friends, lose interest in other activities, suffer from depression and experience declining academic performance.

Group and individual counseling dealing with substance abuse and addictive behaviors are available to all students at the UF Counseling Center, she said.

A lot of psychology can be learned from poker, Laird said. Poker teaches people how to keep their emotions in check, to not let their egos get in the way and to become more patient.

People get into trouble when they play above their spending limit, he said. They shouldn't get into games they can't afford to lose.

Stermer said he is not addicted to playing poker, but it's just something he's compelled to do.

He could stop whenever he feels like it, but he makes it a top priority in his life because it's how he makes money, he said.

Laird compared his poker playing to football players who practice every day.

He said just because they play every day does not mean they are addicted to football; they just do it because they got a scholarship to play.

He said poker can interfere with schoolwork, but everyone has something in their life that they do, whether it's partying, watching TV or playing video games.

"My interference is just playing poker," Laird said.
By ASHLEY FURROW

Dear Mark: You description of smart “tight” play while playing poker doesn’t jibe with what we see on television. What I see is player after player making “all in” moves with lousy opening hands. Wouldn’t your advice be more appropriate for us small time players to follow the pros, instead of your recommended conservative play? David F.

On television poker, some players at the final table play opening hands that, most, if not all, books on poker would recommend they fold. That coverage, showing the guts-and-glory hands, is to keep you watching the plethora of poker on the telly, but in fact, the pros are playing plenty more hands than you are viewing, and a whole lot more conservatively than the “all in” Jack/four off-suit cowboys you cite.

Additionally, for the typical casino or home game player, bets tend to be a whole lot smaller, so my recommended strategy remains the same; play very "tight," and fold most of the two-card starter hands you are dealt.

My advice is to play only when dealt one of the 10 best two-card starting hands, those being a pair of 7s or higher, or an ace-king or ace-queen. Once you get these starting hands, always raise or re-raise, and don't just call a bet.

The exception to this rule would be if a conservative player like yourself has made a decent sized bet in front of you, and you happen to have a pair of 7s through 9s; then you should fold.

I really don’t know how well you have honed your skills in poker, David, but I do know that when you play only quality starting hands, you’ll be at the table far longer than the pugnacious players you think you’re seeing on TV. And -- mark well -- once you earn a reputation for playing only great cards, that occasional bluff we all love to make will be much easier to pull off!

Dear Mark: When is it appropriate to slow play a pair of Aces? I’m usually a very tight player, but I do at times get a little too excited when I have the rarity of two aces in the pocket. Sandy A.

Most players when getting a two-card starting hand of Kings or Aces, tend to raise, then re-raise with either of these hands. But, Sandy, slow playing the occasional big hand is a very smart move, especially when you’ve been identified as a tight player. If you have a pair of Kings or Aces, just call before the flop. Your fellow players used to your betting big only on big starting hands, will equate your slow playing to another weak hand, and you’ll end up winning a bigger pot because of it. Faking out your opponents when you have ace-ace or king-king doesn’t always guarantee a bigger pot, but it will make it harder for them to figure out what you’re good for later.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "The ATM is like the coach’s pep talk. "Here's another hundred! Now get out there and fight! It ain't over till it's over!” –Frank Legato

Police are prosecuting a man accused of cheating during a poker game at Hamilton's SkyCity Casino.

Jing Luo Yan, a 45-year-old chef, is charged with knowingly contravening the rules of a game, with the intention of obtaining a pecuniary advantage.

A warrant for his arrest was issued when he failed to appear in Hamilton District Court last week and he was listed to appear in court today, but again failed to appear.

Jing is alleged to have been caught cheating at Caribbean stud poker at the casino on March 26. This game is a variation of traditional five-card stud poker, in which players bet against the house.

SkyCity said it was unable to comment on the case as it was under investigation by the Internal Affairs Department.

"In a gaming business you will have people who from time to time will try to cheat the system, however these people are quickly identified," SkyCity Hamilton general manager Geoff Hogg said in a statement.

Anyone caught cheating was immediately trespassed from the casino for two years.

An Internal Affairs Department spokesman said there had been 21 investigations into cheating offences in New Zealand's six casinos over the past nine months.

The casinos were required to notify the department of cheating incidents but prosecutions were carried out by the police.

FORMER world poker champion Joe Hachem has revealed concerns for his family's security have forced him to move house.

After a series of threatening telephone calls and letters, Mr Hachem, 41, was not willing to gamble with his family's safety and relocated them.

"We've just bought a house recently, more for security reasons because my address was public knowledge," Mr Hachem said.

"You get a few phone calls, you get a letter in the mail and you think, 'You know what, I don't need this'."

He admitted he had "unfortunately" experienced a number of threats since his life-changing win at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas in 2005.

Mr Hachem was speaking before the final of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo last week - one of about eight major international poker tournaments he competes at each year.

Since winning almost $10 million in the World Series of Poker main event two years ago, life has been "a whirlwind" for the former chiropractor and mortgage broker, who now divides his time between Melbourne and Las Vegas.

He is often accompanied on his poker trips by his wife Jeannie and their four children, aged between 11 and 16.

Mr Hachem admitted to being "naive" after he won the poker world's biggest prize, believing he would return to a normal suburban life.

"It was definitely life changing, but the funny thing is I didn't expect it," he said.

"I just thought I'd be world champion, get a nice endorsement and go back to my normal life. Bulls..t, there's nothing normal about my life these days."

Mr Hachem travels to Las Vegas next week to compete in the World Poker Tour championship event.
By Brad Clifton

Dear Mark: I'm hoping you can settle an on going discussion (argument) my wife and I have. When playing a video poker machine that pays even money for both a high pair and any two pair, she will keep both pair and draw one card. Her reasoning is she is looking to draw a full house. I maintain that if at least one pair is high, you should keep only one high pair and draw three cards increasing your chances of catching three of a kind or possibly an even better hand. You already got your money back and a three-card draw gives you a better chance of improving your hand than a one-card full house draw. Of course, we will both keep two low pair or any two pair when playing a machine that pays 2:1 for two pair. We have nothing riding on this except a smug "I told you so!" and a strategy change for one of us. Ron E.

Unfortunately, Ron, your question is missing some imperative meat-and-potato information, in particular, the rest of the paytable. So the answer is shall we say “circumspect.” I know how painful it is to have this one word whispered into one’s ear.

Astute video poker players understand the difference between full-pay and partial-pay machines. The full-payers shell out the maximum for each winning hand; the partials don’t. For instance, if you can find a full-pay Jacks or Better machine that pays 9 coins for a full house, 6 for a flush, and 2 for two pair, you can expect a return rate of approximately 99.5%, making it an attractive machine to be playing.

In your example, Ron, the machine may return 9-for-1 on a Full House, and 6-for-1 for a Flush, but it probably is considered a partial-pay machine because the full-versus-partial equation usually changes when the machine pays only 1-for-1 for two pairs. Odds-on, your paytable was that of some kind of hybrid Bonus Poker machine.

If the paytable on the machine you were playing looks anything like this, Royal flush 250-for-1; Straight Flush 50-for-1; four Aces 80-for-1; four 2s, 3s or 4s 40-for-1; four 5s through Kings 25-for-1; Full House 9-for-1; Flush 6-for-1; Straight 4-for-1; Three-of-a-Kind 3-for-1; two Pair 1-for-1; pair of Jacks or Better 1-for-1, you could be giving the house an extra five-plus percent on your play. Reducing the return on two-pair hands penalizes the player, even with the increased payoffs on Four-of-a Kinds.

Again, Ron, without knowing the complete paytable, I cannot give you an unequivocal answer, but I’ll still take a shot at settling your squabble, that being drawing either three cards or one when paid even money with two pairs, using one of my all-time favorite machines, an All American 8/8 Jacks or Better Draw Poker as an example.

The lower end of the paytable looks like this: Four of a kind 40-for-1; Full House 8-for-1; Flush 8-for-1; Straight 8-for-1; Three-of-a-Kind 3-for-1; two pair 1-for-1; pair of Jacks or Better 1-for-1. Find this beauty and you can expect a return of 100.7% payback.

The correct strategy based on the average value of all attainable wins after the discards are replaced for two pairs would be, drawing just one card with this exception: three cards to a royal. That scenario would be a pair of Jacks with a Jack of spades, a pair of 10’s with a 10 of spades, and a Queen of spades kicker. You would keep the 10, Jack and Queen of spades and throw away the other 10 and Jack.

Of course there is a darn good chance you won’t find this doozy at the casino you play at, so I’d recommend you look for and start playing Full Pay 9/6 machines where you are paid 2-for-1 for two pair, and pooh-pooh any machine whose paytable remotely resembles the one I first described above.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Lady Luck favors the backbone, not the wishbone.” Doyle Brunson
By Mark Pilarski

NEW YORK (AP) -- WPT Enterprises Inc. said Thursday it signed a licensing deal with Game Show Network LLC for the sixth season of its World Poker Tour television series.

WPT previously had an agreement with The Travel Channel LLC for the show. But WPT said in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that The Travel Channel did not pick up an option for the sixth season of the show.

Under terms of the agreement with the Game Show Network, WPT will receive a $300,000 licensing fee per episode. The per episode fee will climb by 5 percent in future seasons if GSN exercises options for those seasons.

WPT may also receive a bonus fee per episode between $20,000 and $35,000, if the average Nielsen ratings of all premiere episodes in a season exceed a certain agreed-upon level. The bonus fee will be paid at the end of each season.

GSN has options for the seventh and eighth seasons of the show.

NEW YORK – (PRESS RELEASE) -- NBC Sports, creator and owner of the successful NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship, today announced the launch of a videogame version of the popular televised tournament. Created in partnership with videogame production experts 5000ft, Inc. of Reno, NV, the National Heads-Up Poker videogame will launch on April 7, 2007 and will be available on NBCHeadsup.com.

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship features a 64-player field of poker's biggest and best-known stars competing for $1.5 million in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of Texas Hold'em) matches. The tournament has a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format modeled after college basketball tournaments. This year's event took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on March 2-4 and will be televised on NBC over seven consecutive Sundays starting April 8, 2007.

5000ft, Inc. is owned by two game industry veterans and is responsible for dozens of innovative games and hit titles over the past 16 years. Created to the highest quality standards, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship has been faithfully reproduced in both format and appearance for an outstanding 3D videogame. Players are placed in a tournament with 63 varied and intelligent computer opponents to battle it out in a bracket format, mirroring the style of the televised tournament.

"We think the National Heads-Up Poker Championship is the most unique poker competition in the world, since it's based on the single most difficult part of Texas Hold 'Em, " said Ian Grieve CEO of 5000ft, Inc. "Teaming up with NBC was a dream come true, and we feel the union has produced an interactive companion that captures all the action, excitement, and complexity of the championship itself."

"The 5000ft, Inc. team has created a game capturing the true vision we wanted to complement our televised tournament," said Jon Miller, Executive VP of NBC Sports. "They have created a magnificent representation of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship that we believe will resonate very well with our viewers."

NBC Heads-Up the videogame will be available for direct download or on a try-before-you-buy basis via links on the website, www.NBCHeadsUp.com, which will allow consumers to experience the game prior to purchasing it.

There is a core skill that you need to master in order to do well at the poker table: the ability to sell. Figuring out the right amount to bet is one way to showcase this talent.

You see, being a great poker player is like being a successful car salesman.

When a salesman tries to sell you a Chevy, there are several signs he'll look for. This information helps him get maximum value for the sale. He'll ask you what you do for a living, how much you make -- things like that. The more information he gathers, the more likely he'll be able to sell you a car at the highest price.

So, you ask, what in the world does any of this have to do with poker?

Plenty.

In No Limit Hold'em, the amount you bet could be the difference between getting fully paid off for your strong hand or scaring away a potential "buyer." It could mean the difference between a winning session and a losing session.

The key difference in poker, though, is that you only have one chance to get it right.

A car salesman can always lower his price if it looks like the sticker is too high, but a poker player doesn't have that luxury. Therefore, it's even more important to do your market research and understand who the buyer is.

At the poker table, the clues you're looking for are right in front of you.

* You hold powerful cards, but how strong is your opponent's hand? The stronger you think it is, the more you should bet.

* Does your opponent think you bluff a lot? If you were caught bluffing earlier, how much did you bet then? This is important because you may want to bet the same amount with a strong hand.

* How many chips does your opponent have? This is similar to the car salesman who asks his customer how much he makes. The fewer chips your opponent has, the more precious they are to him.

Selling your hand for maximum value is a skill that truly separates the great players from the wannabes. It takes true talent to figure out how much you can squeeze out of an opponent without scaring them off -- especially since you only have one chance to get it right.

I recently did a reality show where my job was to teach Rob Mariano of "Survivor" fame how to become a professional poker player. In one particular session, he took home a decent win of about $400, yet I still blasted him.

Rob could have won more from his opponents if he'd bet the right amount, but he just didn't get it. His response: "I won, didn't I?"

Yes, but he didn't win enough. If he had played his cards right, he would have won $1,000! The way I see it, Rob lost $600; when you're a professional poker player, that's how you have to look at it.

You can teach anyone the right cards to play, the odds of this or that, and the power of position. However, the most important skill -- knowing the correct amount to bet -- is the most difficult to teach because it relies so heavily on your ability to sell.

Listen, there's a big difference between a bet of $1,200 and one of $1,325. If you could have won $1,325, but instead only pocketed $1,200, you just lost $125 that an expert wouldn't have lost.

Like a good car salesman, study the customer and then close the deal.
By Daniel Negreanu

SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The best cash game of no-limit Texas Hold 'em on television, HIGH STAKES POKER (HSP), will tape its fourth season in Las Vegas in May it was announced today by Rich Cronin, President and CEO of GSN. HIGH STAKES POKER continues to grow every season making it GSN's #1 rated program for men and adults 18-34.

"We are very pleased with the success of HIGH STAKES POKER and the tremendous buzz it has generated," said Cronin. "It is far and away the most talked about poker show. We plan on making HSP 4 the richest season yet with players bringing up to a million dollars of their own money to play in the biggest cash game on TV."

In May, HSP will be returning to the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas to tape its fourth season that will be premiering in the fall. Henry Orenstein, Executive Producer and Event Organizers/Consultants Mori Eskandani and Eric Drache are lining up the richest cash game ever on television. On the third season Brad Booth brought a million dollars and at times there was over four million dollars on the table.

The third season of HIGH STAKES POKER has featured a star-studded line-up that began with the 2006 World Series of Poker champion Jamie Gold and is concluding with Phil Ivey, perhaps the best high-stakes cash game poker player, appearing on the show. The final episode of the third season is on Monday, April 9 at 9 PM ET. Encore showings of the entire third season will begin the following Monday, April 16 at 9 PM.

HIGH STAKES POKER continues to be among the most downloaded podcasts on GSN.com and iTunes with over 350,000 views. The podcasts continue to feature additional highlights, interviews and outtakes of season three.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- The dawn of state-licensed casinos has prompted concerns that police will increase enforcement of laws against poker machines.

Many of Pennsylvania's 3,100 private clubs have long relied on revenue from illegal poker machines, so some casino owners are worried.

State police said that's not so. Maj. John Lutz, in charge of liquor control enforcement statewide, said officers only respond if a complaint is made. Often, it comes from a disgruntled club member or spouse. Lutz said no matter what club leaders believe, there are no orders to increase raids.

State Rep.Tom Caltagirone said he plans to introduce legislation to allow clubs to operate up to five poker machines. But the Berks County Democrat acknowledges that the chance of passage is slim.

Dear Mark: Is there any tried and true ways of selecting a casino? David C.

Well, David, the first thing I would need to know is your wants and needs. If you are a video poker player, it’s going to be all about paytables. Then there are those who judge a casino by comps and slot club rebates. Those who visit a casino with any frequency would make promotions the most important factor.

You may enjoy craps, so any casino offering 10X plus odds would get your play. Or, tracking blackjack, a club with the most liberal rules would warrant your action.

My mother loved the way the casino hosts fawned over her. They treated her like a treasured commodity, so her loyalty was based on friendliness.

I have one friend who would never walk into a casino that allows smoking, while another judges his favorite joint by the cocktail service. Okay, it’s the Rio in Las Vegas. Myself, I look for beneficial gaming situations, so for me it is the house that offers the best odds and playing conditions on the games I play: Blackjack, video poker, and to a lesser degree craps and baccarat.

I know, David, a band-aid answer, but you should weigh all of these factors, and above all, grab my recommendation to shop for value, not only on your bet selection, but learn to shop casinos and their offerings. But then -- check out one of my gambling comrades; all he wants is a 99¢ breakfast after his wallet has been pillaged to make that house his favorite.

Dear Mark: Last week you told Jenny that if she played less than the full amount in video poker, she is losing money. Is there ever a time when a player should play less than the maximum? Jan E.

What I told Jenny was that playing short would cost her approximately 1.5% of her payback. Although generally recommended, that didn’t imply that everyone should always play maximum coins. But for those well versed in expert strategy and playing a denomination that they can afford, yes, it’s the only way to go.

Still, let’s not forget, Jan, that royal flushes whimsically wield their face about once in 40,000 hands on most machines, so your hard-earned money is going to get gobbled up in between them. At a leisurely pace of four hands a minute, that royal could take seven days of 24/7 play to appear. Of course, another could appear thirty seconds later – which is why people gamble.

I do recommend to those players whose bankroll cannot afford playing the maximum coin amount, that they drop to a denomination of machine they can afford. If you can’t sustain five quarter play, play five nickels instead. Hitting a royal while playing the full amount on a nickel machine will get you $200, versus a jackpot of $62.50 with one coin in on a quarter machine.

Also, Jan, Murphy’s Law will forever be an important part of casino gambling. Anything that can happen, will happen. There are players who have logged countless hours on a video poker machine and have never seen a royal, while others never needed to crack their second roll of quarters before hitting two.

My recommendation will always remain the same. Play within your means, on machines that offer decent paytables; use perfect basic strategy; and abracadabra, over the long haul you’ll experience more good results than bad.

Gambling wisdom of the Week: “To many gamblers, blackjack tables are the alter of God. At least that's where they do most of their praying." -- Max Rubin, Casino Player Magazine

Bluffing is a big part of poker, but perhaps even more important is the ability to sniff out an opponent's bluff. Here are a few things you should focus on.

Know your opponents: Before you even play a hand against an opponent, pay close attention to his tendencies. You must try to figure out if bluffing is something that's part of his arsenal. Being a poker player is much like being a criminal profiler. Before you make a decision about how to play your hand, try to classify your opponent as a habitual bluffer, a straightforward player or a player who bluffs sporadically (the toughest opponent to face.)

Look for physical tells: The most dramatic way to spot a bluff is to look your opponent in the eye and attempt to sense his fear. If he looks nervous, it could be a sign that he's bluffing. The best method to detect an opponent's physical tells is to simply look for anything unusual or uncharacteristic in his behavior. For example, if your opponent bets, then suddenly puts his hand over his mouth -- something he doesn't normally do -- that could be a sign that he's bluffing.

On the other hand, he could just be self-conscious about his bad breath. What can I say; reading physical tells is an inexact science.

Observe an opponent's bluffing style: When a player is losing, he's more likely to steam or go on tilt. He may become impatient and bluff more than usual. If you think he's steaming, be on the lookout for this type of erratic play.

But keep in mind that some players bluff for the opposite reason. they bluff because they're bored.

Winning players, flush with confidence, often try to add deception to their game with a well-timed bluff.

Others use their conservative table image to set up bluffs. For example, a very tight player might set up the table by making an effective bluff that his opponents just won't see coming. Be on the lookout for this type of player and you won't be fooled when the time comes to pick off his bluff.

Nuts or Nothing Players: You'll often find yourself in a hand where, based on an opponent's betting, you'll conclude that he either has the best possible hand or absolutely nothing at all. Since making the nut hand is so uncommon, you should lean toward calling a bet if you think you're in this situation.

Strange Betting Patterns: This is probably the best and most accurate way to sniff out a bluff. You really need to pay attention to the way your opponent played his hands in the past in order to make educated decisions in the present.

Try to spot his betting patterns. If you can, it will be easier to recognize bets that don't seem to make much sense. For example, let's say you've picked up the following pattern -- when your opponent makes a flush on the turn, she always slowplays the hand, hoping you'll bet so that she can check-raise.

OK, now the flop comes Kh-10s-7h and the turn card is the 5h. Your opponent checked and then called on the flop, but this time she bets on the turn when the third heart hits. Since you've figured out her betting pattern, you've probably ruled out the possibility that she made the flush.

Then again, she just may be good at mixing up her play. It is poker after all.
By Daniel Negreanu

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The World Series of Poker will not penalize reigning WSOP World Champion Jamie Gold for two rules infractions that occurred during the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Gold said that in one incident he exposed a hole card to an opponent. He said that in the other incident he told an opponent he held top pair and top kicker after the opponent had bet. While common in cash games, such actions are violations of WSOP tournament rules.

Under the 2006 WSOP rules, Gold would have been subject to a penalty requiring him to sit out 10 minutes of play - if WSOP floor persons had seen either of those incidents when they occurred. The rules for the 2007 WSOP call for a 10-hand rather than 10-minute penalty.

After The New York Times interview was published, senior WSOP officials reviewed video footage and had two conversations with Gold about the incidents. Gold freely acknowledged and expressed contrition for the rules infractions, attributing them to his exuberance and excitement at participating in his first-ever WSOP Main Event.

The WSOP officials determined from the video review and the discussions with Gold that he did not deliberately attempt to violate the rules and that no penalties would be invoked retroactively for the incidents.

"Not only were we impressed with Jamie's candor and contrition, but we also recognized that tournament officials didn't witness the incidents or take appropriate action at the time of the rules infractions," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "We share culpability in this case and are satisfied that the actions in question were inadvertent mistakes. We look forward to Jamie's participation in the 2007 WSOP.

"I do want to stress, however, that we do not condone any violations of the rules and will make every effort to enforce them in every WSOP event," Pollack said.

For the third straight year, a field of 64 of the world’s elite poker players will go head-to-head in some of the most aggressive poker playing around. Filmed in Caesars Palace Poker Room March 2-4, the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship is a ‘who’s who’ from the poker world. The Championship features 64 of the world's best poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of Texas Hold'em) matches to determine who is the best face-to-face poker player in the world. The tournament has a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format modeled after college basketball tournaments.

Players include: defending champion Ted Forrest and 2005 and 2006 runner-up Chris Ferguson. Also completing will be Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Mike Matusow, Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, and Greg Raymer, among many others.

Celebrity participants include Don Cheadle, Jennifer Tilly and Shannon Elizabeth.

Sunday

4/8

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #1
NOON-1ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

4/15

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #2

NOON-1ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

4/22

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #3

NOON-1ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

4/29

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #4

NOON-2ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

5/6

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #5

NOON-2ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

5/13

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #6

NOON-2ET (3PM PT)

Sunday

5/20

NBC Sports Special: National Heads-Up Poker Championship #7

NOON-3ET (3PM PT)

The first matches and air dates/times include:

APRIL 8
NOON-1ET (3PM PT)
1 HOUR - FIRST ROUND (ROUND OF 64 - Hearts)
Mike Matusow vs Daniel Negreanu
Jennifer Tilly vs Jamie Gold

APRIL 15
NOON-1ET (3PM PT)
1 HOUR - FIRST ROUND (ROUND OF 64 - Diamonds)
Don Cheadle vs Phil Ivey
Gabe Kaplan vs Todd Brunson

APRIL 22
NOON-1ET (3PM PT)
1 HOUR - FIRST ROUND (ROUND OF 64 - Clubs & Spades)
Chris Moneymaker vs Joe Hachem
Shannon Elizabeth vs Rene Angelil

LONDON, England – (PRESS RELEASE) – Orbis, the world's leading provider of interactive gaming and betting solutions, recently released its Texas Hold'em poker solution as part of the OpenBet Rake Games module. The Sky Poker launch includes a web-based portal, as well as a dedicated Sky channel 846. This live channel features televised tournaments combining Internet players with those accessing interactively through their remote control, to create a unique and highly entertaining poker experience.

Having developed a tailored product for Sky Bet, Orbis has provided the enabling technology for this revolutionary fully integrated poker solution. Offering a non-download Flash-based web solution, OpenBet Poker features cutting edge graphics and animations with a sophisticated player interface, real and demo play modes, as well as seamless customer log in across multiple platforms.

Through OpenBet's 'One Account, One Wallet' solution, Sky Bet customers will have the unique opportunity to be able to play tournaments online and via iTV. OpenBet Poker directs both Internet and iTV players into one poker environment, which includes chat facilities, a 'Hotometer' indicating players' strength of hands and percentages and various tournament options such as 'sit and go' or 'scheduled'. Attention has been given to usability and ease of play to ensure it appeals to both the novice and expert players.

David Loveday, Managing Director of Orbis, said: "We are very pleased and proud to launch our OpenBet Poker and feel we have a truly unique product with dual platforms feeding one poker environment. Having worked closely with Sky Bet to incorporate several exclusive features, we have developed a powerful product that reflects their vision for the future of online poker."

Richard Flint, Managing Director of Sky Bet, said "We chose to work with Orbis because they were able to offer us a poker solution that was flexible and adaptable enough to work across all technology platforms, initially Internet, iTV and live broadcast TV. Orbis also offered us an easy way for customers to transfer money into and out of the poker room from the sportsbook, as well as a single database view for customer analysis. We also felt confident that Orbis could meet the high regulatory and compliance standards that Sky requires. We have been extremely pleased with the growth in liquidity in our poker room in the weeks since launch".

Orbis OpenBet presents seven distinct but compatible software modules that include Sportsbook, Casino, Rake Games, Fixed Odds Games, Exchange, Retail and Marketing. It enables operators to provide their customers the ability to bet and play across multiple products and platforms in a wide variety of languages and currencies, whilst offering a unique 'One Account, One Wallet' solution.

Dear Mark: In blackjack, are you ever allowed to stand behind a player and make a bet in the circle of a player sitting in front of you? They seem to allow it where I play, but personally I find it very annoying. Johnny E.

I too, Johnny, am no fan of an over-the-shoulder bet, especially when it knocks over another player’s Slurpee Super Gulp and delays the game for 20 minutes, which just enlivened a recent evening for me.

The wager you’re describing is called a Rider bet, a separate wager that rides alongside the typical bet made by a player whose chips are in the betting circle. If allowed in the casino you play in, you can have up to two Riders per circle, but the total amount of wagers placed on the betting circle cannot exceed the table maximum.

As for the decision-making on the wager, the player whose rear end is in the seat making the original bet in the circle gets to decide how the hand will be played, although in one joint I was recently in, the player who places the largest amount gets to direct play, even if he or she is the Rider. Also, the player sitting front-and-center can also bet the maximum table amount, which trumps anyone else who wishes to make a Rider bet.

Dear Mark: I’ve noticed that some casinos pay double on the 12 when making a field bet in craps, while others pay triple. Obviously the smart move is getting paid triple, but what if the casino I am playing in only offers getting paid double? Should I ever play it? Vince F.

Many casinos pay even money on a winning field bet if a 3, 4, 9,10, or 11 is rolled, double on a 2, and triple on a 12. Informed dice players know that getting triple on the 12 reduces the house edge to 2.78%.

Luckily, Vince, on every crap layout, the pay schedule for a field bet is clearly marked, so you’ll know ahead of time, if you’re getting fleeced, though they don’t use that honest word on the layout. I state fleeced because some casinos pay only double on the 12, and this minor change brings the casino advantage up to 5.56%, making it a bet you shouldn’t ever make.

Dear Mark: I was told that unless I play maximum coins in a video poker machine that I will never hit the royal flush. Is that true? Jenny S.

You were told wrong, Jenny. You have the same chance of hitting a royal regardless of how many coins inserted. Video poker machines are NOT set to give more royals with short coin play. States that follow Nevada gaming standards require that the number of coins bet must not affect the outcome of play. The randomizing shuffle of the virtual deck stops when the first coin is inserted, or, on the microsecond when you push the first bet button, with the deck remaining unchanged until the hand is over.

But consider, Jenny, that playing short is going to cost you. When you play five coins you typically win 4,000 for the royal as opposed to 250-for-1 when playing fewer, costing you about 1.5% on your payback. And although your chances for hitting a royal remain the same, at that squinchy payoff, you’ll never beat that machine over the long haul.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "To the average casino visitor, gambling is all about luck. To a few knowledgeable players and those in the gambling business, it's all about mathematics." --VP Pappy
By Mark Pilarski

WESTPORT - From sometime poker player with his wife and neighbors, Westport resident Eric Larrivee won his way to the big time earlier this month. After besting 40,000 or so on-line players, then winning a 64-player tourney (modeled after the NCAA basketball tournament) and a one-on-one finalist showdown in Las Vegas, he landed the lone newcomer's spot on NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

In Las Vegas two weeks ago he held his own for a marathon 2 1/2 hours against one of the best. Formerly of Fall River, the 43-year-old has lived in Westport (Longview Estates) for nine years. He is a former Fall River police officer who now drives the Southcoast blood drive van part time. He and his wife Rose have two children of their own, Drew, 8 and Kate, 9, as well as two young foster children.

Have you played poker long? "Not really. I had never played at all before I started watching it on TV. I got hooked."

How did you learn? "Watching TV, reading everything I could about it, studying and playing — on the computer, with my wife and friends, whenever I could."

Who wins these friendly neighborhood games? "I do pretty well. My wife is good (has won a few area tournaments herself) but I can usually figure out when she's bluffing ... she leaves clues."

Can she read you? "No."

Is it harder playing on the computer or in person? "Playing on-line you don't have the advantage of being able to see your opponent's mannerisms. But you can learn about players anyway, their betting patterns, how they play by how quickly they move, when they pause ... And a lot of computer players do crazy things, bet when they shouldn't. Most of the games are quite short."

Were you given the rookie treatment in Las Vegas? "No, people couldn't have been nicer. All of these people I have watched for years, the really great players, welcomed me in. They were interested in meeting me too, seeing who had won this one spot in their game."

What was it like, going up against the pros? I was put up against Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier, "a great player from Canada who I'd seen play many times." All the attention, the cameras and the amount of money ($20,000 in chips supplied by the network) were a bit distracting at first but we quickly just settled into playing cards. "Our game went for 2 1/2 hours. Sometimes I was up, sometimes she was up. She eventually won but it was close, exciting poker."

Could you read her? "No. She's way too good for that."

Was she able to figure you out? "I was getting stared up and down but later she told me that I didn't give out any 'tells.' To hear that from someone like her was a great compliment."

Did you wear the hat and mirror shades? I wore a sponsor's hat but I didn't wear sunglasses. "I never wear them when I play and I didn't want to suddenly start doing things differently."

Are these pros really that much better than the rest of us? "There is no comparison. Luck is a big part of poker but they always know the percentages and play under control ... And they are brilliant at reading their opponent, even down to watching for an opponent's pupils to dilate. If you start focusing too much on those things, they've already beaten you. Better to just play."

Westport seem pretty tame after all that? "It's good to be home but that was something we'll never forget. The people out there (poker pros, celebrities like Jennifer Tilly, Don Cheadle, Shannon Elizabeth) couldn't have treated us better. We were treated like VIP's by NBC."

What else do you do for fun. "I like to play golf but it's harder to find time for that. You can play (online) poker with a seven-month old sitting on your knee but you can't do that with golf."

Are your regular poker buddies intimidated now? "Not at all. We play for fun, small stakes, and by now we all know each other too well for that."

Plan on another try? "I'm already working on that. One way or another, I'll get back out there. I went out hoping I wouldn't embarrass myself and came home knowing that I earned some respect."

Air time

NBC will air its National Heads-Up Poker Championship for seven Sundays starting April 8.
By Bruce Burdett

The Catawba Indian Tribe cannot operate video poker on its reservation near Rock Hill, the S.C. Supreme Court unanimously ruled Monday.

Supporters of the ruling said it would keep video poker from returning to South Carolina and hurt the tribe’s chances of opening a high-stakes bingo hall in Orangeburg County.

The tribe likely will appeal the video poker part of the ruling to the federal courts, said Columbia attorney Dwight Drake, who represents the Catawbas.

“The (U.S.) Supreme Court generally is more generous about considering Indian gaming matters,” he said.

In reversing a lower court ruling, the justices said a 1993 settlement between the state and the state’s only federally recognized tribe would allow video poker on the reservation only if it were permitted under state law.

Because the state banned the $3 billion industry in 2000, the tribe is not allowed to operate the devices on its reservation, the justices said.

The high court sided with the Catawbas on one issue. The court said Monday the state was wrong to impose an $18-per-person entrance fee for the tribe’s now-closed bingo operation near its reservation.

Drake said the tribe might sue the state for damages for forcing it to collect the bingo entrance fee, contending the fee hurt business at its former Rock Hill operation. It was unknown Monday how much had been collected.

Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said the governor was “very pleased” with Monday’s ruling.

State Sen. Wes Hayes, R-York, who opposed the Catawbas’ video poker plans, said had the court ruled in favor of the tribe, the “potential harm to the state was enormous.”

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, whose office represented the state in the appeal, said in a prepared statement: “It is a sound decision.”

The tribe had threatened to start a video poker operation on its reservation if it couldn’t open a high-stakes bingo hall near Santee, which it contends is allowed under the 1993 settlement.

The tribe claims it needs high-stakes bingo because the state-run lottery, which began in 2002, dramatically reduced revenues from its Rock Hill bingo hall.

Hayes, who opposes the high-stakes bingo operation, describing it as a “1,000-machine casino,” said Monday’s ruling likely will hurt the tribe’s plans. But a supporter, Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said the tribe won’t give up on the proposal, which he contends would bring hundreds of jobs to an economically depressed region.

“(The ruling) probably wouldn’t enhance the chances of it happening, (but) I know it wouldn’t end the chance,” he said.

The ruling reverses a 2005 order by Richland County Master in Equity Joseph Strickland, who acted as a special circuit judge on the case. Strickland said he was persuaded by an affidavit supporting the Catawbas submitted by A. Crawford Clarkson Jr., who had been designated the state’s chief negotiator by then-Gov. Carroll Campbell.

In Monday’s ruling, the S.C. Supreme Court said the affidavits by Clarkson and others were “not admissible as evidence of legislative intent.”

Justice E.C. Burnett, who wrote the ruling, was joined by Justices James Moore, John Waller and Costa Pleicones, and acting justice Diane Goodstein, a circuit judge from Summerville. Chief Justice Jean Toal recused herself because she represented the tribe in private practice before joining the court in 1988.

The tribe sued the state in federal court in 1980, claiming the state, without necessary congressional approval, cheated it out of nearly 144,000 acres that had been its reservation created by treaties of 1760 and 1763. A settlement was reached in 1993 after more than a decade of negotiations.
By RICK BRUNDRETT

NBC’s Poker After Dark continues to bring viewers the very best in six-handed table match-ups with the airing of its 12th week. Three of the poker’s more vocal and controversial players, Phil Hellmuth, Mike Matusow, and Tony G, will take center stage in what promises to be anything but a quiet match. They will go up against three other highly recognized and accomplished pros in Andy Bloch, Sam Farha, and Phil Ivey.

Matusow and Hellmuth have had some classic confrontations in the past, and each is known to needle the other incessantly when seated at the same table. The addition of one of the game’s most caustic trash talkers in Tony G, though, could add even more fuel to a match that already has potential for some fireworks.

But these three have many other attributes other than their propensity to wear their emotions on their sleeves and to pummel the airwaves with insults and expletives. Together, they have won more than $14 million in tournament play, and whether you love them or not, they do make for interesting television.

The above bad boys, however, are not the only players in this match. They will have to contend against the steady play of Andy Bloch, the shiftiness of Sam Farha, and the skills of one of the game’s best in Phil Ivey. All had good years in 2006, with Bloch earning nearly $1.6 million, Ivey almost $1.4 million, and Farha winning his second WSOP bracelet. Collectively, they have won nearly as much as the other three in tournament play, cashing for over $12 million in their lifetimes.

Brief profiles on all six players follow. The match will begin airing late night Monday at 2:05 AM, Monday, March 19, and will continue for five consecutive nights in the same time slot. A special program called the “Director’s Cut” will air late night Saturday, March 24, at 1:00 AM, right after Saturday Night Live. This show will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the week with highlights and insightful player interviews, and conclude with the winner sitting down with Shana Hiatt to discuss and analyze the match.
By Dennis Oehring

Dear Mark: If, as you claim, a video poker machine uses only one standard 52-card deck, how is it that I get the same card I discarded when I draw? For instance, the screen shows two jacks, two queens and the 10 of spades. I discard the 10 of spades to go for the full house, but I get the 10 of spades back on the draw. My example just happened to me yesterday. How is this possible? Fred G.

The return address on your envelope reads Shreveport, LA, so I assume you typically play at the Eldorado or Sam’s Town. Well, Fred, the nitty-gritty is that to redraw a discard is not legal on any machine whose manufacturer is licensed to sell in Louisiana, Nevada or any other state with similar gaming regulations.

I’m guessing, Fred, that you probably discarded the 10 of clubs. But for argument’s sake, when you are certain that the same card has reappeared, I recommend that you stop playing immediately and ask for a slot supervisor, who has the ability to show you the history of your play.

What the slot supervisor can do is put that video poker machine into a diagnostic mode so you can see the last hand as it was before and after the draw. I’ve actually requested this a few times over the years, certain that I was receiving the same card, but in each case I had actually mistaken the suit of the discard. When you play with any speed or low dose your daily ginkgo biloba supplement, it’s bound to happen.

If you just do happen to actually get a discard back on the draw, the casino should immediately shut down the machine for testing. I would even go a step further and inform the Gaming Control Board to make sure that there isn’t an illegal chip in it.

Dear Mark: I was playing single deck blackjack head-to-head against the dealer and she kept shuffling after the fifth round, even when there were plenty of cards remaining. Is this common practice? Mark S.

Each casino has its own procedure as to when the dealer is to shuffle the cards. Where I’ve pitched them, we dealt to the cut card, no matter how many players were on the game.

.

The cut card, which marks at the outset where play will terminate, forces the dealer to shuffle up after a specified number of cards have been dealt, as opposed to what you experienced, shuffling after a specific number of rounds.

Casinos whose shuffling policy is based on a specific number of rounds typically require the dealer to deal five rounds to one player, four rounds to two players, three rounds to three players and two rounds to four or five players.

By the way, Mark, I just happened to be in a casino where the dealer dealt just one round before shuffling to the five of us sitting on the game. The cards stayed house cold for two hours, so who was I to complain?

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Video poker ‘pros’ are nothing more than retired people with time on their hands and optimum strategy in their heads." --Video Poker Vegas

If you want to make money playing poker, find a game with a few suckers, fish, donkeys, live ones, or whatever you choose to call a bad player.

Just don't let that sucker be you.

If you're the sixth-best poker player in the world, but routinely play against the best five, you'd still be the fish at the table, despite the fact that you're an excellent player.

When you visit Las Vegas, or California -- the poker capital of the world -- you'll have a wide variety of games to choose from. At a spot like the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, you'll find a sea of tables with all sorts of betting limits, varieties of poker, and most importantly, players with a wide range of skill levels.

Here's how to identify the weakest opponents in the room:

Head for the low-limit games

For a solid player, low-limit games can often be frustrating to play, but that's where your edge is the greatest. With lots of novice players learning the game, calling too many bets, and making all kinds of foolish mistakes, this is where you can really clean up.

In a typical $3-$6 Hold'em game, most of the players simply aren't very good. You might find one or two experienced players, tops.

The composition of a high-stakes game is much different. If you sit down in a $100-$200 game, you'd hope to find one or two suckers, while the rest of the players are likely to be professionals.

Look for games with loose action

The most common characteristic of a sucker is that he plays too many hands. So, before taking your seat, watch a few rounds first and see how many players are going to the flop on a regular basis. The more players that see the flop, the better the game is for your bankroll.

In a low-stakes game, five to eight players commonly see the flop almost every hand. You can't really bluff those types of players, but you can win huge pots when good hands come your way. It makes sense to be patient and wait for premium hands.

In high-stakes poker, $100-$200 limits or higher, you'll usually see hands being played heads-up, or sometimes three-handed. That's a sure sign that you're looking at a tough table.

Look for new faces

Another sure sign of a tough table is one where you see the same faces day in and day out. It figures that those players are winning the game more often than losing. Winning players are able to sustain the ups and downs, while bad players will come and go.

Always look for fresh faces, as they're more likely to be bad or inexperienced players.

It's those familiar faces you should be wary of.

Be honest with yourself

Everyone thinks they're good poker players. Until you realize that you know far less about the game than you thought you did, you'll always be somebody's sucker.

The biggest mistake most players make is that they compare their best game to their opponents' worst game. They remember their competitors' bad plays but neglect to admit their own mistakes.

One of the ways to avoid getting in over your head is to ask a friend, whose opinion you value, whether he thinks you can beat the game you're in. An objective observer will see things more clearly than you will.

If you receive positive feedback, sit down and bait your hook.
By Daniel Negreanu

LAS VEGAS (AP) - World Series of Poker organizers are preparing for 10,000 entrants to this year's main event, a 14 percent increase from last year, despite a U.S. crackdown on online gambling sites that have boosted the tournament's popularity.

Organizers said Wednesday that the number was for planning purposes only, and did not reflect confidence that last year's 8,773 entrants would be topped. Half of last year's record number of entrants were estimated to have won their seats in online qualifier events.

"It is not either a target, a goal or a prediction," tournament commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said during a conference call with reporters. "But again, you've got to plan for something. We're planning for a top level of 10,000 but if there are more, we will figure it out."

The tournament plans to build a structure beside the host Rio casino-hotel in Las Vegas and increase the number of tables to 258, Pollack said. That would be enough to allow more than 3,000 players to play the first three days of the main event.

A higher number of entrants would mean the grand prize for the world's richest poker game would exceed last year's $12 million.

The tournament also said it was distancing itself from online poker sites that accept bets from U.S. players, in line with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The measure was signed by President Bush as part of a port security bill in October.

Groups associated with dot-com poker sites that take U.S. wagers will no longer be allowed to set up VIP booths and displays, Pollack said.

The tournament, owned by Harrah's Entertainment Inc., also is warning sites that improperly use trademarked material, such as the tournament name, to stop.

That could include poker Web sites such as FullTiltPoker.com and Bodog.com, which are holding satellite tournaments that award World Series of Poker seats worth $10,000 apiece.

Pollack said players would not be able to sport logos from sites that continue to violate its trademark rights by the time the first events of the 47-day tournament series begin June 1.

The trademark warnings could crimp registrations, said Internet gambling expert and lawyer Anthony Cabot.

"I think they're in a difficult position," Cabot said. "They're a licensed entity and therefore have to be cognizant of the new laws and the potential impact those new laws could have on them as a company. At the same time, implementation of those policies will have a negative economic impact on the tournament."
By RYAN NAKASHIMA

FRIANT, Calif., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Poker was the name of the game as players gathered at Table Mountain Casino to participate in its first 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) circuit tournament on Monday, March 5th. The Casino congratulated the tournament winner, Sou Moua of Fresno, who was awarded the top tournament prize of one $10,000 paid entry to the 2007 WSOP Main Event in June, airfare for two from Fresno to Las Vegas, NV and a five night stay at the Rio All-Suite Hotel. In addition to the top prize, the circuit participants were eligible for drawings of $2,500 cash at each tournament.

"This is one of many very exciting opportunities that Table Mountain Casino is offering to our loyal players to celebrate the Casino's 20-Year Anniversary," says John Mayewski, President & CEO of Table Mountain Casino. "We are honored and thrilled to provide this prestigious WSOP circuit event to Central Valley poker players."

To participate in the high-stakes poker action and excitement of the upcoming WSOP circuit tournaments, advance sign-up at the Table Mountain Casino Main Casino Cage is recommended. Buy-in for each tournament participant is only $200 + $25 entry fee with one optional $200 re-buy for $2,000 in tournament chips. Remaining multi-table tournament dates are March 19, April 9 & 23, May 7 & 21, and June 4 & 18.

Table Mountain Casino is owned and operated by the Table Mountain Rancheria Band of Indians who actively support many Community-based agencies and non-profit organizations serving residents of the Greater Fresno area and the regional San Joaquin Valley community. To learn more about Table Mountain Casino, its community service programs and current promotions, please visit www.tmcasino.com.

Dear Mark: In any poker game, are additional cards like a kicker ever used after your five cards are ranked? For instance, two players share four cards on the board, and one of cards in their two-card hand is the same, both creating identical straights. If player A has an Ace as his other down card, and player B has a Queen, do you know of any instance where the Ace of player A would be used to settle a tie? Do suits ever settle a tie? Are there any games that use additional cards? Jerry C.

The standard answer is no. All 5-card poker hands consist of just five cards. When additional cards are available, such as in Hold’em, players combine individually dealt cards with a number of "community cards” that are dealt face up and shared by all players. Each player then attempts to compose the best five-card poker hand using the community cards and the player’s own face-down cards. After a player decides on a five-card subset, it is then compared to the five-card hands of the other players and ranked according to the rules of the game. The remaining cards are of no consequence in determining the winner.

So, Jerry, that additional ace in Player A’s pocket would only come into play if he or she could use it for a Broadway, which is an Ace-high straight (TJQKA) odd suit. Suits wouldn’t settle like hands because they typically have no value, unless they are used to determine whether a hand fits a certain category, specifically a flush or straight flush.

One game that does come to mind that offers the use of more than five cards is Pai Gow or Double-handed poker. The object of Pai Gow poker is for a player to create two poker hands out of the seven cards in his hand: a five-card poker hand and a two-card poker hand. Played with a single 52-card deck and a lone joker, the game uses typical hand rankings, and the five-card hand must rank higher than the two-card hand.

Dear Mark: Possibly you can help me with this question. Years ago I heard somewhere of a game called Spit poker. I don’t remember where I first learned of it, or any of its rules. Any ideas? I would like to add it to our weekly poker game. Sam J.

Inferring, Sam, that we’re on the same page, it’s not Spit, but Spit in the Ocean poker, and it more or less goes like this. Spit in the Ocean is a community-draw game where each player is dealt four cards and one additional is flipped from the top of the deck. This card is known as the "spit" card and is the fifth card for everyone's hand, a community card.

Another variation is that each player is dealt four down cards one at a time, unless the player on dealer's right yells "spit," then a center community card is immediately dealt face up. The community "spit" card and all other non-community cards of the same ranking then become wild cards.

Your source, Sam, conceivably could have been singer Ray Stevens, who references Spit in the Ocean in a song called Shriner’s Convention.

“Matters of grave concern were weighed with dedicated caution

Like whether or not to raise at stud or draw or spit in the ocean.”

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "I know logically, that the only way to truly win at video poker is to always consider all the factors, and to always play as close to perfect on the right machines as you can. In short, you have to work at winning. I just don't want to work when I'm in a casino, I want to play." --Melissa Cook (Strictly Slots)

Texans would get to vote on whether to allow full-scale casino gambling in up to a dozen spots statewide under a bill proposed in the Legislature Thursday.

The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved by Texas voters, would allow for 12 casino gambling sites - 3 of them on Indian reservations. It also would allow video slot machines at horse and dog race tracks.

The bill was proposed by two high-profile senators, John Carona, R-Dallas, and Rodney Ellis, D-Houston. They say their hope is that Texans find one part of the plan particularly attractive - that $1 billion per year from casino profits would be dedicated to sending eligible Texans to community colleges or public universities.

Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, also filed legislation Thursday seeking to regulate poker in Texas. It would allow up to four live or electronic poker tables at establishments meeting certain requirements and would allow charitable poker.

Carona and Ellis say they are not gamblers themselves, and don't even buy lottery tickets. But they say something must be done to stop the flow of gambling money out of the state.

They also say "destination resort casinos'" would attract tourism money for other activities besides gambling.

Opponents predict the casino legislation will go the same place
similar bills have gone before - nowhere. Proponents of the measure say Texans already spend about $10 billion per year on gambling, some in other states and some illegally in Texas.

Limit Hold'em is a beautiful game to play. Maybe it's not as dramatic as No Limit -- with those exciting all-in bets -- but the betting in Limit has a flow to it that's like a language of its own.

This dialog is often non-verbal but it speaks volumes.

Let me illustrate this point in a typical hand.

Playing a $10-$20 limit, Charlie raises the pot to $20 from middle position. That bet says, I have the best hand boys, and I'm going to attack those blinds. Then Joe reraises the bet to $30 from the dealer position: Sorry Charlie, I think I'm the one with the best hand.

All of the other players fold, and the flop comes Ks-8d-4c. Charlie is first to act and checks. He's saying: Okay, tough guy, since you reraised me before the flop, go ahead and bet.

Joe isn't ready to slow down just yet. He bets: Charlie, I'm not scared of that king. Who knows, I might even have one myself.

Having made the obligatory check to the raiser, Charlie now fires back a raise at Joe. Not so fast, Joe, I liked that flop and I'm ready to dance. You game? Let's make it $20.

Joe stares at Charlie and reaches for more chips. What, did you think I was kidding, Charlie? When I said I had the best hand, I meant it. Reraise!

The action gets back to Charlie, who decides to just call. All right Joe, I'll stop raising, for now. But I'm not letting you have this pot just yet. Let's see another card.

This part of the unspoken poker conversation should usually go the same way for Charlie. Since he didn't reraise on the flop, he should check the turn. Otherwise, the conversation just doesn't flow; if Charlie were to bet, it just wouldn't make much sense.

But he does anyway. I know you reraised me on the flop but I'm still going to bet.

Joe glances back at Charlie with a puzzled look on his face. Now you're betting? You didn't reraise me to $40 on the flop, and all of a sudden I'm supposed to believe that a deuce helped? If it did help you, why wouldn't you check-raise me? You know I'm going to bet for sure.

Here's the way the hand is supposed to play out. Either Charlie should make it $40 and bet the turn, or he should just call the $30 and check. Any other play doesn't go with the flow of the conversation.

This is what Charlie should have said: Okay, Joe, you go ahead and bet and we'll see what I decide to do. I might be trapping you, or I might be a little scared. You'll never know which it is.

Joe then bets the turn. I'm not scared of a little old deuce, and I've got a monster hand. Let's make it $20 to go.

Charlie then springs back into action. Gotcha! I'm the man with the best hand and here's $40 to prove it.

Joe makes the reluctant call. Wow, Charlie, looks like maybe you do have the best hand, but I'm going to pay the price to see it.

The river card is another deuce, and Charlie makes his last bet at the pot. I wasn't kidding and I'm not stopping now.

Once again, Joe calls. I guess you might have me Charlie, but the pot is too big now, I have to call you.

Charlie then turns over pocket eights for a full house. Joe sends his hand to the muck face up -- big slick, A-K.

As you can see, the combination of betting and non-verbal dialog made sense throughout the hand.

When professionals play Limit Hold'em, all the bets seem to have a rhythm that makes sense. Every action has a meaning, and it's usually predicated on the play from the previous street.

Playing wildly may help you win some No Limit hands, but Limit poker is more of a science than an art. Both are beautiful games, but a different approach is required for each one.
BY DANIEL NEGREANU

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amateur poker player Adam Weinraub experienced the true meaning of "the gift that keeps on giving" yesterday as he won the 5th Annual World Poker Tour® (WPT) Invitational, an invitation-only event and the most glamorous stop of the poker circuit. Weinraub--who won his Invitational seat by bidding last year in a silent auction to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation--outplayed a field of 385 celebrities and poker pros to take home the $100,000 first place prize and a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship. To keep the giving going, the Orange County native pledged to donate an additional $20,000 to the fund as well as 20 percent of his WPT World Championship winnings.

Adding to the excitement, for the first time in WPT history, the final table included TWO famous Hollywood faces--Nick Cassavetes, director of critically acclaimed movies Alpha Dog and The Notebook; and Glenn Morshower, secret service agent Aaron Pierce on the hit series 24.

The three-day WTP Invitational kicked off March 3rd at the prestigious Commerce Casino in Commerce, Calif. Hollywood heavyweights and poker superstars walked the red carpet, and then battled it out in a Texas Hold 'Em tournament for charity, cash prizes, and a WPT Champion title. Among the players were Vince Vaughn, Paris and Nicky Hilton, Don Cheadle, Mena Suvari, James Woods, Jon Favreau, Camryn Manheim, Jason Alexander, Hank Azaria, Mekhi Phifer, Pete Sampras, Ron Livingston, Laura Prepon, Marlon Wayans, Bai Ling, Maura Tierney, Ed Asner, Jennifer Tilly, Lou Diamond Phillips, Donnie Wahlberg, Shanna Moakler, Jerry Buss, and Morgan Fairchild, as well as pros Mike Sexton, Vince Van Patten, Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Layne Flack, Paul Darden, Hoyt Corkins, Steve Paul Ambrose, Eric Lindgren, Karina and Chip Jett, Nick Schulman, David Sklansky, J.C. Tran, Vanessa Rousso, Robert Mizrachi, John Phan, Allen Kessler, Evelyn Ng, and many more.

By March 5, only six players remained to fight for the $225,000 prize pool provided by Commerce Casino. Poker pros Tim West and "Miami" John Cernuto, Commerce Casino Employee Relations staff member David Mosikian, Weinraub, Morshower and Cassavetes all headed to the final table. Morshower was the first player out, taking home $5,000 in sixth place, followed by Cassavetes in fifth place, who won $10,000 as well as a "last celebrity standing" award--a $10,000 donation to the charity of his choice. Mosikian followed in fourth, earning $15,000, and West received $20,000 for third. Finally, Cernuto placed second in heads-up play against Weinraub, winning $50,000. Leading non-profit arts advocacy organization and Invitational partner, The Creative Coalition, also received a $10,000 donation from the WPT.

"The WPT Invitational is the only sporting event where the biggest names in Hollywood can compete with the best in poker--on an even footing," said Steve Lipscomb, founder, president, and CEO of WPT Enterprises. "Since the first Invitational, we've resisted the urge to level the playing field. This year's event is yet another testament to the fact that celebrities and amateurs who love this game are improving to the point that they can compete against the pros at the top levels of the sport. Having two celebrities at the final table and Weinraub's amazing win were the perfect cap to the fifth anniversary of this event."

The WPT Invitational will air July 11, 2007, on the Travel Channel at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. World Poker Tour airs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

LAS VEGAS Paul Wasicka beat a field of 64 competitors to win the NBC National Heads-Up poker championship late last night.
The win nets the 26-year-old Colorado native 500-thousand dollars and adds to his lifetime winnings of nearly 7.4 (M) million dollars.

Most of that money was made last year when he came second in the World Series of Poker's main event, losing at the final table to Jamie Gold to take home 6.1 (M) million dollars.

At the no-limit hold-em tournament over the weekend which gathered mostly professionals, Wasicka flopped a straight on the last hand holding a queen and jack.

That was enough to beat opponent Chad Brown who had a pair of kings.

The series is to be broadcast on NBC on consecutive Sundays starting April 8th.

Bluffing is a big part of poker, but equally, if not more important, is the ability to sniff out an opponent's bluff. Here are a few things you should focus on.

• Know your opponents

Before you even play a hand against an opponent, pay close attention to his tendencies. You must try to figure out if bluffing is something that's part of his arsenal.

Being a poker player is much like being a criminal profiler. Before you make a decision about how to play your hand, try to classify your opponent as a habitual bluffer, a straightforward player, or a player that bluffs sporadically (the toughest opponent to face.)

• Look for physical tells

The most dramatic way to spot a bluff is to look your opponent in the eye and attempt to sense his fear. If he looks nervous, it could be a sign that he's bluffing.

The best method to detect an opponent's physical tells is to simply look for anything unusual or uncharacteristic in his behavior. For example, if your opponent bets, and then suddenly puts his hand over his mouth — something he doesn't normally do — that could be a sign that he's bluffing.

On the other hand, he could just be self-conscious about his bad breath. What can I say; reading physical tells is an inexact science.

• Observe an opponent's bluffing style

When a player is losing, he's more likely to steam or go on tilt. He might become impatient and bluff more than usual. If you think he's steaming, be on the lookout for this type of erratic play.

Keep this in mind: Some players bluff for the opposite reason; they bluff because they're bored.

Winning players, flush with confidence, often try to add deception to their game with a well-timed bluff.

Others use their conserv- ative table image to set up bluffs. For example, a tight player might set up the table by making an effective bluff that his opponents just won't see coming. Be on the lookout for this type of player and you won't be fooled when the time comes to pick it off.

• Nuts or nothing players

You'll often find yourself in a hand where, based on an opponent's betting, you'll conclude that he either has the best possible hand or absolutely nothing at all. Since making the nut hand is so uncommon, you should lean toward calling a bet if you think you're in this situation.

• Strange betting patterns

This is probably the best and most accurate way to sniff one out.

You really need to pay attention to the way your opponent played his hands in the past in order to make educated decisions in the present.

Try to spot his betting patterns. If you can, it will be easier to recognize bets that don't seem to make much sense.

For example, let's say that you've picked up the following pattern: When your opponent makes a flush on the turn, she always slowplays the hand, hoping you'll bet so that she can check-raise.

OK, now the flop comes Kh-10s-7h and the turn card is the 5h. Your opponent checked and then called on the flop, but this time she bets on the turn when the third heart hits.

Since you've figured out her betting pattern, you've probably ruled out the possibility she made the flush.

Then again, she just might be good at mixing up her play. It is poker after all.
By DANIEL NEGREANU

Dear Mark: I love Three Card Poker. My husband says that the only bet I should make when playing the tables is on the Pairs Plus. Do you have any ideas on that? Also, I hear that Three Card Poker has the best odds behind craps. Is that true? Mary Jo H.

Ah, yes, he clearly speaks with love. Three Card Poker is an exciting poker game that offers two ways to play and four different ways to win. The game is quick, and a snap to learn. No hidden risks to worry about, no troubling calculations.

In front of each player are three betting areas: first, the wager you like, Mary Jo, Pair Plus, then an Ante circle, and finally a Play square. Players can wager either that their hand will be higher in rank than the dealer’s hand, or they can wager that their hand will consist of at least a pair, hence Pair Plus.

Betting on a pair is a simple matter of making a Pair Plus bet. You know immediately whether you have won a Pair Plus payoff as soon as you look at your cards. With a Pair Plus bet there is no raising or discarding, and the dealer’s cards are immaterial.

Payoffs on Pair Plus wagers are made according to the following schedule, regardless of the dealer’s hand:

Straight flush: 40 to 1

Three-of-a-kind: 30 to 1

Straight: 6 to 1

Flush: 4 to 1

Pair: Even money

Hubby is somewhat right in that the Pair Plus wager has a relatively low house edge of 2.3%. But surprisingly, the Ante/Play alternatives, when using the strategy of betting when you have at least a queen, six, and a four in your hand, lowers the house edge even more to 2.1%, You might stun Mister H. with this news sometime.

As to Pair Plus having the best odds next to craps, well, select video poker machines, basic strategy in blackjack, the bank and player hands in baccarat, and yes, a handful of bets on the crap table all offer an even better – well slightly better -- choice for the knowledgeable player. Which leads me to my official recommendation, that being: since you can’t put a price on a good time, and you love playing Three Card Poker and the Pair Plus bet, with the relatively low house edge of 2.3%, keep playing.

Dear Mark: I sometimes forget to bring my basic strategy card for blackjack to the casino. Do you have any simplified rules to follow that will cut the edge on the game? Gary Z.

For starters, Gary, find a casino that offers some decent rules that are favorable to the player, such as these eight: single deck game, early and late surrender, the ability to double down on any two cards, doubling after splits, multiple pair splitting and the re-splitting of aces, deep deck penetration, and dealers that stand on a soft 17.

Next, memorizing these few simple rules below will enable you to knock the house edge down to less than one percent.

If your hand is a 12 through 16 and the dealer’s up card is between 2 and 6, stand. If it’s 7 through ace, hit. If you have a 17 or more, regardless of what the dealer up card is, stand. The only exception to this would be a soft 17; here you always hit.

If you have 10 or 11, double if the dealer has a 2-9 showing.

If you have a soft 13 -18, double if the rules allow when the dealer is showing a 5 or 6.

Always split eights and aces.

Never take insurance.

Finally, if you have a pair of deuces, threes, sixes, sevens or nines, split if the dealer is showing a 2-7. One exception; stand on your nines if the dealer has a deuce.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.” -- Ed Furgol (an ex-professional golfer)
By Mark Pilarski

RECENTLY, I PICKED up tennis star James Blake and two of his friends to take them over to the Bay 101 card club, in San Jose, for some poker action.

In my last column, I talked about how Blake had busted me twice, and then bluffed me in a poker session, sigh.

When I arrived to pick up Blake and friends, I was pleasantly surprised to see that actress Shannon Elizabeth was with him. Elizabeth knows her way around a poker table.

We decided to play spread-limit Hold 'em, with $3-$5 blinds. Spread-limit is basically no-limit, except the most you can bet is $200 (as per the local laws of San Jose). Also, the max buy-in is $200.

As the game progressed, Elizabeth was having a great time, but she was a bit annoyed at Player A - one of the players at our table - because he kept moving all-in.

When you have a player at your table moving all-in too often, it really does disrupt the flow of the game. No one can call a $30 bet into a $30 pot with a drawing hand, like a straight draw or a flush draw. It makes you commit all or nothing, and in the case of calling with a drawing hand, the wise choice is nothing (folding).

In first position, Elizabeth made it $15 to go with K-Q, Player A called on the button, Blake called in the small blind, and I called in the big blind. The flop was Qh-8h-6s, Blake and I checked, Elizabeth bet out $35, and Player A moved all-in for $220 or so. Blake and I folded and Elizabeth insta-called (a poker term meaning that she called very quickly, which also indicates she was very strong). The next card was the 5d, followed by the Jh. Most of the straight draws had hit (10-9 and 9-7) and the flush draw also hit (a heart), as well as a dangerous looking jack, which meant that Q-J would now beat Elizabeth as well. It didn't look good for Elizabeth as she flipped over her K-Q, and politely asked Player A, "What do you have?" Player A replied, "That's good, I have a queen as well, but with a 10 kicker." I think that Elizabeth was especially happy to bust Player A, because his reckless style was disrupting the flow of the game, and annoying her. Blake then said, "Remind not to annoy you!"

Let's take a closer look at this hand. I like Elizabeth's opening raise of $15 to go with K-Q, although $20 to go would have worked just as well. I don't mind Player A's $15 call with Q-10 on the button. On the flop, I like Elizabeth's lead out bet of $35 into about a $60 pot. Some pros would say that she should bet more on the flop in order to protect her hand from losing to a drawing hand, but I like the bet as it lures people with weaker hands into calling, and it sends a message that you're weak. I do not like Player A's stack off (poker slang for moving all-in) with Q-10. I would prefer that Player A called the bet, or made a smaller raise like making it $80 to go. The first solid indication Player A had that Elizabeth was strong, was when she insta-called, and by then it was too late for him as he already had all of his money in the pot. If Player A made a mini-raise ($80 total), and then Elizabeth stacked off, Played A could then fold his hand, saving him $140.

If I stack off and get insta-called:

a) I bet all of my chips and was called quickly; b) I may lose because insta-call means strength; c) I moved all-in; d) All of the above.

Answer: b.
Phil Hellmuth

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The World Series of Poker®, the planet's most prestigious poker tournament, is extending its international reach this year by launching the World Series of Poker Europe, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. announced today.

The inaugural WSOP Europe is scheduled to debut in London September 6-16, 2007. The new tournament will be held at three casinos operated by London Clubs International - Fifty, Leicester Square and the Sportsman.

"This is the first time bracelet events will be awarded outside of Las Vegas," said Jeffrey Pollack, World Series of Poker Commissioner. "The World Series of Poker Europe will have a unique identity, style and flair, but will remain true to the 38-year tradition and heritage of the WSOP.

"This new tournament has been designed with European players in mind, but registrants from every country are welcome," said Pollack. "We hope it becomes an annual tradition for poker enthusiasts and a home for WSOP fans after the action concludes in Las Vegas each summer."

"We are honored to host this unique extension of the world's richest and oldest poker tournament," said Bill Timmins, chief executive officer of London Clubs International. "As the exclusive offline satellite host, LCI will enable players to compete in our poker rooms in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Southend and Brighton for a seat in every WSOP Europe event."

The inaugural WSOP Europe begins September 6 with a three-day, GBP 2,500 (approximately $4,900 U.S.) HORSE event at LCI's newest casino in Leicester Square, opening in April 2007.

The Leicester Square casino will also be the host casino for a two-day, GBP 5,000 (approximately $9,800 U.S.) Pot-Limit Omaha tournament starting September 8.

On September 10, the WSOP Europe Main Event - a six-day, GBP 10,000 (approximately $19,600 U.S.) No-Limit Texas Hold'Em Championship - will begin at LCI's Leicester Square, The Sportsman and Fifty. The playing field will be consolidated beginning September 13 at Leicester Square.

Additional information, including structures, payout percentages and satellite dates and times for the tournaments, can be found on www.worldseriesofpoker.com beginning May 1, 2007.

Harrah's reserves the right to cancel, change or modify the tournament or any tournament event.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through its operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, nearly 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. 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.

Dear Mark: I was recently playing in a tournament, and I was on the button. The cards are dealt and the person first to act goes all in with her chips (about 3,000). The next guy to act re-raises her all in to 6,000 and everyone else folds. When it comes around to me, I call the 6,000 raise, and when they get back to the lady that went all in with her 3,000, she throws her hand in. Another player at the table informs her that she is already "all-in" for her 3,000 chips, to which she replies, "I don't care, I cannot win." But, after some convincing from the player, she asks the dealer for her cards back, which he gives to her. When I asked if this was legal, I was told it was because her cards did not actually touch the muck pile, or another dead card. I thought that the "act" of her throwing her cards in was enough. Can you clarify for me? Eric R.

As for casino Hold’em games, Eric, the rule is that “cards speak.” Your poker hand is what it is, regardless of how you call or miscall it. Any verbal declaration as to the content of a player’s hand is not binding. If she claimed that the hand is worthless, but in fact she had a straight, her cards speak, and her hand is viewed for its genuine value, that of a straight. Her about-face was legit as long as her cards didn’t touch the muck, the pile of discarded cards in front of the dealer, or another player’s cards.

That said, I have seen a poker room manager foul a hand of a player who continuously miscalled their hands; but it’s discretionary, and it did correct the behavior.

Dear Mark: I just returned from a stay at Harrah’s Reno where they were pushing a new game called Blackjack Switch. The player must make two bets of equal size and is dealt two hands. The player then can switch the second card of each hand to improve one or both hands before standing or hitting. The catch is that a Dealer “22” is a push, not a player win, and a player’s blackjack pays even money.

Gee, why do I smell a trap here? Only the second cards can be switched, the house doesn’t lose when the dealer busts with 22 (the player loses with 22), and a player’s blackjack is even money even if dealt before switching. Was I right to give this “opportunity” a wide berth? Mike H.

You’re not smelling a trap, Mike, but perfume. What is considered cheating, that of trading cards between two hands, is now legal for those who play Blackjack Switch. Players must make two bets of equal size and they are then allowed to switch the second card dealt to each hand. For example, you are dealt a seven and then a six on one hand, and a five followed by a three on the other. Normally this would give you a 13 and an 8. With Blackjack Switch you can now switch the second card dealt, the six with the three, and you now have two great hands to double down with 5+6 (11) and 7+3 (10).

Granted, Mike, a winning player’s blackjack is paid even money, and the dealer is compensated with a push on 22, but, using perfect basic strategy similar to, but -- due to the push on a 22 -- not exactly like conventional blackjack, the house edge is 0.16% with six decks and 0.18% with eight decks.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “You can’t gamble by the clock. Time can place a limitation on pleasure.” Nick the Greek Dandalos
By Mark Pilarski

The key to becoming a winning poker player is to learn the fundamentals that will make your game consistently strong. Once you do that, and become a winning player in smaller games, you'll need to add some deception to your game in order to compete at higher levels.

A straightforward ABC strategy works against average players. However, against more perceptive opponents, you'll need deception to keep them from easily getting a read on your play.

OK, let's look at a few methods.

• Slowplaying aces

You can slowplay aces several ways, making this an effective ploy from time to time. One method is to limp in by just calling the opening bet rather than raising. Limping in usually signifies a weaker hand like small suited connectors or small pairs.

By limping in with aces you might entice another player to raise before the flop. He may figure you for a weaker hand. At that point, you can reraise before the flop, or you can continue slowplaying the hand until the flop hits.

But what if there's been a pre-flop raise?

Well, another tricky way to play pocket aces is by only calling an opponent's pre-flop raise.

Since opponents are likely to believe that you'd reraise with aces, smooth calling helps to disguise the power of your hand. Even if they catch onto the fact that you occasionally make these plays, it will help to keep them off your back; they won't know if you have 8s-9s or A-A, since you're willing to play both hands the same way.

• Raise with suited connectors from early position

When a good player raises from early position, it's correct to assume that he has a strong hand. Knowing that, you should fold hands like K-J or K-Q after an early position raise.

However, when you're that early position player, you can't play it too ABC. You won't get maximum value for your better hands because opponents will know that you only play strong cards from early position. Raising with hands like 6s-7s or 8h-9h will be completely unexpected.

You might even get lucky and hit a straight or trips on the flop and end up winning a huge pot.

The good news is that even if you get caught raising with one of these early position hands, it should help you get more action later on when you do raise with strong cards. Your opponents will always be wondering if it's A-K that you have, or 4h-5h.

• Show an occasional bluff

Be careful about giving away free information about your hands, but if your opponents catch onto the fact that you're playing tight, it might be a good idea to show them a well-timed bluff.

Revealing your bluff will keep them guessing and should allow you to go back to playing your normal, straightforward style.

In fact, you don't have to stop there. Anytime you make an uncharacteristic play — a move that you don't plan on making for the rest of the session — show your hand. It's something that you can exploit later.

Always keep this in mind: Mixing up your play is an inexact science. It's hard to know when it's the right time to throw in deceptive plays, but as you gain more experience, it'll be easier to spot the best situations to try them.

Having said that, be careful not to overdo it. Deceptive play is most effective when seldom employed.
By Daniel Negreanu

Chad Brown has been honoured with the Title of Bluff Magazine’s Player of the Year 2006. Brown, a professional poker player who has been playing poker since boyhood, considers this one of his greatest achievements. In an upcoming interview with Bluff Magazine, Brown commented on his title:

“This is an enormous accomplishment to be very proud of. To put this in context, if I was acting, it would be like I won an Oscar at the Academy Awards.”

But Brown is no stranger to winning. His tournament history is, after all, what gained him this title. But Brown draws a distinction between being player of the year and being the winner of a major tournament. “It’s not like winning a tournament. Anyone can get lucky one day and win a tournament. But all the best players in the world play all the big main events and the Player of the Year award is defined by (your achievements) in all the major tournaments.”

Bluff’s proprietary ranking system awards points to players who finish in the money in North American poker tournaments with at least a $5,000 buy-in, where there are at least 100 competitors. Brown scored a total of 470.44 points throughout 2006, beating runner-up JohnnyBax by almost 30 points.

“Our Player of The Year is our highest player honor.” said publisher Eric Morris, “It is one of the few honors in the poker world which considers all major poker achievements throughout the year, transcending the boundaries of poker associations and tournament series.”

Chad Brown’s interview will appear in the April edition of Bluff Magazine, on Newsstands across North America, Europe and Australia.

RIVER GROVE, Illinois – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Deaf people from Illinois and surrounding states are expected to compete in the area's first Deaf Texas Hold'em poker tournament Sunday, February 25 at Hanging Gardens Banquets, 8301 W. Belmont Ave., River Grove.

The winner and second place finisher each will win a separate seat to World Series of Poker events at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, as well as travel expenses. Entry fee is $65 per person, with only players 18 years of age and older eligible to participate. The Deaf Texas Hold'em poker tournament will run from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Players will communicate their bets by American Sign Language (ASL) and other methods of communication, said Ed Glennon, Jr., chairperson of the event, sponsored by the West Suburban Association of the Deaf (WSAD).

"Our organization encourages deaf and hard of hearing individuals to communicate and interact in activities the same as hearing people," said Glennon, adding that the poker tournament is a great example along with other programs and activities offered by WSAD.

"Many deaf and hard of hearing persons play in major tournaments in Las Vegas, some in the fund raising tournaments we've sponsored the last four years at Chicago area banquet facilities."

The logistics of the deaf tournament itself are being coordinated by WSAD and Rockford Charitable Games Association, Inc. (RCGA), party planner and consulting organization. The company is bringing poker tables and equipment to the banquet facility.

"The tournament speaks to the stunning popularity and growth of the game of Texas Hold'em," said Jim Kasputis, president of RCGA, whose company assists Illinois charities such as WSAD run their own tournaments and raise money to help fund programs they sponsor. Each charity poker fund raiser attracts 300-500 players, said Kasputis.

RCGA has helped Illinois charities raise millions of dollars hosting charity poker fund raisers.

One of the not-for-profit organization's stated objectives is to "promote athletic, civic, educational, moral, and social measures among the deaf and hard of hearing members regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and to encourage members to participate in healthful sports, social, recreational, and political activities."

Albany — If the decades-long quest to restore the Catskills' past glory with an Indian casino is a game of high-stakes poker, then Gov. Eliot Spitzer just dealt casino supporters a full house. Now they'll have to see if the other guy blinks.

The governor announced yesterday that he has signed a comprehensive agreement that would allow the St. Regis Mohawks and their partners, Empire Resorts, to build a sprawling casino at Monticello Gaming and Raceway.

"This is an important step, if not the final conclusion," Spitzer said in an interview with the Times Herald-Record. He signed the compact "because 3,000 full-time jobs, a $600 million development project, is critically important for Sullivan County, the Catskills, and I look forward to getting this done."

As part of the pact, Spitzer signed off on the project's environmental impact statement, leaving final approval in the hands of the U.S. Interior Department. That would put the prospect of casino gaming closer to the lucrative New York City market than at any time in recent history. It would also send tens of millions of dollars in new gaming revenues streaming into the state's coffers each year.

Under the compact, the state would receive 20 percent of slot-machine revenues for the first two years, 23 percent for the next two years and 25 percent thereafter. The tribe has also agreed to comply with health and labor laws and charge state taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. That money, plus the promise of new jobs and surrounding development, would give casino advocates the payday they've been dreaming about. Still, there's no such thing as a sure bet, especially when your dealer is a Washington bureaucracy.

Unlike most Indian gaming facilities, the Mohawks are proposing to build their casino on land that is not part of any reservation. To make that happen, the Interior Department would have to agree to take the casino's 30-acre site into trust, something it has done only three times before.

Some fear the practice threatens to accelerate the recent explosion of Indian gaming. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has expressed opposition to increasing the number of "off-reservation" casinos.

The casino would also face a number of likely court challenges, such as a federal lawsuit filed last week by a coalition of environmental groups.

That's why it's important that Spitzer played such a strong hand. Reaching an unequivocal compact with the Mohawks less than two months after taking office sends a signal that the state is fully behind the project.

"We go to the federal government with broad general political support for the casino, which is important," said Spitzer's special counsel, Richard Rifkin, who negotiated the deal. "We can make a very strong case that a casino at Monticello Raceway makes a lot of sense."
By Brendan Scott

Dear Mark: By showing my driver’s license at our local casino, I get a casino “fun” book. One of the coupons in it is a Match Play coupon for $10. What would you recommend as a bet when using it. Danny H.

Match Play coupons are often found in casino fun books and can often be had by going up to the casino cage and just asking for one. When a player uses a match play coupon with a real “even money” bet, then the match play will be converted to a like amount in cash if the player wins. For example, if the player has a $10 match play coupon and pairs it with a $10 wager in blackjack, and if the player wins, his $10 will win $10 and his match play will be converted to ten real bucks. Win or lose, the match play coupon is then taken out of play. In the event of a push, as often happens in blackjack, the match play coupon stays in play until the bet is resolved. If the player happens to get a blackjack, the coupon is converted to its face value, in your case $10, and not $15.

The competition to accompany the match play coupon with your hard-earned cash should be limited to wagers that have less that a two percent house edge. My favorite would be one hand of blackjack, but you wouldn’t go wrong with a bank or player hand in baccarat, or a pass line bet or placing the six or eight in craps.

Each of these bets has less than a 1.5% casino advantage, which makes the true value of a match play coupon slightly less than half of its face value, since the probability of winning any of them is also less than half.

Dear Mark: If I am using perfect basic strategy, does it matter how far in the deck the dealer goes before shuffling? Sandy A.

How far through the deck the dealer goes before shuffling is called deck penetration, which is usually expressed as the percentage of the deck already dealt. So, Sandy, for example, on a double deck game, “75 percent” would be 78 cards already played.

Penetration is extremely important to card counters because it appraises the quality of cards remaining in the deck before the dealer shuffles, but that information is not essential for basic strategy players like you. There is no advantage to the basic strategy player whether the dealer were to allow 50% penetration, then shuffle, or plunge on to the 90% penetration level.

Dear Mark: In a poker game that uses wild cards, which is higher, five of a kind or a royal flush? Danny F.

Unless otherwise stated, Danny, the five-of-a-kind typically beats a royal flush.

Dear Mark,

What is the house edge for both Three Card and Four Card poker? Les L.

With Three Card Poker, (and using this one simple strategy rule: bet with Queen-6-4 or better, fold with anything less), the house edge is 2.0 percent of the ante, or 3.4 percent of total action.

As for Four Card Poker, take notes, Les. When you use this simple strategy when putting up your ante -- pair of 2's or less, fold; pair of 3's through 9's, bet 1x ante; pair of 10's or better, bet 3x ante. The ante and the play bet combined give a house edge of about 3.36% of the initial bet.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "To gamble is to risk, that is, to approach the "ruin factor." When I was poor the ruin factor was not important. Hell, I was ruined anyway." --Mario Puzo
By Mark Pilarski

There's a myth among No Limit Texas Hold'em players that goes like this: If you raise before the flop, then you must continue to bet on the flop.

Yes, in Limit Hold'em you should bet the flop a high percentage of the time if you raised before the flop, regardless of what comes. In No Limit, however, you should be a little more cautious with your continuation bet.

For example, let's say you're in a No Limit tournament, with blinds at 50-100. Holding Ac-Ks, you make it 250 to go. The player on the button calls, as does the player in the small blind.

The flop comes Qh-10s-9d.

The player in the small blind checks. What would you do?

Well, if you believe the myth, you'd probably bet about 600. However, that's not the move I'd make.

While you have a nice starting hand, and might even catch a jack for the nuts straight, you have to consider what type of hands your two opponents could have. Commonly played hands they might call your raise with include K-J, 10-J, A-Q, 9-9, K-Q, A-10, and 6-6.

Most of those hands, with the exception of the sixes, are substantial favorites over yours. If both of your opponents have small pairs, which they probably don't, then your continuation bet might work. It's also unlikely that both of your opponents completely missed this coordinated board.

Keep this in mind: Saving bets at the poker table is just as good as earning bets.

Money you don't lose is money that stays in your stack. Making an automatic bet after the flop, in a situation where it's highly likely that one, or both, of your opponents will call, is a play that will lose you money in the long-run.

In our example, if you check the flop you give yourself a free chance to catch up -- provided that the button doesn't bet. By betting, you not only cost yourself money, but also open up the possibility that the small blind could check-raise.

If you've studied your opponents for a while, you'll pick up patterns in their play. At the very least, you'll know what type of hands they play before the flop. That information will help you decide when it looks safe to make continuation bets.

Let's look at another hand.

You raise pre-flop with Qh-Jh, and the player seated next to you calls. The flop is 2s-2s-3c.

What you've learned about your opponent is that he wouldn't call your raise with small cards like those, so you feel safe about him not catching any of that flop. You also know that he usually re-raises before the flop when he has a pocket pair.

Well, he didn't re-raise, so chances are that he has a hand like A-Q. If you make a continuation bet in this situation your success rate on the bluff should be fairly high.

The real lesson in this column is that money saved is money earned. In Limit Hold'em, betting the flop only costs you one unit, but in No Limit, several failed continuation bets will add up to a significant amount of money.

Plugging that hole in your game will help you avoid sloughing off chips unnecessarily.
BY DANIEL NEGREANU

COMPTON, California – (PRESS RELEASE) -- Crystal Casino & Hotel is proud to announce the conclusion of the highly successful first ever Poker Netcast Heads Up Challenge, as the winner was crowned on Thursday, February 8th and filming wrapped for the television production.

Sixty-four of the most successful poker players in the world descended upon the event center at Crystal Casino for this much-anticipated event, and $640,000 prize pool, including pros Mike "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Ted Forrest, Daniel Negeanu, and others. After three days of intense poker action, Bill Edler was crowned the champion and awarded the $215,000 first prize, trophy, and gift package. Edler defeated world-renowned pro Barry Greenstein in a heads-up format that drew poker fans and fellow poker pros, like Erick Lindgren and Gavin Smith, to the audience for the exciting final day.

All of the action was broadcast over the Internet on LiveattheBike.com and PokerNetcast.com, live webcasts produced and owned by Joker Gaming, LLC. Poker Netcast is the latest innovation from the creative minds at Joker Gaming and specializes in live cash games from around the globe streamed live on the Internet.

Crystal Casino President Mark Kelegian stated that, "We were pleased to host such a high profile event at Crystal and excited by the overwhelming response from the pros to the new look and feel of our casino. We believe the new gaming experience we have created at Crystal is on par with our other Southern California gaming properties and will quickly reclaim its position as a favorite place for all poker players."

Crystal Casino & Hotel was honored to host the Poker Netcast Heads Up Challenge amidst ongoing renovations to one of the premier gaming destinations in Southern California. Following a recent purchase of the legendary property led by the Kelegian family, who also manage the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles, and the Oceans 11 Casino in San Diego county, they have undertaken a massive remodeling of the entire facility. Thus far, they have completed the first phase of remodeling, including their new poker room and California game floor, and the 11,000 square foot event center where the tournament was held. Within the coming weeks, remodeling will start on the exterior of the building and the 225 hotel rooms and suites. New signage along the freeway and entrance will be introduced as well.

Poker players and gaming enthusiasts alike know that Crystal Casino & Hotel prides itself on superior customer service, and the complete renovation show its commitment to its guests. With valet and VIP parking services, as well as ample self-parking, 24-hour restaurant, bar, massage center, and gift shop visitors feel welcome at all times. With the largest hotel property on the California gaming scene, Crystal Casino always offers special room rates for Crystal Club members.

The Crystal Casino & Hotel is located at 123 E. Artesia Boulevard, Compton, CA 90220, just off the 91 freeway and only minutes from the LAX and downtown Los Angeles areas.

Dear Mark: I heard on the radio about a man who had just won 18 million dollars playing penny slots. Which machine pays that kind of money? Does he get all that money paid up front? Cindy G

In for $44, and out with $18,799,414 was an anonymous gentleman’s reward for playing Penny Megabucks. The penny Megabucks progressive jackpot builds from a base amount of $10 million and is paid in annual installments. And how popular are they? Try getting on one.

Dear Mark: I was just curious to what happens to the cards after the "pit boss" takes the cards away from the table? I know you already answered this question on your website but my questions has a little twist to it. Let’s say six of my friends are playing black jack at a casino and every time they are dealt a 10 or higher they mark the card with "juice" that's on their finger. Eventually when the cards are re-shuffled and re-dealt the second time around everyone is aware of which cards are 10 or higher because of the imprint left on the deck. Do the casinos check for marked cards after they are taken from the table? Flyboy

What’s that saying; “Give a man a marked deck; he can use it for a day. Teach a man to make his own marked cards, and he can use them for a lifetime.” Here is mine: “County jail will happily swallow the ignoramus found juicing a deck of cards in a casino.”

I’m very leery, Flyboy, on how far down this road I want to travel in regard to juicing a deck, especially in providing a “How-to” guide. For the curious though, here’s an explanation of what our future felon is talking about.

To the untrained eye, a juiced deck looks normal, but for the knowing eye, it’s as though the cards are being dealt face up, and legible from as far as 15 feet away. No special gimmicked sunglasses or contact lenses are needed, as would be required for luminous marked cards, no black-light or satellite spy-rays, but some practice is needed to read the marks.

The juice marking system has been in use by both magicians and card cheats for many years. Do an EBay search of “juice” and “cards” and here’s what you will find: Professional Marked JUICED BEE Cards - Brand New. Buy it Now: $24.95.

I’ve even seen one offer that states that juicing a deck is totally legal in casinos. That individual has wrongly interpreted what the courts have said. For example, the Nevada Supreme Court, as well as courts in other gambling states, has ruled that "advantage gambling,” (techniques like shuffle tracking), is legal. You can use normal intelligence much as would a poker player use thoughtful observation in watching other players. BUT manipulating cards, in any shape or form, is NOT a protected form of innocent fun.

Suspicious play, Flyboy, (and that does include winning), can warrant a deck being pulled off the game and inspected. I was trained to look for bends, crimps, bumps, scratches, inks, pigments, the latest in shade technologies, etc., and I suspect most pit bosses worth their salt have been as well.

Once thoroughly inspected, the used decks have holes punched through the middle, corners cut off, or large black spots applied, so they can be sold to tourists in a casino gift shop. By thus castrating the used deck, the casino prevents its return to the tables as a newly bought, casino-provided crowbar for prying open the casino’s safe.

Hey, Flyboy, I’ve heard from a reliable source that the clink in the county where you plan on playing serves up a mean omelet, made with real eggs, on alternate Sundays. Tempted?

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “They say poker is a zero-sum game. It must be, because every time I play my sum ends up zero." -Max Shapiro
By Mark Pilarski

Ideally you want to play in games where you're clearly the best player at the table. In No Limit Hold'em tournaments, however, you don't have the luxury of choosing where you'll be playing.

Unless you truly believe that you're the absolute best poker player on the planet (you're not), here are some adjustments to make when playing against superior opponents:

• Make larger pre-flop raises. As a rule, I'm a big advocate of making small raises before the flop rather than oversized ones. That being said, when you're facing tough players, you should be seeing fewer flops and be willing to risk a few more chips in order to steal the blinds. This is especially true when facing a tough player in the big blind.
Tough players are notorious blind defenders who play well after the flop. So avoid marginal situations against them by making slightly larger pre-flop raises in an attempt to get them to fold.

• Avoid marginal situations. If a tough player raises from early position, don't call him with marginal hands like K-J or Q-10. Those hands aren't very good in any situation, but they're especially vulnerable against a great player who isn't going to make many mistakes after the flop.
• Target weaker players. Look to play more hands against the less-skilled players at your table.
If that means stretching your starting hand requirements against them, then that's what you need to do. In fact, you'd be much better off playing a hand like 5c-3c against a weaker player than you would be playing a hand like A-10 against a top player.

Against the weak player, you'll be able to outplay him after the flop by bluffing or getting him to pay you off when you have him crushed. That's not the case when you're up against a player who might be better than you. Here, you run the risk of being outplayed.

• Don't get too cute. One of the biggest mistakes players make when they're outclassed is that they add too much trickery to their game in the hope of outplaying a better opponent. Give it up. Your focus should be on playing fundamentally sound poker. If you do, it will be difficult for a better player to exploit you. When you get too creative in an attempt to fool him, he'll usually see right through the play and turn the tables on you.
• Play cautiously. Don't play big tournament pots against the best player at your table unless you have a monster hand.
Sure, you eventually must beat every player in order to win, but it's a better policy to worry about them later rather than sooner. You can even hope that the best player takes a bad beat from one of the weaker opponents. Those are chips you can more easily pick up.

Even if you have a very strong hand on the river — one that you're fairly sure has your opponent beat — take the safe route and call him rather than raise.

There is less value in raising a great player on the river because it could cost you all of your chips if he does have you beat. Besides, when you do have the better hand, a great player won't call your raise anyway.

Here's the bottom line: Don't play scared poker, but when you spot a strong opponent, choose your battles wisely.
By DANIEL NEGREANU

Ideally you want to play in games where you're clearly the best player at the table. In No Limit Hold'em tournaments, however, you don't have the luxury of choosing which table you'll be playing at.

Unless you truly believe that you're the absolute best poker player on the planet (you're not), here are some adjustments to make when playing against superior opponents.

Make larger pre-flop raises

As a rule, I'm a big advocate of making small raises before the flop rather than oversized ones. That being said, when you're facing tough players, you should be seeing fewer flops and be willing to risk a few more chips in order to steal the blinds. This is especially true when facing a tough player in the big blind.

Tough players are notorious blind defenders who play well after the flop. So, avoid marginal situations against them by making slightly larger pre-flop raises in an attempt to get them to fold.

For example, if your standard raise is about three times the big blind, increase it to four times when a strong player is in the big blind. With a hand like 8-8 or A-Q, you'd be better off picking up the blinds with no resistance rather than playing a flop against this tough opponent.

Avoid marginal situations

If a tough player raises from early position, don't call him with marginal hands like K-J or Q-10. Those hands aren't very good in any situation, but they're especially vulnerable against a great player who isn't going to make many mistakes after the flop.

Target weaker players

Look to play more hands against the less-skilled players at your table.

If that means stretching your starting hand requirements against them, then that's what you need to do. In fact, you'd be much better off playing a hand like 5c-3c against a weaker player than you would be by playing a hand like A-10 against a top player.

Against the weak player, you'll be able to outplay him after the flop by bluffing or by getting him to pay you off when you have him crushed. That's not the case when you're up against a player that might be better than you. Here, you run the all-too-likely risk of being outplayed yourself.

Don't get too cute

One of the biggest mistakes players make when they're outclassed is that they add too much trickery to their game in the hope of outplaying a better opponent.

Give it up.

Your focus should be on playing fundamentally sound poker. If you do, it will be difficult for a better player to exploit you. When you get too creative in an attempt to fool him, he'll usually see right through the play and turn the tables on you.

Play cautiously

Don't play big tournament pots against the best player at your table unless you have a monster hand.

Sure, you eventually must beat all of the players in order to get the first place trophy, but it's a better policy to worry about them later rather than sooner. You can even hope that the best player takes a bad beat from one of the weaker opponents. Those are chips you can more easily pick up.

Even if you have a very strong hand on the river -- one that you're fairly sure has your opponent beat -- take the safe route and call him rather than raise.

There is less value in raising a great player on the river because it could cost you all of your chips if he does have you beat. Besides, when you do have the better hand, a great player won't call your raise anyway.

Here's the bottom line: Don't play scared poker, but when you spot a strong opponent, choose your battles wisely.
BY DANIEL NEGREANU

LAS VEGAS (AP) - World Series of Poker main event winner Jamie Gold has agreed to settle a dispute over half of the tournament's US$12 million grand prize, The Associated Press has learned.

In a joint, signed statement released Tuesday to the AP, Gold and Los Angeles-based TV producer Bruce Crispin Leyser agreed the matter should be resolved "without litigation."

"Jamie always intended on sharing his winnings with Crispin," the statement says. "Jamie and Crispin are happy to report they have fully settled this matter. They are pleased to be closing this chapter and look forward to continued success."

Gold, a former Hollywood agent before he turned poker pro, defeated 8,772 players to win the World Series of Poker tournament last summer in Las Vegas.

The two did not make clear how much money Leyser would receive. Gold already withdrew $6 million, half of his take from winning the world's largest poker tournament. The rest was frozen by court order after Leyser sued in August, claiming they had agreed to split the winnings.

Leyser said Gold agreed to the split in exchange for Leyser helping him find celebrities to play in the main event while wearing the "Bodog" label of an offshore Internet gambling site.

Leyser even kept what he said was a voicemail Gold left on his phone on the final day of the tournament in which Gold promised to pay Leyser "your half."

At a December court hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Roger L. Hunt rejected a motion by Gold's lawyers to lift an injunction set in September on the $6 million still at the tournament host, the Rio casino-hotel, and ordered the frozen funds be moved into an interest-bearing account.

Hunt also indicated Leyser likely would win his claim to the $6 million.
By Ryan Nakashima

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumers have a chance to win "Sweet Seats" to the World Series of Poker Main Event, thanks to an agreement between Harrah's License Company, LLC, an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., and The Hershey Company. Harrah's sweetened the deal by naming Hershey's products the Official Chocolate of the 2007 World Series of Poker.

"The No. 1 name in chocolate is now teamed with the No. 1 brand in poker," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "We are proud that Hershey has joined our growing family of sponsors."

Hershey will launch a unique consumer promotion awarding two "Sweet Seats" to the World Series of Poker Main Event along with secondary prizes including trips to Las Vegas. The promotion is scheduled to hit in-store displays April through June of 2007 throughout the United States. More than 20,000 display units of Hershey's standard bar chocolate products will feature the World Series of Poker logo and "Sweet Seats" sweepstakes.

Hershey will have the right to use the World Series of Poker name, logo, image and design in promotions of Hershey's products in television, radio, print, Internet and other advertising, as well as on sales-collateral and on-pack materials, premiums and other promotions.

About Hershey Foods Corporation

Hershey Foods Corporation (NYSE: HSY - News) is a leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide, Hershey Foods markets such well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, York, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, and Ice Breakers as well as innovative new products such as Swoops and Hershey's S'mores. In addition to its traditional confectionery products, Hershey Foods offers a range of products specifically developed to address the nutritional interests of today's health-conscious consumer. These products include sugar-free Hershey's, Reese's and York candies, as well as Hershey's SmartZone bars for people seeking balanced nutrition. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrup and other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. Visit us at www.hersheynewsroom.com.

Poker books and television commentators constantly preach to players about the importance of aggressive play.

However, playing cautiously is often equally important.

It's critical that you're able to figure out both styles of play. Let's look at various scenarios and decide where aggressive play is best used.

Playing a big stack against another big stack

If you find yourself with a big stack of chips playing against another chip leader, common sense should tell you to proceed cautiously. In this situation, protecting your stack is more important than playing aggressively.

Playing an opponent who can put a huge dent in your stack is fraught with danger; your big stack can suddenly become the short stack.

Playing from the dealer button

This is a position of power. It's also a good time to be aggressive. As a rule, you can get away with playing more hands in the later positions than you can in earlier positions. You have more information at your disposal to make good decisions because your opponents always have to act first.

In fact, when you're in position, the quality of your hand is often meaningless since you'll be playing the players rather than the cards.

A good way to practice is to play the button without even looking at your cards. Instead, focus on your opponents and try to figure out if they're strong or weak. If you sense weakness, make a bet and they'll likely fold.

Of course, if you think someone has a strong hand, forget the practice. Now would be a good time to take a look at your cards.

Playing top pair after the flop

This is the one situation where many players go wrong. They play too aggressively when they flop top pair or have an overpair to the board. Top pair is often a strong hand in small pots, but if the pot gets large and opponents are playing aggressively -- slow down! You should certainly bet on the flop, but be cautious if you get any resistance.

Playing monster draws after the flop

Monster draws include a pair and flush draw, a straight and flush draw, a straight flush draw, and flush or straight draws with overcards. These are usually powerful hands. Even when you're forced into playing a big pot, your odds of winning are still very good. For that reason, you can afford to be aggressive with monster draws after the flop.

Aggressive play gives you two ways to win the pot: Your bet gets everyone to fold, or you end up improving your hand and winning the pot anyway.

Near the money payouts

In a tournament with 300 players, usually the top 27 will finish in the prize money. Because of this, when there are about 30 competitors left, play becomes extremely cautious as many are hoping to hang on for a money finish.

It's at this precise moment that you should seize the opportunity to steal as many chips as possible.

Play aggressively against those players trying to squeak into the money. Yes, this does increase the possibility that you'll knock yourself out of the money, but in the long run it pays off. You give yourself a chance to hit one of the top three spots, and that's where the lion's share of the money is in tournament poker.
By Daniel Negreanu

Dear Mark,

I have been working on a system for roulette for the past six months. I have run it in practice mode for 5,000 individual spins on my computer, and 500 times on a live game. At present, I am showing a two percent edge against the house. What is your recommended amount of spins necessary to see if my system will work? Nate R.

For starters, Nate, there is no system that can beat the game of roulette over the long haul. The more practice spins you employ, and believe me 5,500 is far from enough, the closer the ratio of your current net win to the total amount bet will get to the house edge of 5.26%.

Some would suggest that by putting a betting system to the test, you would need to be romping in the neighborhood of at least one million to five million spins. I highly recommend not wasting over 1,000 days playing 24/7 watching a ball go round and round.

Here’s the bottom line. Casino operators don’t spend big bucks building mega-resorts so that some “system player” named Nate can come in to give them a whooping. As a matter of fact, show them a certified bankroll, tell them you’ve got a roulette system you’d like to try, and besides the limo ride in, you’ll at least get your fair share of room, food and beverage, up to the point where your bankroll has shifted banks.

Dear Mark: With 6 for 5 for blackjacks becoming so prevalent, what is the correct strategy for playing the game? Sal M.

How about not playing at all, Sal. And -- why so? -- you ask. Because the house edge, where you are paid 6 to 5 for a blackjack is 1.44% under the normal playing conditions. This is simply giving far too much back to the house.

As you stated, Sal, the game has become “so prevalent,” and that’s because wide-eyed players continue to play it. And yet, I believe the blame doesn’t fall mostly on the shoulders of the house, but on the blithely uninformed masses whose tail ends are shining up the Naugahyde stools while feeding this god-awful game.

Dear Mark: I was down to my last hand money-wise in blackjack and I was dealt an 11 and the dealer was showing a six. Obviously the smart move was to double down, but I didn’t have any more money. You mentioned before in a past column to ask anyone you knew on the game if they wanted to front you, or wanted a piece of the action, but I didn’t know any players on the table and was a bit bashful about asking. I took a hit, got a three, stood on it, and the dealer had a 10 as a hole card, got an eight and busted. What did I give up to the casino by not doubling down? Mary K.

What, no secret stash, Mary? Anyhow, you still only took one card and that had no effect on the outcome of your hand, nor would it have, had you had cash on hand and doubled down.
But to answer your question, the normal house edge in blackjack using basic strategy, which includes doubling when the opportunity presents itself, is usually 0.4% to 0.6%, depending on the rules. By not doubling down, you increase the house edge by 1.9%, so by not doubling, the overall casino advantage would be 2.3% to 2.5%.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "The Vegas strip must contain more elegance and extravagance per square inch than anywhere in the known universe." --Rob Wiser
By Makr Pilarski

The Invitation-Only Celebrity Tournament Will Take Place at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles March 3-5

WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE - News) today announced that it has partnered for the first time with The Creative Coalition (TCC) for the fifth anniversary of the most glamorous stop on the poker circuit--the World Poker Tour ® (WPT) Celebrity Invitational.

The red carpet, invitation-only event welcomes Hollywood's hottest celebrities and poker's best who battle it out in a three-day Texas Hold 'Em tournament for charity, cash and bragging rights. The last celebrity standing in the tournament receives a $10,000 donation to their favorite charity, while the winner of the tournament receives $100,000 and a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship in April, 2007 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Additionally, the WPT will donate $10,000 to TCC.

TCC is the leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating its members on issues of public importance, primarily the First Amendment, public education and arts advocacy. Headquartered in New York City, The Creative Coalition also has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.

"This strategic partnership with The Creative Coalition is truly an ideal step to elevate this event in our fifth anniversary season," said Steve Lipscomb, founder and CEO of WPTE. "We look forward to working with and watching the TCC in action--in addition to being renowned for their amazing events, they are such a well-respected organization rich in entertainment history and education. We are excited to see the best Celebrity Invitational yet."

Suited connectors such as 5h-6h or 9s-10s can be fun to play, especially when you hit a big flop and make a straight or a flush. While these hands certainly have a lot of potential, you'll need to be careful that you don't bleed your stack to death by playing them in the wrong situations.

So when is the right time?

It's best to play these hands from late position rather than early position.

Every hold 'em poker book beats you over the head with constant reminders that position is power. Well, let me beat you with that reminder one more time.

Here are some strategies for playing suited connectors from both in and out of position.

Let's say you call a small pre-flop raise in position with 6h-7h. The flop comes Jh-9s-4h. It's just you and the raiser, and he checks. In this case, with position, you have two viable options: check and take the free card, or bet in the hopes of winning the pot on a semibluff.
You'll often want to check, just in case your opponent is trying to trap you on the flop. If you do bet, your opponent may come over the top with a big raise, forcing you to fold your drawing hand.
How about if your opponent bets the flop?

Once again, you have options. You can fold if the bet is too big, you can call and hope to catch your flush, or you can raise as a semibluff.
The situation is reversed when you're out of position and your opponent acts last. Now your options are much more limited.

Remember this rule: To make money with hands such as 6h-7h, you need to be able to control the pot size. You don't want to invest too much money before the flop, or too much after, when you have a drawing hand.
When you're out of position, you're in exactly that spot and have less control of the pot size.

If you check on the flop, your opponent will bet if he has a strong hand. If you call on the flop, you've essentially handed over control to him. That's not a terrible idea, mind you, as you should always respect your opponent's power of position.

Still, checking and calling won't put you in a great situation. It will be difficult for you to win this pot with a bluff later in the hand; you're basically banking on making the flush. What if, on the flop, you check-raise instead?

That'll work when your opponent is bluffing, but it will cost you a lot more money when he's holding the goods. It's a risky move that often works, but the cost is very high when it doesn't.
Suppose you bet the flop as a semibluff?

That only makes the pot bigger. If your opponent likes the flop, he'll just raise an amount so big that you'll be forced to fold your draw without ever getting to see the next card.

OK, let's review.

In position, you have the luxury of being able to see more free cards, keep the pot small, and maintain control of the hand. That's extremely valuable leverage. Out of position, there's a lot more guesswork to do, and it's best to simply play it safe.

Clearly, it's easier to play suited connectors, or any hand for that matter, from late position. Occasionally, though, play your suited connectors from early position so that you don't become too predictable.

When you do venture in, play cautiously, and always remember that position is king and must be respected at all times.
By Daniel Negreanu.

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – (PRESS RELEASE) -- The remaining twenty-seven players competing in the $5,000 event returned to the new 85-table poker room at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa to play for a champion. Within a few hours the Final Table was formed. The Grinder was the first to be bumped from the table winning, $15,730. Joey Brooks was able to withstand a short stack for much of the day before falling in 7th place winning $44,400. With six remaining players, they deliberated intently over each decision, each move. The stakes were high and the action was tense.

The $5,000 event was the richest event to date at the Borgata Winter Poker Open. Newly turned pro, Matthew Casterella, of White Plains, NY, withstood the pressure of the day and the competition to win the tournament and $375,100 in prize money. Casterella who spent most of the day without much expression on his face was all smiles, while collecting nearly $400,000 in prize money. "This is incredible. I have played a lot of poker, but this is my first major win. It feels great to have won this at Borgata."

Bill Edler, one of the top players in the world, was cheered on by a large selection of pros. Gavin Smith and Chris Bell led the cheering section for "Wild" Bill, who finished in 4th place taking home $84,700. Edler was visibly disappointed after the event noting, "I'm upset. When you make it this close, it's not about the money; it's about winning."

John Myung, another professional with over $1,000,000 in career earnings, fought valiantly with his short stack, but fell in third place winning $114,950. An amateur from Florida, Elio Cabrera fell in second just several hands after Myung. Cabrera, who won $211,750 for his efforts said, "I was not expecting second place to be so much money! This was such a fun tournament and a great time."

Thursday Night also featured the World Poker Tour Kick-Off Party at Gypsy Bar. Many top pros mingled with fans and celebrated the start of the WPT Classic. WSOP's 2006 Main Event winner Jamie Gold played Heads Up on the Poker Pro tables with many fans.

The $10,000 buy-in WPT Borgata Poker Classic day began with nearly 600 entries including the superstar of poker, Phil Ivey. One hundred thirty-six players won their way to the Main Event through one of the Super Satellites that have taken place throughout the Borgata Winter Open. Yesterday's winners included Egg Harbor Township, NJ, native Mike Hofeld. After the event Hofeld commented, "I started with $100 and now I am playing in the $10,000 buy-in event; not a bad return."

Rich Sudy played his best hand at MotorCity Casino Tuesday, even though his fingers only pushed a few buttons.

The 44-year-old poker player from Novi was trying out the newest attraction at the casino -- electronic poker tables.

It's the latest way MotorCity is trying to differentiate itself in Detroit's ultra-competitive gaming market. The tables, which aren't manned by dealers, are popular with gamblers who want to play more hands in less time.

MotorCity got its two, 10-seat tables on Jan. 15. Greektown Casino got electronic poker tables about a week later.

Regulators approved them for use in September. The electronic tables are leased and provide a savings for the casino because they don't need to pay a dealer.

PokerTek, a North Carolina software company, makes the tables. Using them is similar to playing poker online, but the tables have the appeal of playing in front of others rather than from behind a computer screen at home.

Sudy, an experienced Texas Hold'em poker player, investigated the tables for his girlfriend, who is new at the game. "They're pretty easy to use," Sudy said.

The casino takes less of your winnings and "the game moves faster than with a dealer. You can play more hands in less time," Sudy said.

"I think she'll definitely like it," he said. While he liked the game, he still prefers the real thing -- holding the cards and feeling the chips in his hands.

For conventional poker games, the casino keeps 10% of the pot, not to exceed $6 per pot. On electronic tables, the casino keeps 10%, not to exceed $4 per pot.

MotorCity Casino touts the tables as another new offering for customers, and officials say the tables weren't purchased as a way to save money.

"We're hiring seven new dealers at the casino," said assistant casino shift manager George Smith. "And the tables are leased. They cost money."

"The tables have a lot of appeal to both seasoned and beginner players," Smith said. "People like the speed and accuracy of the tables. It's like online but better because you actually get to see the people who you're playing against."
BY MARGARITA BAUZA

Dear Mark: Playing Jacks-or-Better on video poker, should I keep a non-winning pair and draw three cards like I have been doing, or should I be throwing it away and draw one card to fill in a four-card flush, or a four card open ended straight? Bill W.

In certain situations, Bill, a non-winning low pair has a calculable value (the average value of all the wins attainable if the optimum cards are retained and each unique possible draw occurs) and can be worth keeping. But the way you have been playing them, always holding the low pair, is correct some, but not all, of the time. The low pair is worth saving against a four-card straight with no, or only one, high card, but that low pair should be discarded if your four-card straight has two or three high cards, and most definitely when you have a four-card flush.

Dear Mark: Can you recommend a book on how to win at tournament blackjack? Gerald B.

I just finished reading and thoroughly enjoying Play to Win, A World Champion’s Guide to Winning Blackjack Tournaments by Ken Einiger. Einiger was the winner of the 2005 World Series of Blackjack as well as numerous other blackjack competitions. Another recommendation, Gerald, is Casino Tournament Strategy by Sanford Wong. This book combines his previous Tournament Blackjack and Tournament Craps books together. Anything that Wong writes is worth reading, and this book is no exception.

By the way, Stanford Wong is not his real name, but a nom de plume. He took his alma mater as the given name and an Asian last name to provide the "mystique of the Orient.” It’s not true that he types with chopsticks.

Dear Mark: I noticed that the last time I visited the Gulf Coast that your column appears in the Biloxi Sun Herald. Here’s one for you. Have you ever heard of a game called Mississippi Stud? Greg M.

Heard of it, yes, played it, no.

Mississippi Stud is but another poker variant in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds. A form of seven-card stud, Mississippi Stud is generally played pot limit, with fourth and fifth street cards dealt without a betting round between them, and seventh-street dealt face up.

ShuffleMaster has their own table game version of Mississippi Stud where players compete against a paytable rather than against other players or a dealer, and win if their hands consist of a pair of 6s or better.

Although I haven’t seen this table game version, I hope those who have will drop me a line and share their thoughts on the game so I can pass them along to Greg.

Dear Mark: The question about "Back Door Little Joe" is referring to the song "It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube. The lyrics in question are:

…With the seven, seven-eleven, seven-eleven, seven

Even back do' little Joe. I picked up the cash flow.

An educated guess as to the reference would be that since they are likely not playing craps on a craps table, but rather on the ground and shooting against a wall or door, Cube is likely referring to the fact that he was able to roll "little Joe" off the "back do.” Gavin O.

Boy, am I’m listening far too much to lyrics like “Let’s go surfing now, everybody’s learning how ”? It’s probably best that I branch out some, but since the kid’s gone off to college and I now have control of the television remote and the car radio, I won’t be giving up my Oldies 107.5 anytime soon. But thanks, Gavin, for the catch.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Playing poker for a living gives you backbone. You cannot survive without that intangible quality we call heart.” -- Bobby Baldwin, 1978 WSOP winner (2001)
By Mark Pilarski

Poker is a democratic game. Whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, black or white - it makes no difference at the poker table. If you like playing for pennies, thousands, or matchsticks, you can become a student of the game and improve your skill level.

A truly American pastime, it's been enjoyed by presidents, generals, Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress and average citizens for more than 150 years.

Poker can be played at home, in clubs, on cruises and in casinos. And until the United States government began intruding on our right to play poker online, that was accessible also.

Unfortunately, even as public support for poker grows, some over-zealous government officials have decided that, while betting on horse races and buying lottery tickets online is okay, playing poker is not. In October 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) became law. While not out rightly banning online poker, it makes criminals out of many of the entrepreneurs who bring it to us.

Last week, two of these businessmen, the Canadian founders of NETeller, were arrested, detained and charged with violations of the 1961 Wire Act, the progenitor of the UIEGA. They face 20-year prison sentences if convicted. Reverberations from the arrests have severely curtailed online poker operations in the United States.

Some say that money, being made offshore and not on our soil, is the reason for this crackdown. The obvious answer is regulation. According to an economic analysis, $3.3 billion in incremental federal tax revenue could be raised annually if the government regulated Internet poker. It's been successfully done in the United Kingdom, to the benefit of the gaming sites, the players, and government coffers.

Others say that "morality" is the reason for the screw tightening, and that those who presume to decide what's right and wrong for us to do in the privacy of our homes believe that playing poker on a computer compromises John Q. Citizen's decency. The obvious answer to that is activism.

Visit www.pokerplayersalliance.org to find out how you can fight back with your vote, your signature, your money, and your mouth.
By Jill Cohen

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 24, 2006) – For the third straight year, a field of 64 of the world’s elite poker players will descend upon Las Vegas from March 1-4 as the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship brings a ‘who’s who’ from the poker world to the Caesars Palace Poker Tournament Room.

Returning to compete this year are several of the worlds top poker pros, including: defending champion Ted Forrest; 2005 champion Phil Hellmuth; and Chris Ferguson, who will try to improve on his 2005 and 2006 runner-up status. Also completing will be Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem, Gus Hansen, Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, among many others.

The National Heads-Up Poker Championship features 64 of the world's best poker players competing in a series of heads-up (one-on-one games of Texas Hold'em) matches to determine who is the best face-to-face poker player in the world. The tournament has a unique, single-elimination, bracket-style format modeled after college basketball tournaments.

The single-elimination competition begins Friday morning, March 2 and continues through Sunday, March 4 when a two-out-of-three championship match will determine the winner. The tournament will be taped for broadcast on NBC and CNBC over seven consecutive Sundays in April and May. The viewing gallery is open to guests on a first-come first-served basis.

“The National Heads-Up is poker playing at its finest,” offers Jon Miller, Executive VP of NBC Sports. “We’ve got 64 of the best poker players going head-to-head and there are no second chances – you lose, you go home. The caliber of players and the cut-throat game play makes for the most exciting spectator poker around.”

“This tournament is all about pressure,” offers Ted Forrest, the 2006 National Heads-Up Champion. “There are a lot of great players involved, but in the end, it’s all about who can focus on their cards and opponent, not on the big chance of going home empty handed. But I did it once, so I can certainly do it again.”

The National Heads-Up Tournament field of 64 includes three slots to be filled by the winners of two other tournaments: a Caesars Palace Poker Room tournament and the National Heads-Up Poker Online tournament. The Caesars Palace Poker Room tournament will give two players a chance to win the $20,000 seat in a traditional tournament setting on February 10 at 3pm inside the poker tournament room at Caesars Palace. There is a $230 entry fee with multiple $200 re-buys. Players can learn more at caesarspalace.com. Players can also try to win a single seat by competing in the 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Online Tournament held at nbcheadsup.com in January and February.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The poker action was wild at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with two final tables taking place on Monday. The morning's action started with the conclusion of the Ladies Event which began with 390 players, the highest attendance of any Ladies Tournament in Atlantic City. The final table was formed around 1:00 AM as these tenacious female players continued to play until a champion was crowned. Emily Flax of Provincetown, MA, was the last lady standing at 4:00 AM, taking home $30,927 in first place.

"I am so excited I won," commented Flax. "I started to believe I had a real chance to win when we made the final table." After picking up her winnings and her engraved champion's watch, Flax's smile brightened up the entire Event Center as she told the crowd: "I'm going to Spa to enjoy my victory before heading home. Borgata is out of this world!"

The second place finisher, Nicole Rowe of Salisbury, NY, took home $17,035. Rowe, who learned to play poker online, explained, "I was stuck at home so much while I was pregnant, that I started playing poker in my free time and I guess I got good. I played my first tournament at Borgata a couple of weeks ago, but this was my first big tournament."

The Final Table for the $500+60 Limit Hold "Em Event took place on Monday after the Ladies Event. The final table featured calculated play and some tension amongst the players. It seemed like the final table would last for hours, but players fell quickly. Daniel Occhipinti of Saddleback, NJ won the event and $41,075 in first place prize money. He battled with Shawn Berthiame of Brooklyn, NY who took home $23,187 in prize money. Justin Peckholdt of Babylon, NY earned $12,187 for third place.

Monday also featured the start of the $2,500 buy-in No Limit Hold 'Em event. There were 249 entrants when the event began competing for their piece of the $622,500 prize pool. John Turner of Henderson Nevada, one of the top internet players in the world, is the current chip leader; but there is a lot of poker left to be played.

The pros have arrived in large numbers at Borgata. Many are ready to compete in Wednesday's $5,000 buy-in event. Others are arriving in time for Thursday's WPT Kick-Off Party at Gypsy Bar beginning at 8:00PM. The party will feature a heads up poker tournament with several top pros. The tournament is sponsored by Poker Tek.

COMMERCE, California -- (PRESS RELEASE) - For any woman who has ever dreamed of a seat in a World Poker Tour (WPT) event, Commerce Casino has a "can't miss" opportunity on Saturday, Feb. 3 -- the Los Angeles Poker Classic Ladies No Limit Hold'Em Tournament. The winner will get both a spot in the WPT Celebrity Invitational from March 3-5 and a seat in the WPT World Championship in April. That's a chance at two for the price of one $1,060-buy-in!

Participants may have a difficult time deciding which event is more exciting: a $25,000 seat in the WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas -- which features poker's elite and where last year female poker pro Vanessa Rousso took home $263,265 for her 7th place finish; or the hottest ticket in poker, the WPT Celebrity Invitational, where the top players ante up with Hollywood's poker-passionate celebrities. Players in previous years have included James Woods, Ray Romano, Jason Alexander, Don Cheadle, Ron Livingston, Mimi Rogers, Ed Asner, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Favreau, Stephen Collins, Anne Heche, Sharon Lawrence, David Sutcliff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Norm McDonald, Dean Cain, Camryn Manheim, Sara Rue, Richard Karn, Willie Garson, Cheryl Hines, Kathy Griffin, Shannon Elizabeth and Lolita Davidovich. Commerce Casino Ladies' Tourney winner is guaranteed at least one celebrity at her table!

"We've gone all out this year," said Cheri Dokken, Tournament Director. "The L.A. Poker Classic will have 31 events this year, but only one that offers these two giant prizes-and it's just for our Ladies' Tournament winner. Women are rising in the poker ranks at lightening speed-both in numbers and winnings and we want to make sure this is one of the premier events on the women's poker calendar."

The $25,000 WPT World Championship entry fee will come out of the prize pool from the women's tourney, but there will be plenty of cash left over to add to the victor's haul.

The Ladies Event is part of Commerce Casino's annual L.A. Poker Classic, Jan. 25-March 5. The world's largest poker room will host its six weeks of non-stop poker action with 31 different tournaments, culminating in the $10,000-buy-in WPT championship event Saturday, Feb. 24. Commerce Casino will guarantee $2 million to the first place winner of the L.A. Poker Classic Championship event and $1 million to the runner-up. A complete schedule can be viewed on the Commerce Casino website, www.commercecasino.com .

Following on the heels of that event is the fourth annual WPT Celebrity Invitational from March 3-5, which is only open to invited guests and poker players who have already completed early buy-in for the WPT World Championship in April. The $200,000 prize pool is compliments of Commerce Casino.

The Los Angeles Poker Classic Ladies No Limit Hold'Em Tournament at Commerce Casino will begin at 3:30pm on Saturday Feb. 3. Players may register on site. For more information, go to www.commercecasino.com .

Commerce Casino

Commerce Casino is the largest poker casino in the world. There are more than 200 poker tables featuring just about every form of poker: Texas Hold'Em, 7-Card Stud, Omaha, Lowball, Pot Limit, Mexican Poker, Pineapple, Draw, Low-Ball and many others. Also offered are Pan and California games. Commerce Casino is located at 6131 East Telegraph Rd., Commerce, CA 90040, just off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway at the Washington Blvd. exit. The phone is (323) 721-2100.

Shares in online gaming firms have tumbled again - amid reports the US Department of Justice is stepping up its probe into the industry.

It has demanded that investment banks hand over documents and details of phone calls connected with internet gaming firms, reports say.

Partygaming shares fell 7.5% in early Monday trading while Sportingbet and 888.com lost about 3.5%.

Online gambling was effectively banned in the US last year.

Legislation was introduced that outlawed financial transactions related to gaming.

Falling values

Reports on Sunday said that the Department of Justice had ordered 16 banks, including HSBC, Dresdner Kleinwort and Deutsche Bank, as well as accountants and law firms to pass on information.

In July last year, executives from online gaming firms, including Sportingbet and Betonsports were detained by US authorities.

Last week, two founders of internet payment firm Neteller, which has been used by gaming sites, were charged with handling billions of dollars in illegal gambling proceeds.

Millions were wiped off the value of internet gaming firms last year as they ceased US trading.

Before the US crackdown on internet gaming, Partygaming had generated about 75% of its income from the US market while about half of 888 Holding's business came from the country.

Dear Mark: In some casinos that offer Pai Gow Poker, the dealer deals a second hand that is offered to the player. Exactly what is it, and is it worth playing? Billy F.

That second hand you observed, Billy, is called “the Dragon,“ It’s an additional hand that each player in turn has the option of playing. Essentially, it gives the player the ability to play two positions rather than one. It could also be a community hand for all to play, should someone want to make an additional bet. It is not a required wager, rather a bonus bet.

I have noticed that those who play the Dragon do so depending on the circumstances and their style of play. Some only play the Dragon when they are holding a stalwart hand; others only play the Dragon when they think their main hand is a loser. Go figure.

In most casinos, if you want to play the Dragon, your wager must be the same size as or larger than your original bet. Also, the rules generally specify that the hand must be set according to the house’s own way of setting hands.

With a deck of cards at the kitchen table you can become quite proficient at the game, and with perfect basic strategy you can grind the casino edge down to 2.5%. Even so, Billy, I wouldn’t recommend playing the Dragon hand myself, because “copies” (where the player and banker have identical two-card or five-card hands) still go to the dealer, biting the player, naturally.

Dear Mark: I have seen double-deck blackjack dealt both face up, and face down. Is there any advantage one way or another for the player or the house? Kyle F.

For card-counting players, face-down (not being able to see all the cards on the layout until the end of the hand) gives them less information. Consequently, Kyle, cards dealt face down benefit the house, face-up the skilled player.

Dear Mark: Could you please explain how a satellite tournament works in poker, and how one goes from one of these types of tournaments to a larger, more profitable one? Martin C.

A satellite tournament, Martin, is a special tournament whose prize isn’t necessarily cold hard cash, but a buy-in to a larger tournament.

A one-table satellite tournament usually has just one winner, although second place is occasionally awarded a free entry to another tournament or cash. In larger satellite tournaments with multiple tables, the winner may get not only an entry to a larger tournament, but also such perks as round-trip airfare and accommodations, especially if the tournament takes place in a city other than that of the larger satellite. The winner may also get a percentage of the excess cash accumulated in buy-ins and re-buys. Second, third, and even additional places can also win a percentage of this cash or buy-ins to this or to other tournaments.

The larger the tournament, Martin, the more places that are paid, from as few as one in a one-table satellite, three in a small tourney, eight to ten in a medium-sized contest, to as many as 36 in a $10,000 buy-in televised World Poker Tour tournament.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “The people who run the casino are tough and smart in so many ways, but they belong in the Dark Ages. They explain the phenomena of their world the way the ancient astrologers did. They really believe that dice get hot.” --Edward O. Thorp, quoted in The Green Felt Jungle
By Mark Pilarski

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – (PRESS RELEASE) -- It was electric inside the Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa on Thursday. The forty remaining players from Event 1 ($500 buy-in event) returned to battle. The field that began with 1,370 players had been whittled down to three. Tae Baik of Leonia, NJ, knocked out the remaining two players to capture the first title of the 2007 Winter Poker Open and the $152,960 in first place prize money.

David Zhu of Scarbourough, Canada, was the second place finisher taking home $95,900. The third place finisher, Emad Alabsi of Wickliffe, Ohio takes home $58,225. Alabsi, who called himself the "The Beast" at the table, had a dominating table personality often singing for the table or laughing it up with the growing crowd. "I always have fun when I'm playing poker here; Borgata offers a great atmosphere to play in."

Baik, who wore the perfect "poker face" throughout the tournament, was all smiles when he received his prize money and Tag Heuer purchased from Bernie Robbins Fine Jewelry, given to all main event winners throughout the Winter Poker Open. Baik commented, "I have played tournaments in Borgata's new poker room before, but this is my first victory in a tournament of this magnitude."

Vinny Procopio, a constant fixture at Borgata events, was the seventh place finisher taking home $30,825. Procopio was enjoying his time at the final table and was pleased with his finish, inviting many of his poker friends to join him at his table at mur.mur this weekend.

The $750 buy-in event featured juicy poker action from the aggressive field. Players included Men "The Master" and Joseph Brooks, a winner at the 2006 Borgata Poker Open. The remaining 18 players return to Borgata Event Center on Friday to play for the championship and their piece of the $464,250 prize pool.

There are 28 Super Satellites and Second Chance Tournaments remaining -- 28 opportunities to take as little as $120 and turn it into thousands.

BARABOO - More than 2 years after packing away the chips, the Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo reopened its poker tables at 10 a.m. Sunday with 40 players filling four tables and more excited gamblers waiting in the wings.

The casino's table games were removed on June 30, 2004, after a state Supreme Court ruling in 2003 that nullified the gambling compacts Gov. Jim Doyle negotiated with Wisconsin's tribes. That ruling was reversed by the same court in July and the casino has been training dealers and preparing tables ever since, said casino spokeswoman Beth Anacker.

The resumption of table games at the casino could mean the addition of at least $70 million to state coffers. After the 2004 ruling, the tribe suspended payments owed to the state under the 2003 compact.

According to the state, the tribe owes taxpayers $70 million in back payments. That figure takes into account a $30 million payment the tribe made last year, said Scott Larrivee, a spokesman for the state Department of Administration.

Larrivee said Tuesday that negotiations were ongoing regarding Ho-Chunk's payments to the state under the compact.

"The state will continue to work with the tribe to ensure that their compact payments are made," Larrivee said in a statement. "The state of Wisconsin is pursuing all available options - negotiation, arbitration, mediation - to collect those payments for taxpayers, and remains optimistic that the Ho-Chunk will make their payment before the end of the state fiscal year" in June.

Ho-Chunk officials could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

The opening of the poker tables Sunday followed the opening of craps tables on Dec. 1 and roulette on Dec. 17. Tables for Let it Ride and three-card poker will open Feb. 1.

"It's a relief to have something to offer," said Amy Kirby, table games operations manager, while overseeing three packed tables Tuesday. ". . . For the past 2 years, that's been the question out on the floor: When is poker coming back?" she added.

As momentum built and rumors swirled prior to the tables' reopening, the casino was receiving so many calls it set up a poker hot line - 608-356-6210, ext. 2190 - to answer questions, Anacker said.

The poker room is in the same 11,000-square-foot circus- tent-shaped dome that houses the casino's new off-track betting parlor. There are 12 poker tables set up, though only five have been going at once so far, Kirby said.

Games and blinds are flexible to the players' consensus, Kirby said, and could vary from the popular Texas Hold'em to Omaha, and from blinds of $2-$4 up to $15-$30.

There are no tournaments scheduled but the casino is planning for them in the future, she said.

The nearest casino that offers similar table games is the Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee, Kirby said.
By CHRISTINA BEAM

LONDON (Reuters) - British money transfer firm NETeller Plc closed its U.S. Internet gambling services on Thursday, wiping out over 65 percent of its business, after two of the group's founders were arrested there this week.

NETeller is the latest victim in a U.S. crackdown on online gaming, which began with the arrest of BETonSPORTS chief executive David Carruthers in Texas last July.

NETeller's two founders, Canadians Stephen Lawrence, 46, and John Lefebvre, 55, have been charged with handling billions of dollars in illegal gambling proceeds.

Both face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

"The operations linked to U.S. gambling account for about 65 to 70 percent of sales," said a source close to the company.

NETeller said that after the United States effectively banned online gaming in November, it had experienced slowing fourth quarter growth.

NETeller has always said it was waiting to see the detail of the regulations before making a decision. It had its shares suspended on Tuesday after the two founders were arrested on Monday -- Lawrence in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Lefebvre in Malibu, California.

"Today's withdrawal from the U.S. market by NETeller is the culmination of months of careful planning," NETeller said in its statement on Thursday.
By Pete Harrison

Building on the recent success of the 2006 Borgata Poker Open -- the biggest poker tournament in Atlantic City's history -- and the debut of its new, 85-table room -- the largest poker room in Atlantic City -- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa announced it will kick off the New Year with the second annual Borgata Winter Open. The 14-day tournament will begin January 17, 2007, and will conclude with the Borgata Poker Classic, part of the WORLD POKER TOUR(R) (WPT), on January 26-30, 2007.

The Borgata Winter Poker Open will mark the WORLD POKER TOUR's sixth visit to Borgata. The most recent Borgata Poker Open in September drew a record 540 players with a prize pool over $5,000,000. A virtual who's who of poker stars, the tournament drew such competitors as Michael "The Grinder" Mizrahi, Shannon Shorr, Daniel Negreanu (2004 WPT Player of the Year and winner of the 2004 Borgata Poker Open), Phil "the Unabomber" Laak, Academy-Award nominee Jennifer Tilly, David Williams, Antonio Esfandiari, actress Shannon Elizabeth, David "the Dragon" Pham and Maciek "Michael" Gracz, all vying for the WPT title. However, it was an up and coming amateur from North Carolina named Mark Newhouse, who captured the WPT title and the first-place prize of $1,519,020.

Last year also marked the debut of Borgata's revamped 21,500 square-foot poker room, home to three anchor events: Borgata Winter Open/WPT Poker Classic, Borgata Summer Open and the WPT/Borgata Poker Open. The Borgata Poker Room now features an eighteen-table High Limit Room offering food service; a nine-table tournament area offering bleacher seating for tournament viewing that may be partitioned off as a "reserved" poker area; and a 58-table Main Poker Room offering live poker action. The room is outfitted with over seventy plasma televisions and offers the largest variety of games and limits in Atlantic City. Highlights from 2006 include the first ever Borgata Summer Open, which drew nearly four-thousand entrants and cash prizes totaling $2,517,030; the fourth annual Borgata Poker Open, which drew nearly ten- thousand entrants with cash prizes totaling over $10 million; and $50,000 Guaranteed Friday tournaments, a favorite among amateurs and professionals alike.

"At Borgata, we strive to offer our poker players a full destination experience with A-list entertainment, exciting nightlife options, stellar dining, upscale accommodations, a robust poker program and above all, great service," said Larry Mullin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Borgata. "Borgata is excited to partner with the WORLD POKER TOUR once again to bring a world-class tournament to Atlantic City and offer our players a unique experience while they are here."

Televised nationally on the Travel Channel and one of the premier stops on WORLD POKER TOUR's 17-tournament tour, the Borgata Poker Classic will feature the world's top poker players along with local fan favorites competing in No- Limit Texas Hold'em poker. The buy-in amount is $10,000.

Online reservations are available for Main Events by visiting http://www.theborgata.com. On-site registration for all events begins Friday, January 12, 2007, and will be available until January 29 at 2PM.

Special hotel room rates are available to tournament players Sunday through Thursday at $100, Friday at $179 and Saturday at $199. Call 1.866. MYBORGATA for more details.

Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- NETeller Plc, a processor of payments for Internet gambling companies whose shares have lost four-fifths of their value in the past year, said U.S. authorities detained two of its founder shareholders.

Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre, both former directors of the Isle of Man-based company, were traveling separately, NETeller said in a Regulatory News Service statement today. They have no current connection with the company, the statement said.

The company didn't say why the two were detained on Jan. 15 and NETeller hasn't received any correspondence from U.S. authorities. ``There is no connection at present between NETeller and the charges against the directors,'' external spokesman George Cazenove said by telephone in London.

NETeller, whose clients include Victor Chandler, on Oct. 31 said that a U.S. law that aims to shut down online gaming in the country by criminalizing transfers of funds would change the direction of the company ``fundamentally.''

Shares of NETeller were suspended in London. They have lost 79 percent of their value during the past 12 months.

``This muddies the water in the industry again somewhat but the reaction in the market has been somewhat muted,'' Tejinder Randhawa, an analyst at Evolution Securities, said today. ``I don't see this as going anywhere,'' he said. Evolution's recommendation on NETeller stock is under review.

Lawrence, the founder and former chairman of NETeller, resigned as a non-executive director on Oct. 13 last year. Lefebvre stepped down as a non-executive director on Dec. 16, 2005, according to a filing.

Cazenove said NETeller doesn't know which firm is legally representing Lawrence and Lefebvre.
By Victoria Richards

He defeated a record field of 8,773 players to capture a record $12 million prize at last year's World Series of Poker.

So what does Jamie Gold of Paramus do for his next challenge?

He sits down with the best cash players in the world for the third season of Game Show Network's "High Stakes Poker," which debuts 9 p.m. Monday.

Gold, who dominated the World Series with his play and talk, offered a humble reason for his appearance on the show that requires each player to come to the table with a minimum of $100,000 in cash.

"Before I was a poker player, I was a fan. So it was an honor for me to play with these guys," Gold said of the competition, which included poker superstars Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein and Daniel Negreanu.

Gold and Brunson hook up in a pair of big hands early

"I knew I was out of my league," Gold said by phone from California on Friday. "But one day I'll be able to tell my grandkids that I played against the best players in the world and I'll have the TV tapes to show them."

For Gold, the months since his victory have been tinged with controversy and grief. He's involved in a lawsuit over half his winnings and his father, Dr. Robert Gold, passed away last month after a battle with ALS.

This week, in addition to "High Stakes," he'll also appear on NBC's new poker show, "Poker After Dark," playing with world champions Brunson, Johnny Chan, Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen and Chris Moneymaker. ("Poker After Dark" airs 2:05 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday with a weekly wrapup show at 1 a.m. Sunday.)
By MARC SCHWARZ

Dear Mark: I disagree with you in that a player at third base in blackjack has no effect on the outcome of the game. I've seen dumb players take the dealer's bust card far too many times to believe otherwise. Willy H.

I’ll stick by my past statement that poor play on third base does not affect the overall outcome of all hands dealt. Each card dealt is random and since you, the dealer, fellow players, and yes, even the player at third giving the house a 4-5% edge by playing poorly, has no idea what the next card is, the play at third will not have any repercussions on the game in general, just on his or her hand.

Also, Willy, you overlook in your statement the times when a player took a card that would have helped the dealer, resulting in the dealer’s going bust with the following card dealt. For the decade plus that I had dealt cards, or oversaw a pit full of dealers, I can tell you unequivocally that having viewed a kazillion hands, I have seen it go both ways about equally.

Dear Mark: I was wondering if there was anything in craps called a "Back Door Little Joe?" I heard this in a song and was wondering what it was? Troy C.

"Little Joe" and "Little Joe from Kokomo," are two of those colorful calls, made by a stickperson, that represent the number four. As for “Back Door Little Joe,” not only have I never heard of it, I didn’t find it in my extensive gaming library, a google search came up empty, and my inquiry of a few living legends still dealing dice, who -- with a combined working experience of well over 100 years produced a “Sorry, Mark.” They haven’t heard of it either.

Dear Mark: When you watch Texas Hold’em on television, the players always flip over their cards when going “all in.” I’ve been told that technically you don’t have to do that, and instead, verbally say you’re “all in,” and just wait until the end of the hand before you show your cards. Are they doing it wrong on television? Phillip G.

In tournament play, Phillip, which is what you are watching on TV, you are required to turn your cards over. With a cash game, it is optional.

Dear Mark: At our weekly Texas Hold’em game, we had a disagreement over a player who accidentally showed his cards before the betting rounds were complete. The debate was over whether that player's hand was automatically dead. Yeah or nay please. We will stand by your decision. Dan M.

In Texas Hold’em, Dan, an exposed card or hand by any player would still be considered a live hand, not a dead one.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker. The upper class knows very little about poker. Now and then you find ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge of poker, but the ignorance of the people is fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a "flush". It is enough to make one ashamed of the species. --Mark Twain
By Mark Pilarski

NBC's "POKER After Dark" features six great poker players in a $20,000 buy-in, winner-take-all tournament, which is broken down into 5 days of play. I'm compelled to say that I'm embarrassed by my bratlike conduct in the first-ever episode, which featured a classic, 7-minute-long "Phil Hellmuth tirade," but it did make for some pretty darn good television.

My tablemates for my explosion were World Champion of Poker Huck Seed, three-time World Poker Tour winner Gus Hansen, Annie Duke, Shawn "The Sheik" Sheikhan, and Steve Zolotow. Why did I lose my cool? Simply because I asked my tablemates to "Please be quiet for a moment" - during a key hand - and they continued to talk. If my tablemates did in fact go on talking after I asked for silence, then Tournament Directors Association rules they would be assessed a 20-minute penalty, and be forced to hold their tongues and/or leave the room.

I wanted a ruling from show producer, and longtime poker player, Morey Eskandani. I asked Eskandani what penalties were in place to prevent blatant violations of the rules and etiquette of poker tournaments. He said that they had no penalties in place as of yet, but that they would put some in place soon. This answer didn't sit well with me and I stormed off the set - only to return 20 minutes later.

At the time I felt like my tantrum was, at least in part, justified. Upon further review (when I saw the show), I saw a lot of innocent stuff going on.

It seems that I was the one who crossed the line here, and I apologize to everyone involved and to all of the television viewers for my conduct.

The hand

With the blinds at $300 to $600, I raised it up with A-10 (on the button) and, making up my mind that Duke (in the big blind) was likely to reraise me with many different hands that I could beat or match up well against; especially if she had an ace in her hand. Because I only had $7,000 in chips to her $23,000, I knew that Duke could afford to take a chance against me - she could lose only 30 percent of her chips.

Sheikhan folded in the small blind, and Duke reraised it $4,000 more. Now I was trying to decide on the best course of action. Should I follow up on my first line of thinking and call Duke? No, of course not; I decided that I should at least give myself a chance to read her first. If I felt extreme strength, then I would fold my hand. If I felt she was weak, then I would call with my hand (effectively moving all-in). This is when I asked for silence, and asked Duke, "Do you have anything?" Then Seed innocently joked, "You asked for us to be quiet so that you could talk!" Then Hansen then made an innocent joke, and finally Sheikhan said something as well.

Now, as I began to lose my cool (again, I felt like proper poker etiquette was not being observed), I also began to lose my reading abilities to a degree. However, I did eventually make the right move when I folded - Duke had pocket kings. Thus, after much unneeded drama, I made a good fold (A-10 is a 2 ½-1 underdog to K-K).

Poker etiquette and rules state: a) you have the right to silence when you are making a key decision; b) you cannot carry on after a request for silence; c) you cannot let your hole cards hit the floor; d) all of the above.

Answer: d.
By Phil Hellmuth

The final free-roll tournament in the World Series of Poker qualifying series at the Pahrump Nugget will be held Saturday, starting at 4 p.m.

A total of 28 players have qualified for the Saturday tournament, based on their having played 40 hours of live poker in the Nugget during December.

The top five finishers Saturday will be awarded points; 10, for first; 5, for second; 3, for third; 2, for fourth and 1, for fifth. The payoffs total $2,100, with the Nugget having paid out $2,310 in prize money.

A total of $10,000 will be at stake Feb. 24, when the top 20 players compete for at least one seat in the 2007 World Series of Poker, tentatively scheduled to begin June 1 at the Rio Casino-Hotel in Las Vegas.

The series leader, after 11 events, is Tom Duke, with 25 points (one first, three seconds). Blake Lozo has 20 points (two firsts), while Frank Polansky has 19 points (one victory).

The standings:

A total of 31 players have placed in the previous 11 World Series of Poker qualifying tournaments at the Pahrump Nugget.

Listed are the players, their points, and in parenthesis, wins:

1. Tom Duke, 25 (one).

2. Blake Lozo, 20 (two).

3. Frank Polansky, 19 (one).

4. Jim Robertson, 15 (one).

5. Rob Lisull, 14 (one).

6. Larry Mauch, 13 (one).

7. Butch Dole, 10 (one); ties -- Bernie DeSantos, 10 (one); Buzz Busbee, 10 (one).

10. Rob Reddick, 6.

11. Rollie Batayola, 5; ties -- Ken Fiege, 5; Ben Lagos, 5; Andy Franzen, 5; Russ Eleogram, 5; Skip Woodland, 5; Frank Kost, 5.

18. Rupert Hodnett, 4.

19. Don McDermott, 3; ties -- Doug Gregory, 3; Todd Bock, 3; Ron Kaltenbach, 3; Patti Franzen, 3; Rusty Rivas, 3.

25. Jack Morgadonna, 2; ties -- Ray Guin, 2; Nella Lawson, 2; Reno Gregory, 2.

29. Reno Soto, 1; ties -- Mike Greenwich, 1; Carmen Lombardozzi, 1.

The Crystal Casino and Ladies International Poker Series (LIPSTour.com) are proud to present the first annual Los Angeles Poker Expo. The Poker expo, scheduled for April 6-8, 2007 will be held at the Crystal Casino, 123 E. Artesia Blvd. Compton, CA 90220. The Expo will include a variety of poker retailers, authors, magazines and more! Poker enthusiasts can browse through poker related items like t-shirts, books, chips, felts, video's, apparel, tables, art, posters, games, card decks, magazines and so much more!

”This is the first of its kind for a casino here in Los Angeles” said Crystal Casino owner, Mark Kelegian. “We’re excited to open our doors to the public and feature Crystal Casino’s recently renovated property.”

During the Expo, Crystal Casino will host a series of poker tournaments leading up to a championship event. Also included in the series, is a ladies event hosted by Ladies International Poker Series. The winner of that tourney represents the Crystal Casino in the LIPS Tour Grand Championship scheduled for July at the Orleans Casino in July during the Orleans Open.

The LA Poker Expo is currently accepting vendor, sponsor, and advertiser applications on a first come first serve basis. For more details and to register for the expo, visit The Los Angeles Poker Expo website at http://www.lapokerexpo.com.

Mohegan Sun, already one of the world's largest casinos, has unveiled plans for an estimated $740 million expansion in Uncasville, Conn., that will include the return of poker and a new House of Blues music hall.

Tribal gaming officials hope the expansion will help them better serve existing customers and draw in new ones, including people in their early 20s and Asians.

Mohegan Sun, which has been celebrating its 10th anniversary, has about 10,000 employees and expects to add about another 2,000 in the next five years. The tribe's casino attracts 35,000 visitors daily and generates about $1.5 billion annually in revenue.

The expansion, known as ``Project Horizon,'' will include a 38-story, 1,000-room hotel slated to open in 2010. Inside will be a smaller, House of Blues-themed hotel. The House of Blues music hall, which will hold about 1,500 people, is scheduled to open in 2009. There will also be an adjoining restaurant and store.

The casino already has a 1,200-room hotel, but it is 93 percent full on an average night, meaning the casino has had trouble accommodating larger conventions because it can't guarantee hotel space.

The new hotel tower, which will also include a new spa, is set to open in 2010. Other elements of the project are expected to open sooner, spring of 2008, including more restaurants and shops, and a new Casino of the Wind, which will add 964 slot machines to the 6,000 the casino already has.

A new Casino of the Earth opening in the summer of 2007 will aim to draw Asian customers with table games and a Hong Kong street food outlet.

Casino officials are also hoping to bring in more young people by opening a 45-table poker room. The poker room at Mohegan Sun closed in 2003 to make room for more slot machines, but televised tournaments and online gaming have made poker so popular that the casino is bringing it back.

Dear Mark: I was rolling the dice in Atlantic City and off to a good roll. On my last roll I had a pass line bet with odds and a come bet with odds. I rolled what I thought was a five and a six although the six came down on a couple of chips on the other side of the table. The dealer called it a seven and swept the chips and the dice away before I could open my mouth to complain. The five was flat on the table and the six was facing the middle of the table and higher than what must have been a two facing the opposite way. In fact, even though I am 5'10" and standing just to the left of the stickman, I couldn't see the two. I walked away steamed and they called me back to give me the $20 from my come bet and laugh in my face. I feel bad about being cheated, if in fact I was. If you get around to answer this e-mail, I would appreciate it. David S.

In a frenzied game like craps, the stickman needs to make a lickety-split decision that is not always favorable to the player. In your case, the single die in question could have gone your way with a six (or the three and four, as I sit here field testing some chips and a single die), or the two as called, which matched up with the five on the sister cube, making it "five two, you're all through."

Obviously, David, I wasn’t there, but I do trust the ruling of the stickman who made on the call. He, or she, has made thousands of similar calls before, and although it is not always advantageous to you, it was most likely the correct decision.

Question to you, David. Was it figuratively or literally that the dealer was laughing in your face? If the latter, then your beef would be about the inappropriate treatment you received on the game, but probably not your being ripped off.

Dear Mark: In one of your columns quite a while back, you mentioned that you were once employed at the Cal-Neva owned by the late Warren Nelson. Was that the Cal-Neva near Lake Tahoe, or was Nelson's place located in downtown Reno? I tried to find the answer on the net, but couldn't locate it. Apparently he operated a casino a la Binion style, offering the player a fair shake at the tables. Anyway, I just got curious about the location of his casino. Mac F.

In fact, Mac, I worked at both the Cal-Neva at Lake Tahoe when the gaming commission closed it in the early 80’s due to gaming improprieties, and at the Club Cal-Neva in Reno.

Like Warren Nelson, the Cal-Neva Lodge at the lake had its share of colorful owners, the splashiest being, perhaps, Frank Sinatra. A controversy with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (alleged mob connections) resulted in the revocation of Sinatra's license in 1963. Around that same time, Warren Nelson became a partner in the Club Cal-Neva in Reno, which became one of the most successful operations per square foot in Nevada.

The Club Cal-Neva still offers their cherished low-roller players some of the cheapest food prices and liberal gaming rules in Reno. It is one of those casinos that treat you like a treasured commodity, always trying to increase buyer value, and one where you will find me when I’m in the “Biggest Little City.”

More details of Nelson’s life can be found in his autobiography, Always Bet on the Butcher, where warts and all, he writes about his gambling experiences, from the bygone days when casinos used violence, or the threat of it, to protect themselves from shysters, to the present-day casinos with their shiny MBA corporate management.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Ever have a casino visit when nothing goes right? When you wonder where you got the idea that gambling was fun? -- Alan Krigman
By Mark Pilarski

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on the recent success of the 2006 Borgata Poker Open -- the biggest poker tournament in Atlantic City's history -- and the debut of its new, 85-table room -- the largest poker room in Atlantic City -- Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa announced it will kick off the New Year with the second annual Borgata Winter Open. The 14-day tournament will begin January 17, 2007, and will conclude with the Borgata Poker Classic, part of the WORLD POKER TOUR® (WPT), on January 26-30, 2007.

The Borgata Winter Poker Open will mark the WORLD POKER TOUR's sixth visit to Borgata. The most recent Borgata Poker Open in September drew a record 540 players with a prize pool over $5,000,000. A virtual who's who of poker stars, the tournament drew such competitors as Michael "The Grinder" Mizrahi, Shannon Shorr, Daniel Negreanu (2004 WPT Player of the Year and winner of the 2004 Borgata Poker Open), Phil "the Unabomber" Laak, Academy-Award nominee Jennifer Tilly, David Williams, Antonio Esfandiari, actress Shannon Elizabeth, David "the Dragon" Pham and Maciek "Michael" Gracz, all vying for the WPT title. However, it was an up and coming amateur from North Carolina named Mark Newhouse, who captured the WPT title and the first-place prize of $1,519,020.

Last year also marked the debut of Borgata's revamped 21,500 square-foot poker room, home to three anchor events: Borgata Winter Open/WPT Poker Classic, Borgata Summer Open and the WPT/Borgata Poker Open. The Borgata Poker Room now features an eighteen-table High Limit Room offering food service; a nine-table tournament area offering bleacher seating for tournament viewing that may be partitioned off as a "reserved" poker area; and a 58-table Main Poker Room offering live poker action. The room is outfitted with over seventy plasma televisions and offers the largest variety of games and limits in Atlantic City. Highlights from 2006 include the first ever Borgata Summer Open, which drew nearly four-thousand entrants and cash prizes totaling $2,517,030; the fourth annual Borgata Poker Open, which drew nearly ten- thousand entrants with cash prizes totaling over $10 million; and $50,000 Guaranteed Friday tournaments, a favorite among amateurs and professionals alike.

"At Borgata, we strive to offer our poker players a full destination experience with A-list entertainment, exciting nightlife options, stellar dining, upscale accommodations, a robust poker program and above all, great service," said Larry Mullin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Borgata. "Borgata is excited to partner with the WORLD POKER TOUR once again to bring a world-class tournament to Atlantic City and offer our players a unique experience while they are here."

Televised nationally on the Travel Channel and one of the premier stops on WORLD POKER TOUR's 17-tournament tour, the Borgata Poker Classic will feature the world's top poker players along with local fan favorites competing in No- Limit Texas Hold'em poker. The buy-in amount is $10,000.

Online reservations are available for Main Events by visiting www.theborgata.com. On-site registration for all events begins Friday, January 12, 2007, and will be available until January 29 at 2PM.

Special hotel room rates are available to tournament players Sunday through Thursday at $100, Friday at $179 and Saturday at $199. Call 1.866. MYBORGATA for more details.

In last week's column, I dissected a hand that I played in the annual Christmas poker game held in Madison, Wis. This game had a $1,000 buy-in, pot limit game with $500 rebuys. After a lively game -- and a relatively small $1,450 win for me -- another game was held in late December. This time we had a $500 buy-in with $500 re-buys.

I had just won a $2,000 pot when I looked down at the Ah-Qh and decided to raise it up to the maximum before the flop. Thus, after three others called $5 apiece, I called the $5 bet and raised it up $35 more (making it $40 to go); I had to smile at the craziness of the game as seven of us took the flop.

The flop was 10h-7h-4s, four players checked to me, I bet out $100, and a total of four players called the $100 bet.

The next card off was the Jd, and now Brian Hetzel bet out $450. Two players folded, I called, and the remaining player folded.

The last card was the 4h (10h-7h-4s-Jd-4h) Hetzel checked, and I studied for about 30 seconds before I bet $850. Hetzel called, I showed him my ace high flush and collected the hefty $3,380 pot.

Let's take a closer look at the play of this hand. Before the flop, it is a natural and easy tactic to raise up the size of the pot as the first raiser. Of course, the fact that I had just won a big pot the hand before makes it an even easier play, as I was feeling good about risking chips at that moment: due to some extra confidence and a recent surge in the chip stack.

On the flop, my $100 bet was about perfect. I definitely think that it is important to bet here, both to build a pot and to put myself in position to continue to draw in the hand later on. I mean my hand -- an ace-high flush draw and two over-cards -- was now a favorite over anyone that had a pair on the board, or even over pocket jacks.

Also, by betting merely $100 on the flop, I am pricing players into the pot. I mean, with $280 in the pot my $100 bet was modest, and it did in fact lure four players into playing along with me.

One more reason I like the $100 bet is that I was limiting the amount that someone could reraise me on the flop, thus I was controlling the size of the pot.

On the turn, Hetzel's $450 bet -- with what turned out to be a made straight (9-8) -- was perfect.

Should Hetzel bet more here? Many top pros would say that he should. They would tell you that Hetzel needs to protect his hand with a huge pot-sized bet that would drive all of his opponents out of the pot.

But why drive someone out of the pot that has one big pair, and is thus drawing dead? Why drive someone out of the pot that has a weaker straight draw than the made straight you already have completed?

Deciding on the perfect amount to bet depends on a complicated risk/reward scenario and the strength of your hand. In this case, I agree that Hetzel should make a bet of at least 30 percent the size of the pot. Keep this in mind, it is hard to complete a straight, and I like to get paid off when I do finally make one.

As to my $450 call on the turn, I do not think it a hard call at all. After all, I did have a heart draw and I needed a king to complete the best possible straight.

On the end, after Hetzel checked, I felt great about my flush, and now I began to think about being a salesman: How much could I get Hetzel to call?

I knew that I should wait at least 30 seconds before I bet, as an instantaneous bet often gives off a powerful scent, and I wanted a weak scent as I had a powerful hand. I thought, ''If I bet the whole size of the pot, Brian will fold.'' Finally, I just sort of felt like I should bet $850, which was about half of the size of the pot.
By Phil Hellmuth

If you're saving up your money to play in one of the big $10,000 events on the poker circuit, these five tips will help make you a winner.

1. Don't lay odds on your pre-flop raises.

In these big tournaments, after about level four, antes are introduced to go along with the blinds. For example, if the blinds are 400-800, the ante will be 100. With nine players at the table, there will be 2,100 in the pot before the cards are even dealt.

If you have a hand that you want to raise with, I suggest making it 2,000 to go.

The so-called standard raise would be to 2,400 (three times the big blind), but you can get away with a smaller raise and accomplish the same objective.

With a smaller raise, say 2,000, you risk less to win the 2,100; the standard raise costs you 2,400 to win that same 2,100 pot.

2. Protect your chips before protecting the pot.

When you're involved in a pot, the first thing to think about is protecting the chips that you already have. Then you can focus on protecting your hand and not losing the pot.

In other words, in marginal situations, where you probably have the best hand but could easily be wrong, err toward the side of caution. Yes, this approach will cause you to get outdrawn by your opponents more often, but when they do, you'll lose the minimum rather than all the chips in front of you.

For example, you hold pocket aces and the board reads K-K-7-2. If your opponent checks, play cautiously and check as well. If she bets on the river card, you should usually just call and hope that she doesn't have the third king in her hand.

3. Avoid coin flip situations.

When you make it all the way to the end of the tournament, try to avoid playing large pots in situations where the odds of you winning are close to 50-50.

Having a middle pair versus two higher cards (7-7 versus A-K) is a classic example. The best way to stay out of trouble in a marginal situation like this is to avoid reraising before the flop. Instead, just call to see the flop first.

And don't go crazy with the all-in bets!

If you continually put all of your money in before the flop, you're destined to go broke. Sooner or later, your small pair will be in terrible shape against a bigger pair, or you'll be in that coin flip against two overcards. Both are situations that good players try to avoid.

4. Don't bluff too much.

If you bluff too much, your table image will be damaged. It will be less and less likely that you'll be able to get away with future bluffs as the tournament progresses.

Small semi-bluffs are OK for the most part, but when risking a large percentage of your chips, you should rarely be bluffing big.

5. Understand your stack size and never give up.

I often see short-stacked players make desperate moves. They think they have no other choice since they're so low on ammunition, but their desperation is often premature.

You needn't be overly concerned with how your chips stack up against the tournament average. It's more important to focus on your stack size in relation to the blinds and antes.

For example, if you have 12,000 in chips, and the blinds are 600-1,200, you only have 10 times the big blind. At that point, when you do decide to play a hand, you'll need to push it all in.

That doesn't mean you should go all-in with a trash hand. You can wait at least one full round before taking your best shot at the pot.

These five tips are the recipe for success in deep stack tournaments like the World Poker Tour. Keep them in mind and you'll outlast much of the competition.
By Daniel Negreanu

The casino industry is making it quite clear it wants to change the way people gamble.

Server-based slot floors that will allow casino owners to manage their inventories of games from a central on-site location soon will be the standard.

All the leading gaming industry manufacturers are coming out with their own versions of this technology, which will revolutionize the way we play slots.

Whereas much emphasis has been placed on how server-based gaming will allow individual casino properties to change game themes, denominations and even payback percentages on slot machines at the click of a mouse, the sophistication of the system really is far more complex.

The greatest advantage of server-based gambling as perceived by casino marketing divisions is the power it gives to provide what some executives described as "ultimate bonusing," which translates into strategies to keep players at the games for longer periods of time.

This will be accomplished by adding a new dimension to playing the slots utilizing not only the attractions of the game itself but also whatever enticements the casino communicates to players via server-based technology.

International Game Technology developed IGT Advantage Delivery Games, which includes what the company is marketing as NexGen display.

One platform it previewed was a roulette game. When the bonus is triggered, every participating slot player is assigned a number on the LCD screen. Then they watch a virtual roulette wheel spin as the game is played out. Every player with the winning number receives an award.

As for the slot games themselves, the new products clearly indicate a trend toward what are described as "community games" as well as an even greater emphasis on linked "mystery" and multitier progressive machines.

The gaming industry, which successfully utilized IGT's Mega Jackpot wide area progressives to combat the giant jackpots offered by state lotteries, is bringing back the power of small jackpots to slot products made possible by low denomination games.

Community slot machine gambling transports slot players to a social experience previously reserved for table play. One genre of games allows people to enjoy the camaraderie of playing together similar to what IGT already successfully has deployed in Las Vegas with its giant Wheel of Fortune.

WMS Gaming, on the other hand, has come out with an innovative playing experience titled Monopoly Big Event, which already is in play at casinos in Nevada. When the Big Event bonus round is triggered, every eligible player participates simultaneously with the awards they receive based on the size of their wagers.

The company also has announced plans to expand on its successful community gaming category with the development of a game based on the game show "Press Your Luck" for which it has obtained the licensing rights.
BY JOHN G. BROKOPP

Texas Hold’em requires a good knowledge of the rules of the game and mathematical skill, said Mitch Schock, manager of the North Dakota State Championship Poker Tournament. It also requires more subtle skills, such as how to read an opposing player’s face and maintain a “poker” face yourself.

More than 700 people from North Dakota and other states are expected to try their skills in the third annual poker tournament being held this weekend at the Vegas Hotel in Minot. The 50 best players from the qualifying rounds Saturday and from the qualifying rounds today will be given a chance to play for a $25,000 pot on Monday. On Saturday afternoon, poker players frowned, inspected their cards and did their best to ignore the tension mounting at the table.

Players came from Alaska, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Texas, Arizona and Florida as well as from North Dakota. Wendy Rupert, general manager of the Vegas Hotel, said some of the players from out of state have relatives in town and decided to visit when they heard about the poker tournament. Each player paid a $100 entry fee for the opportunity to enter the competition. The number of players in the tournament has increased each year since it started.

Schock, who finished 29th in the World Series of Poker last spring, also manages the Dakota Poker Tour in North Dakota. Texas Hold’em has exploded in popularity over the past five years, said Schock, and has become a popular spectator sport aired on ESPN. It became more fun to watch the game once a camera was focused on the cards held by the players, letting the audience see the player’s hand.

The popularity of Texas Hold’em was one of the reasons the state championship poker tournament was started a few years ago. Rupert said they were looking for an event that would draw a large crowd during a time of year when there aren’t a lot of events in Minot. The poker tournament also provides an alternative New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day activity, she said, and many of the poker players and their families will spend money in Minot. People who want to come and watch the poker tournament will also be able to have a drink or a meal in the Sevens Bar and Restaurant.

“We even have confetti for the winner,” Rupert said.

The tournament is being sponsored by the Minot State University Alumni Association. Chad McNally, from Minot State University, said some of the proceeds from the tournament will go to fund scholarships for students.

The poker tournament will continue through Monday at the Vegas Hotel.
By ANDREA JOHNSON