Poker News

Jeff Sarwer Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker Icons, a leading global poker agency, added one of the game’s brightest rising stars to its roster of pros earlier this month. Former Canadian chess prodigy Jeff Sarwer became one of the most fascinating figures on the international poker scene this year. The 32 year old is rapidly becoming a feared presence on the live circuit despite picking up the game just a short time ago.

Sarwer was a chess wunderkind who at the age of eight became World Chess Champion for those under 10. However, after being taken away from his abusive father, Sarwer and his sister changed their names and fled to Europe, disappearing from the public eye for nearly two decades.

In 2008, Sarwer resurfaced and began playing on the PokerStars European Poker Tour. Since then, he’s racked up more than $500,000 in live tournament earnings and was deemed “probably the greatest mind to enter the tournament poker world in history” by fellow poker pro Jonathan “FatalError” Aguiar. Poker News Daily recently got a chance to speak with Sarwer about his aspiring poker career:

Poker News Daily: You’ve been traveling the tournament circuit for more than two years now. Overall, how would you grade your experience as a poker pro? Is this something you see yourself doing for a long time?

Jeff Sarwer: For the next few years, I think people will see me a decent amount out there. I am still learning and haven’t played a lot of the big live events like the Aussie Millions. The experience has been great; I have had the chance to meet some great people who have a lot in common with me. As for grading, I think I have done better than I expected since I have been really active for only about a year and have had some strong results. My start has been great, so I want to keep going and see where it takes me.

PND: Your chess talents have been widely documented. Have you considered returning to the game and possibly training to become a world champion?

Jeff Sarwer: I have no intention of making a run for the world title since I missed so many critical years of training. I might come back on an ambassador level, but for now, poker is getting my spare time.

PND: Chess is a game of perfect information, whereas poker is a game of imperfect information. How do your chess skills transfer to the poker table?

Jeff Sarwer: Paying attention to detail, feeling when people are getting nervous, remembering things, and leveling people – these are all things that both games have in common. Chess might be a game of perfect information, but we are only human and not machines, so how useful is the perfect information that is right in front of you? It’s information that you have to analyze, filter, and try to get to the root of what the other guy is up to, which is really hard to do with so many things going on. So “owning” people’s minds is a very important part of chess too.

PND: You’re very talkative and cheerful at the poker table. Is this a tactic used to gain information from opponents?

Jeff Sarwer: My main reason for this is that I would rather be in a good mood if I am going to be at the table with the same people all day, but it doesn’t hurt to have them want you to stay.

PND: Who are some of your poker influences? Are there any players in particular who have helped make the transition easier?

Sarwer: Absolutely. You can thank the young internet generation for spending time with me and inspiring me. In Europe, there were guys like Anton Wigg, Kevin Stani, and a couple of guys my age like Arnaud Mattern. In North America, there were guys like Sorel Mizzi, Jonathan Aguiar, and Shaun Deeb. I thank them all for letting me spend time around them and see how they do things.

PND: What made you decide to choose Poker Icons to represent you?

Jeff Sarwer: They are the biggest poker agency out there and I have met the people behind the company quite a few times before, so we know each other well and have established a good connection. It’s an easy fit for both sides.

PND: What are your plans for 2011?

Jeff Sarwer: Travel around, play in some new events, produce my film, stay healthy, and have some twists and turns that I don’t see yet.

PND: A film? Tell us a little about it.

Jeff Sarwer: I am finishing the final draft of a script with director Gordon Anderson about my childhood with my manic depressive dad. If you want a taste of what stuff we will be talking about, go to BBCWorldService.com.

2011 Poker Predictions

Now that another year is in the books, I get to bring out my prognosticating skills once again and dazzle you with my ability to see into the future.  What will we expect to happen in 2011 in the world of poker?  Read on to find out.

Black Card Adjustments

This is hardly a bold prediction, as we’ve been told on both the TwoPlusTwo and PocketFives.com forums by Full Tilt site rep “FTPDoug” that an adjustment for the Black Card promotion is coming, most likely in the middle of January.  The site underwent heavy criticism for altering its rakeback method, which was to the detriment to the vast majority of the player base, while rolling out what Full Tilt officials felt was a compromise in the Black Card program.

What we might see is another tier added to the Black Card program, perhaps something like a “Red Card” that rewards another Full Tilt Point multiplier for those who average 1,000 points per day.  Either way, we’ve been promised that this adjustment will be an improvement for players.

PokerStars Will Kill Short-Stacked Games

Maybe this is more wishful thinking, but the clamoring of many on the forums hasn’t gone on deaf ears.  When PokerStars decided to forge a compromise between the short-stackers and everyone else by offering three tiered games (Short, Regular, and Deep) the site did what many thought would happen and that’s kill the small- and mid-stakes full ring games.

Right now, the games are as bad as they have ever been, but by eliminating the Short buy-in tables, all will be right again with the world and the SuperNova and SuperNova Elites of the world will continue their grind.  PokerStars is aware of how its main base of regulars feels, so something will be done.

Another Merger?

We saw the merger between two superpowers in online gaming, Party Gaming and bwin, finally complete, with the two set to come together in 2011.  One trend we’ve continued to seen, given worldwide legislation, is that smaller sites aren’t growing, but rather staying the same or shrinking.  According to various industry reports, the online poker industry is shrinking at 1% annually.

According to PokerScout.com, notable gainers year-over-year include the Merge Gaming Network (up 134%), 888 (up 8%), and PokerStars (up 7%).  Notable losers include Everest Poker (down 64%), Cake Poker (down 59%), the iPoker Network (down 31%), and the CEREUS Network (down 31%).  It’ll be very hard to imagine some of the smaller networks not going belly up or merging with others in order to survive today’s shrinking market.

More Live Events

Although some casinos may not like to admit it, online poker does a great job of getting them exposure when special tournaments are held.  The PokerStars-backed North American Poker Tour (NAPT) has been a huge success in its first year, with many at PokerStars pleased at the response the series has received from their player base.  Online poker players, contrary to belief, do like to get out of the house and travel. Expect more live event tie-ins in 2011 and perhaps the start of something new with Full Tilt in the United States.

Isildur1’s Identity Revealed

In 2011, we’ll finally know the true identity of PokerStars sponsored pro Isildur1.  Everyone has speculated for over a year that it’s Viktor Blom and there’s been nothing to make us think it’s anybody else.  Although I have met quite a few big name pros who claim to know his identity and refuse to spill the beans, someone will slip up or PokerStars will pull a publicity stunt to let us all know it’s Blom.

No Legislation for the United States

With the recent election, there’s no real hope for legalized and regulated online poker in the United States in the next two years.  Just expect more talk, no action, and continued reports of payment processors being targeted by the Federal Government.  Meanwhile, there’s potential in New Jersey and California for intrastate internet poker.

2011 Poker Predictions

Now that another year is in the books, I get to bring out my prognosticating skills once again and dazzle you with my ability to see into the future.  What will we expect to happen in 2011 in the world of poker?  Read on to find out.

Black Card Adjustments

This is hardly a bold prediction, as we’ve been told on both the TwoPlusTwo and PocketFives.com forums by Full Tilt site rep “FTPDoug” that an adjustment for the Black Card promotion is coming, most likely in the middle of January.  The site underwent heavy criticism for altering its rakeback method, which was to the detriment to the vast majority of the player base, while rolling out what Full Tilt officials felt was a compromise in the Black Card program.

What we might see is another tier added to the Black Card program, perhaps something like a “Red Card” that rewards another Full Tilt Point multiplier for those who average 1,000 points per day.  Either way, we’ve been promised that this adjustment will be an improvement for players.

PokerStars Will Kill Short-Stacked Games

Maybe this is more wishful thinking, but the clamoring of many on the forums hasn’t gone on deaf ears.  When PokerStars decided to forge a compromise between the short-stackers and everyone else by offering three tiered games (Short, Regular, and Deep) the site did what many thought would happen and that’s kill the small- and mid-stakes full ring games.

Right now, the games are as bad as they have ever been, but by eliminating the Short buy-in tables, all will be right again with the world and the SuperNova and SuperNova Elites of the world will continue their grind.  PokerStars is aware of how its main base of regulars feels, so something will be done.

Another Merger?

We saw the merger between two superpowers in online gaming, Party Gaming and bwin, finally complete, with the two set to come together in 2011.  One trend we’ve continued to seen, given worldwide legislation, is that smaller sites aren’t growing, but rather staying the same or shrinking.  According to various industry reports, the online poker industry is shrinking at 1% annually.

According to PokerScout.com, notable gainers year-over-year include the Merge Gaming Network (up 134%), 888 (up 8%), and PokerStars (up 7%).  Notable losers include Everest Poker (down 64%), Cake Poker (down 59%), the iPoker Network (down 31%), and the CEREUS Network (down 31%).  It’ll be very hard to imagine some of the smaller networks not going belly up or merging with others in order to survive today’s shrinking market.

More Live Events

Although some casinos may not like to admit it, online poker does a great job of getting them exposure when special tournaments are held.  The PokerStars-backed North American Poker Tour (NAPT) has been a huge success in its first year, with many at PokerStars pleased at the response the series has received from their player base.  Online poker players, contrary to belief, do like to get out of the house and travel. Expect more live event tie-ins in 2011 and perhaps the start of something new with Full Tilt in the United States.

Isildur1’s Identity Revealed

In 2011, we’ll finally know the true identity of PokerStars sponsored pro Isildur1.  Everyone has speculated for over a year that it’s Viktor Blom and there’s been nothing to make us think it’s anybody else.  Although I have met quite a few big name pros who claim to know his identity and refuse to spill the beans, someone will slip up or PokerStars will pull a publicity stunt to let us all know it’s Blom.

No Legislation for the United States

With the recent election, there’s no real hope for legalized and regulated online poker in the United States in the next two years.  Just expect more talk, no action, and continued reports of payment processors being targeted by the Federal Government.  Meanwhile, there’s potential in New Jersey and California for intrastate internet poker.

2011 Poker Predictions

Now that another year is in the books, I get to bring out my prognosticating skills once again and dazzle you with my ability to see into the future.  What will we expect to happen in 2011 in the world of poker?  Read on to find out.

Black Card Adjustments

This is hardly a bold prediction, as we’ve been told on both the TwoPlusTwo and PocketFives.com forums by Full Tilt site rep “FTPDoug” that an adjustment for the Black Card promotion is coming, most likely in the middle of January.  The site underwent heavy criticism for altering its rakeback method, which was to the detriment to the vast majority of the player base, while rolling out what Full Tilt officials felt was a compromise in the Black Card program.

What we might see is another tier added to the Black Card program, perhaps something like a “Red Card” that rewards another Full Tilt Point multiplier for those who average 1,000 points per day.  Either way, we’ve been promised that this adjustment will be an improvement for players.

PokerStars Will Kill Short-Stacked Games

Maybe this is more wishful thinking, but the clamoring of many on the forums hasn’t gone on deaf ears.  When PokerStars decided to forge a compromise between the short-stackers and everyone else by offering three tiered games (Short, Regular, and Deep) the site did what many thought would happen and that’s kill the small- and mid-stakes full ring games.

Right now, the games are as bad as they have ever been, but by eliminating the Short buy-in tables, all will be right again with the world and the SuperNova and SuperNova Elites of the world will continue their grind.  PokerStars is aware of how its main base of regulars feels, so something will be done.

Another Merger?

We saw the merger between two superpowers in online gaming, Party Gaming and bwin, finally complete, with the two set to come together in 2011.  One trend we’ve continued to seen, given worldwide legislation, is that smaller sites aren’t growing, but rather staying the same or shrinking.  According to various industry reports, the online poker industry is shrinking at 1% annually.

According to PokerScout.com, notable gainers year-over-year include the Merge Gaming Network (up 134%), 888 (up 8%), and PokerStars (up 7%).  Notable losers include Everest Poker (down 64%), Cake Poker (down 59%), the iPoker Network (down 31%), and the CEREUS Network (down 31%).  It’ll be very hard to imagine some of the smaller networks not going belly up or merging with others in order to survive today’s shrinking market.

More Live Events

Although some casinos may not like to admit it, online poker does a great job of getting them exposure when special tournaments are held.  The PokerStars-backed North American Poker Tour (NAPT) has been a huge success in its first year, with many at PokerStars pleased at the response the series has received from their player base.  Online poker players, contrary to belief, do like to get out of the house and travel. Expect more live event tie-ins in 2011 and perhaps the start of something new with Full Tilt in the United States.

Isildur1’s Identity Revealed

In 2011, we’ll finally know the true identity of PokerStars sponsored pro Isildur1.  Everyone has speculated for over a year that it’s Viktor Blom and there’s been nothing to make us think it’s anybody else.  Although I have met quite a few big name pros who claim to know his identity and refuse to spill the beans, someone will slip up or PokerStars will pull a publicity stunt to let us all know it’s Blom.

No Legislation for the United States

With the recent election, there’s no real hope for legalized and regulated online poker in the United States in the next two years.  Just expect more talk, no action, and continued reports of payment processors being targeted by the Federal Government.  Meanwhile, there’s potential in New Jersey and California for intrastate internet poker.

Online Poker Forum Etiquette

New poker players find their way onto online forums every day and a decent percentage of them just jump right in without thinking that there may be a right way and a wrong way to go about things.  So, first thing’s first.  Before you ask for advice on a particular hand or situation, explore the forum with the search function.  You are almost certainly not the first person to ask whatever you have to ask, so you can save yourself and others time by reading past discussions.  On top of that, you can avoid the embarrassment of people possibly scolding you for not searching first as they present you with links to a few existing threads about your exact topic.

Once you determine that your issue is worth posting, you need to present the poker community with complete information.  The first thing everyone sees is your subject line, so make it descriptive.  Subjects like “Help” or “River Trouble” just don’t cut it.  Give readers a one-line summary of your post in the subject line so that the people who are truly interested in helping will read your message.

Something like “10NL – flop TPTK in MP and 2 LAGs bet” is perfect.  Here, you’ve given everyone the stakes you are playing so that they have a general idea of the skill level of the table, your position, hand strength, and dilemma.  That’s plenty of information to get people’s minds churning before they even read your post.  Those who have advice will read it and those who can’t help won’t.

In the message itself, post the hand history so that everyone can see exactly how the hand went down.  This will also allow people to visualize the table and use other information such as stack sizes to formulate an answer.  Whenever possible, use a hand converter to make the hand history more readable – you can find them around the internet or the message board may have a converter available.  If you can’t do that, at least make sure you take the time to format it so it is easy to read.

One note, though: do not include portions of the hand that occur after your decision point, as you want the readers to put themselves in your shoes at the spot in the hand where you need advice.  If you reveal the results or what cards your opponents had, you will likely influence people’s feedback.

If you have any other information that may be of use, but is not obvious in the hand history, include it.  This could include your read on your opponent during the session, what you think your image has been, and if there have been any significant hands recently that may affect how your opponent is playing this one.  If you have statistics on your adversary from software such as PokerTracker, include those along with how many hands you have on them.  Essentially, the more complete a picture you can provide for everybody, the better advice you will receive.  But again, don’t include too much – just give the straight, unemotional facts up to the decision point in the hand.

After all is said and done, you will hopefully receive a slew of replies, some helpful, some not.  No matter what, perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give is to accept any criticism and advice people offer.  You are posting a question on a message board for a reason, so don’t get offended if some people don’t think you played the hand well or just generally have different opinions.  You aren’t looking for confirmation that you were right or your opponent was a fish; you are looking for advice.  Take what you are given, digest it, and use it to improve your game.

Poker Pro Dale Philip (Daleroxxu) Begins Tour of Cards

It is the dream of every poker player: travel the world, visit exotic locations, and play live and online. It is a dream that one of poker’s most notable bloggers and players, Dale “Daleroxxu” Philip, will begin in just a few short weeks.

Philip, a member of Team PokerStars Online, put his name on the map by winning the 2006 World Blogger Championship of Online Poker. Since that time, he has become a master of sit and gos and has been able to make a living off that very difficult discipline of poker. His desire to move away from the computer, however, has led him into an endeavor called the Tour of Cards, which will be sponsored in part by PokerStars.

The Tour of Cards will see Philip travel the world in 2011, visiting 52 different countries, one each week of the year. While he travels, he will try his hand at live poker and also maintain a grueling online playing schedule. Philip will also be blogging about the trip on a dedicated Tour of Cards website, allowing the poker world to monitor his status.

Poker News Daily caught up with Philip as he was making the final preparations for his trip, which begins just before the New Year.

Poker News Daily: For those who aren’t familiar with you, tell us about yourself.

Dale Philip: I grew up in a council estate – what Americans would call the “housing projects” – in a small town in Scotland. It wasn’t particularly nice and my parents were poor and sometimes unemployed, so we only ever went on one overseas vacation when I was a kid.

I moved to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, to work, but quit my job to play poker full-time in 2008 and just stayed there. I didn’t know a lot of people in the city and had an infinite amount of free time to grind poker, so that’s what I did when I could pry myself from the XBox 360!

I’ve always been a sit and go player and crushed them on every site I’ve played them on for a consistent profit. But because this was such a profitable, almost guaranteed, income for me, I never played MTTs or ring games seriously; I just stuck to printing money playing sit and gs. But sit and gos are drying up a lot now that everyone knows how to play them, so I’m starting to play some Pot Limit Omaha online and live MTTs. This has actually made poker fun and interesting for me again when it was starting to become somewhat of a dull grind.

PND: Was that the idea behind the Tour of Cards or was there something else that drove you to do it?

Dale Philip: One day, I was thinking to myself how lucky I am to have a career that allows me the flexibility to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. Then, I realized how little I take advantage of that freedom. I spend most of my time sitting at a computer in the same boring room in the same old city playing online poker. I thought to myself that I could just as easily be sitting on a laptop in some exotic location doing my job, so what the hell am I still doing here?

I started to research different countries that I might like to relocate to, at least for a year, and the more I learned about other places, the more I wanted to visit all of them. Then, this epic idea came into my head: I’ll visit 52 countries in 52 weeks, play a ton of online and live poker, do a lot of cool stuff, blog the whole adventure, and call it the Tour of Cards.

PND: What sponsorships have you set up to be able to partake in this adventure?

Dale Philip: I recently signed with PokerStars. My sponsorship with PokerStars was announced after I had announced my Tour of Cards project; however, PokerStars had approached me before I had even thought up this project. When I told them about my plans, they loved the idea and gave me a very attractive offer based on that. It’s truly awesome to have the support of the world’s largest and best online poker site; they really understand what I want to achieve.

PND: What are your goals for the Tour of Cards?

Dale Philip: I have so many goals for Tour of Cards. I want to promote poker and the poker lifestyle to people across the world. I want to see and experience a bunch of awesome stuff, meet interesting people, make new friends (and girlfriends), and learn about different cultures. But, of course, my main goal for the project is just to have a bunch of fun because if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.

PND: What are the logistics of planning a trip such as the Tour of Cards?

Dale Philip: Although this whole thing is a logistical nightmare and it’s been taking up a lot of my time lately, I’m getting a lot of enjoyment out of planning and making this project happen. I’ve been trying my best to plan the order of countries I visit in a way such that the next country I go to is very close to and has a direct flight from the country I’m leaving in order to make journeys short and inexpensive. However, there are certain poker festivals I want to attend such as the Aussie Millions, PokerStars Macau Cup, and PokerStars EPT Snowfest, so making sure I get to them has made the planning much more complicated.

I’m happy to say that all of my flights for the first three months have been planned, booked, and paid for. The next thing that I have to do is organize accommodations in each location. That’s perhaps tougher than organizing flights because I have to research each location to figure out where the best place to stay is. I really don’t want to be spending a week in a hotel that sucks or is in a terrible location. It’s also usually cheaper to book hotel rooms at the last minute using an online bidding site such as Priceline. That is the opposite of flights, which are cheaper the earlier you book them.

PND: The first three months of your schedule have you in the Asian Rim. Tell us about what you’re expecting there?

Dale Philip: I’m especially looking forward to visiting the Asian countries on my tour, not just because I find Asian chicks extremely hot, but also because their culture is so much different than ours in the Western world. It’s a part of the world, being so far away, that I’ve never visited, so I can’t wait to get there, check it out, and eat their delicious food. Playing live poker in Asia should make for a fun and interesting experience, as poker is really starting to boom there now, especially in Macau. I’m expecting the games to be very lively and fun.

PND: What difficulties could you encounter during the Tour of Cards?

Dale Philip: A guaranteed way to get yourself held up at any country’s immigration border is to tell them that you are a professional poker player, so I’m generally creative with the truth when they ask, “What do you do back home?” It just makes life a lot easier. In general, it’s easy to travel to other countries for U.K. nationals. The only country on my list so far that U.K. nationals can’t enter visa-free or with visa-on-arrival is Vietnam; it has to be arranged in advance of traveling there.

Not all countries will have legal brick-and-mortar casinos or poker rooms, so I’m never going to be able to play a live poker game in all 52 countries. Thankfully, with a laptop and a PokerStars account, I’m always within instant reach of a game wherever I am. I just have to hope that the internet connection of most countries will be fast and stable enough, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask for in 2011, is it?

There is also the fact that, in certain countries, governments have total control over their citizens’ internet access and block all online poker sites. Most of these countries, where online gambling is illegal, are blocking poker sites because the morons in power don’t know the difference between poker – a game of skill – and gambling. But, if PokerStars has no problem with me playing from a specific country and I am able to access the site, directly or otherwise, then I will play. It is likely that I will use a reliable VPN service to bypass restrictions where necessary so I can play poker when I can’t access the site directly.

PND: What hardships outside of poker might you run into during your yearlong journey?

Dale Philip: Language could certainly be a huge obstacle in some countries, as English is the only language that I speak, and I speak it with a Scottish accent. The closest I come to knowing another language is a tiny bit of Russian due to having a couple of Russian girlfriends in the past, but that’s not going to get me far in somewhere like Japan. I guess I will just have to get really good at acting out charades or get a translator app for my phone and just try to remind myself that although foreign languages make life difficult as a traveler, it’s also part of what makes the culture in these places so different.

In addition to having their own languages, countries also, annoyingly, have their own currencies. Changing physical cash at airports and banks would get quite time-consuming and expensive, as they always advertise “Commission Free” and then use their own rigged exchange rate that’s a mile away from the wholesale rate. But, I’ve already got my hands on a prepaid global currency MasterCard with a U.K. bank where I can load it up with Sterling and use it to purchase goods or withdraw from ATMs in any country without getting screwed over on the exchange rate. I’ve tried it out in the USA and Ireland so far and it’s been awesome. Another advantage is that if it gets stolen, it’s replaceable, not gone for good like a pile of money would be.

I reckon the chance that I can go on 52 plane journeys and have them not lose my baggage or cancel/delay my flights to the point of seriously disrupting my plans is quite low. I’ll just have to deal with that nonsense when it happens. I will also look at alternatives to flying between countries accessible by other means. For example, I had booked an ultra cheap one-hour flight from Malaysia to Singapore, but then someone told me that there is a five-hour train journey on a very comfortable modern train with a lot of jungle scenery, lots of little towns, kids waving at the train, etc., which is a really good way to see the country.

PND: How much of an estimated expenditure are you looking at? Will what you win along your journey help finance the trip?

Dale Philip: I’ll certainly want to make more money from poker in 2011 than I spend on this project, but I’m well equipped with comfortable poker and life bankrolls, so if I go on some outrageous downswing or can’t get enough hours of online play in due to poor internet connections, it won’t be a huge disaster.

I originally figured the flights and accommodation would cost around $100,000. I realize I could do it cheaper, but I just don’t stay in bad hotels. Then, there are the expenses of eating out or ordering room service for every single meal and going on tours or doing cool stuff that isn’t cheap.

I’m revising the costs downward a bit after having been offered to stay with some poker players I know from other countries. I’ll be staying with Joel Carr, who is a PokerStars Supernova, in his Thailand villa for a week in February. “Peru,” who people may know from the TwoPlusTwo forums, has offered to let me use his house in Peru as a base to travel to countries in South America.

I’ll also be doing about five weeks of my journey with U.K. poker pro Simon “Amatay” Jones, so we’ll split hotel room costs. In addition to saving money, it’s also great to be able to spend time with other interesting poker pros either in their homes or traveling around with them, which should make my experience and my blogs more interesting too.

The Tour of Cards should prove to be an interesting journey! Visit PokerStars to play with Philip and others.

Sunday Million final table dominated by massive chip leader

A tournament is never decided before the final table, but when one player arrives around the table of nine with almost half of the 80m chips in play then you know he’s got a decent shot even if he doesn’t have the handreading skills of Daniel Negreanu.

2011 London Affiliate Conference Schedule Set

Earlier this month, iGaming Business (iGB) announced the official schedule of events for the 2011 London Affiliate Conference.  Like the installment, which drew over 2,200 people, the 2011 conference will be held at Old Billingsgate, located on the north bank of the Thames.

Formerly called CAP Euro, the London Affiliate Conference will run from January 27th to January 30th and feature a number of seminars to help online gaming affiliates improve their businesses.  One of the most anticipated conferences will be on Saturday morning, when the leadership of OLBG.co.uk, one of the United Kingdom’s largest and most successful sportsbook affiliates, will host “Case Study: OLBG Reveal Their Top Tips for Sportsbook Affiliates.”

“We’ve been around the block a few times and want to share our findings with other affiliates and the industry in general, said Sinead Lambert, OLBG’s Online Marketing Manager.  “The industry has changed a lot over the years and entering the marketplace now is very difficult.  We wanted to help out new and existing affiliates by giving them some tips on what has worked for us over the years and what hasn’t.”

Lambert will be joined by OLBG’s Operations Manager Richard Moffat as the two help fellow affiliates learn strategies for attracting the right kind of traffic to their sites, strengthen relationships with online bookmakers, and share what has worked for OLBG in the past.

Kiera Goymour, Event Manager for iGB, commented in a press release, “We are always looking for ways to make the conference program more relevant for today’s audience and giving affiliates an opportunity to voice their concerns and experiences made sense.”  She added, “The majority of our delegates are skilled online marketers and we want to give them the tools to push their sites a step further.”

Friday’s morning conferences will include a discussion of new regulatory challenges and an introduction to advertising on Facebook.  Four conferences will be held in the afternoon with such topics as payment solutions in Latin America, online communities, valuing domain names, and a roundtable discussion on general affiliate issues.

The schedule on Saturday will be similar, except that there will be one additional conference in the afternoon.  In addition to the OLBG conference, most of the discussion will focus on search engine optimization.

A yet to be announced keynote presentation will be given at 11:45 Friday morning.  There will also be an exhibition hall open most of the day on Friday and Saturday and delegates will be able to attend parties on both nights.

Thursday is primarily a registration and welcome day, but there will be one significant highlight, the black tie iGB Affiliate Awards.  PokerStars was one of the big winners last year, taking home the Best Poker Affiliate Program, Best iGaming Poker Software, and Best Overall Affiliate Manager awards.  Microgaming has won the Best iGaming Casino Software award the last two years and claimed the Best iGaming Software for Affiliates title in 2008.

The London Affiliate Conference is free for any affiliate to attend.  Those who wish to attend, but are not in the affiliate business, can do so for £499 plus 17.5% in taxes for a total of £586.33.  The iGB Affiliate Awards ceremony is not included in the price of admission and runs £250 plus tax (£293.75 total) per person for non-affiliates.

Non-affiliates can also reserve a table for up to ten people for £2,000 plus tax (£2,350 total).  Affiliates receive a discount on awards ceremony tickets, but may only book three seats.  A ticket for affiliates runs £99 plus tax for a total of £116.33.

Dan Harrington Hall of Fame Speech

Dan Harrington‘s speech inducting him into the Poker Hall of Fame is seen here in its entirety. Harrington was elected to this year’s group of entrants which also included Erik Seidel. He is best known for both winning the 1995 World Series of Poker Main Event as well as the many poker strategy books he has authored.

Harrington has a resume that made it nearly impossible for the voting committee to bypass this year. He has performed at a high level against top competition, proved by his two World Series of Poker bracelets and one win at the World Poker Tour. According to various sources he has profited $6.6 million in just live tournament earnings, which does not take into account money won while playing cash games.

On the other side of the felt, Harrington has made a solid and lasting contribution to the industry of poker in the form of his many strategy books. The “Harrington on Hold’em” series is one that most tournament players first got their start with and the series is pointed to as being one of the top two poker strategy books ever made, with the other being Doyle Brunson‘s “Super/System”. Harrington has authored three books on tournament poker and two books on cash game poker, all of which have sold extremely well in stores and online.

Harrington was humbled by his induction and spoke about him being voted in, “The public nominated ten people and I was fortunate to be one of the inductees. The others that were not inducted, I know them, they are all very skilled people… they will be joining us in the next few years.” He summed up his speech by saying, “Thirty years ago at a backgammon tournament, I played next to a young man. We became friends after that engagement and I’ve known him for years. I played against him at the Mayfair Club and at competitions throughout the world. He is going to be inducted with me tonight, Erik Seidel, and that makes it an especially sweet occasion for me.”

Poker Industry Buzzing About Isildur1 Signing with PokerStars

Yesterday, PokerStars took the unexpected step of signing the online enigma Isildur1.  The Swede gained fame by multi-tabling against the world’s best players including Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and Tom “durrrr” Dwan.

The signing is atypical for PokerStars, which usually aims to ink established pros who have had a ton of television face time.  This time around, they’ve gone with a player without an identity who has yet to play on television.

As part of his sponsorship deal, Isildur1 will be taking part in high-stakes heads-up SuperStar Showdown matches exclusively played at PokerStars.  These matches are feature a format of 2,500 hands at stakes no lower than $50/$100.  The official word from PokerStars is that these SuperStar Showdown matches will be played either as No Limit Hold’em or Pot Limit Omaha.

Poker News Daily polled a number of big names in the world of poker and asked for their impressions of the Isildur1 signing.

Taylor “Green Plastic” Caby, Founder of CardRunners: “I’m definitely excited to see Isildur1 back in the spotlight. As a poker fan, I’ve enjoyed watching him play and I’ll be on the rail when he starts playing again.”

Brian “BW07507” Wilbur, instructor at LeggoPoker: “I am really glad to see that Isildur1 will be playing again. I think he is great for poker and look forward to watch some of his matches with other high-stakes PokerStars players.”

“Verneer,” coach at CardRunners: “I am surprised to hear that Isildur1 signed with PokerStars since most of the elite heads-up players are all on Full Tilt.  That said, I’m excited that we’ll be seeing more of the biggest high-stakes game catalyst online on a regular basis.”

Dusty “Leatherass9” Schmidt, member of Team PokerStars Pro Online: “It looks like the high-stakes action will be heating up on PokerStars! I can’t wait to sweat what will surely be some epic high-stakes matches.”

Jay Rosenkrantz, founder of DeucesCracked: “Seems like a good move for PokerStars, creating a bit of a distraction too amidst all these legislative happenings.  Watching Isildur1 play nosebleeds was better entertainment than anything on television and if they can create that kind of spectacle again, I’m sure it will be a good thing for their business and for poker.  The SuperStar Showdown matches seem really gimmicky.  What grabbed people’s attention was the mass multi-tabling against Dwan, Ivey, Antonius, and the like, so they need to deliver something on that level.  Otherwise, it’s just another new addition to Stars’ ever-growing young squad of pros.”

John “JimmyLegs” Wray, CardRunners coach: “It seems odd that they’d want him representing PokerStars considering their squeaky clean image and the ongoing battle to convince the world that poker is a legitimate game of skill.  As fun as he is to watch, Isildur1 comes across as a turbo-bonkers degenerate gambler.”

Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, high-stakes tournament pro: “Reading his signing in the headlines caught me by surprise because we are so used to seeing people get signed after making their name and face known on television.  With that said, the mystery behind Isildur1 and his uniqueness is a great thing to market and will create a great buzz for online poker.”

The SuperStar Showdown promotion page is up on the PokerStars website and states that the winner is the one who shows a profit after 2,500 hands or wins all of their opponent’s match bankroll.  Anyone can challenge Isildur1 to a match, assuming they have the bankroll, by sending in an e-mail.  The matches will be seen inside the cash game lobby under “Hold’em,” “No Limit/Pot Limit,” and “Showdown.”

The first match Isildur1 will have will take place on December 19th at 6:00pm ET against a challenger that has yet to be announced.  According to PokerTableRatings.com, which tracks No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha games, Isildur1 is down $2.59 million since the site began following him.  He was also the first person ever to lose a seven-figure pot, but also won a $1.1 million pot against Ivey just two days later.

Although he is down over $2.59 million lifetime, he is up $2.4 million playing No Limit Hold’em cash games.  Isildur1’s identity remains confidential, with many believing that his true identity is Viktor Blom.  His last session of note was back on October 6th, when he lost about $50,000.

Nolan Dalla Hall of Fame Speech

Nolan Dalla introduces Poker Hall of Fame entrant Dan Harrington, as captured by our cameras from the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event in November. This speech was given during the Hall of Fame ceremonies which took place just prior to the Final Table of the Main Event playing out. Each of the two elected members of the Poker Hall of Fame 2010 class were introduced by a speech, as Erik Seidel was introduced by a representative of the player voting committee, which was Doyle Brunson. For Dan Harrington’s introduction speech, a representative member of the media voting committee delivered the speech, as given here by Nolan Dalla.

Dalla is a poker media icon who regularly works and writes updates for the World Series of Poker’s WSOP.com website. He co-authored one of the most applauded books in poker history in “One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey ‘the Kid’ Ungar, the World’s Greatest Poker Player” which was published by Atria Books back in 2005 and has been optioned for a movie by Warner Brother Studios.

In his speech, he talked about not just how much Dan Harrington is appreciated for his skills at the poker table, but for his contributions off the felt as well. Dalla said, “By giving something back, I mean making the game better by being involved in it. Poker is a better game and there is undoubtedly many more great players because of Dan’s extraordinary contributions to strategy in the form of books called ‘Harrington on Hold’em’ as many of you probably have them. So with all due respect to Doyle, who is also up here, these works have been universally acclaimed as the best contribution to poker in the last 20 years.”

Dan Harrington, now a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, has two World Series of Poker Bracelets to his credit, including the 1995 $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event title. He also won a World Poker Tour title and has in excess of $6,600,000 in lifetime live tournament earnings.

Return tomorrow for Dan Harrington’s speech.

Angle Shooting: Why All the Fuss?

One reason I like poker is its uniqueness compared to other sports and games. Its perfect mix of skill and luck combined with the unending variety of people you encounter at the tables make it a lot of fun. One unique aspect of the game that I am not as fond of, however, is angle shooting.

For those new to poker, angle shooting is doing something during a poker game that is not technically against the rules, but is nonetheless considered unethical. It is pushing the limits of the rules while not crossing the line of illegality to the point where the person doing it is generally perceived to be pretty scummy or disrespectful.

For example, a player might purposely act out of turn in order to influence the actions of his opponents. Perhaps a player wants to see the flop for free or cheap. He might, before it’s his turn to act pre-flop, throw out a raise. He then takes it back after “realizing” that it wasn’t his turn yet, but now the players ahead of him might be scared to bet, thinking he will raise. When it checks to him, however, he just goes ahead and checks behind.

In another instance, someone with a strong hand on the river might pretend to accidentally toss the wrong denomination chip into the pot, supposedly making his bet much higher than intended. Since he can’t take it back, he acts like he is upset about betting too much, which then induces his opponent to call since they think they have him beat. Neither of those instances of angle shooting is illegal, but nobody is going to like someone who is perceived to have made those moves intentionally.

I find angle shooting interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it is, for the most part, unique to poker. In other sports, there isn’t usually a gray area between legality and illegality. Either something is against the rules or it isn’t. Now, sometimes players get away with breaking the rules, like when Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry would throw his famous spitball without getting caught, but getting away with it doesn’t mean it isn’t illegal.

The closest thing I can think of to angle shooting in other sports is in basketball when a defender flops in the hopes of drawing a charging foul. It’s not against the rules to flop and it sometimes works, but most fans think it’s a pretty bush league move. Similarly, you will often see a jump shooter throw his legs forward, towards his defender, and then fall backwards to make it look like he was fouled. Again, not against the rules, but fans don’t like this sort of thing. But still, neither of these examples is a true angle shot. Basketball players can flop, dive, and dance a jig as much as they want – it’s up to the refs to see a foul.

The other reason angle shooting is interesting to me is that it evokes such strong emotional responses from people. I would say the majority of poker players simply despise angle shooters. Many fans thought Perry’s efforts to get away with a spitball were amusing. In fact, his Hall of Fame plaque alludes to this with the sentence, “Playing mind games with hitters through an array of rituals on the mound was part of his arsenal.” But angle shoot in poker and you are generally considering a sleaze.

Why is that, though? I’m not saying that attitude is wrong; I can’t stand angle shooters. But I find it odd that I, along with the majority of poker players, so strongly condemn players for trying to gain a competitive edge within the confines of the rules. It seems to me that the biggest reason for this is money. We play poker to win money and when someone pulls a shady stunt to try to take our money, we get upset. Most of us just want to play poker and have enough to think about over the course of a game without having to worry about someone angle shooting us.

Piggybacking on that point, a single hand, especially in a tournament, can make a big difference in the course of the game. If I get angle shot out of a good chunk of chips and therefore hurt my chances to advance in a tournament, I will not be a happy camper. In other sports, a single sketchy play, while not appreciated, isn’t generally going to affect a player’s financial well-being. Sure, it hurt a hitter’s stats to strike out on a spitter, but it’s just one at-bat of many in his career and shouldn’t hurt him in contract negotiations.

Finally, in poker, we’re on our own. If we fall victim to an angle shot, that’s it. In team sports, we still have teammates who will have our backs. If I strike out on a spit ball, the next guy can pick me up by hitting one out of the park. My pitcher can silence the opposition’s bats. My coach can get on the refs about the power forward flopping or my teammate can block the guy’s next shot and turn it into a fast break dunk on the other end.

At the poker table, it’s every man for himself. We were all taught to play nice and when someone doesn’t, it hurts.

What Makes a Poker Hall of Famer?

In November, Erik Seidel and Dan Harrington were enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame. In the weeks leading up to the announcement of their selection, opinion after opinion was given as to why certain players should be honored and certain others should not. What was interesting to me about all of the arguments was that the reasons for and against players varied so wildly. But why is this?

The Poker Hall of Fame is a much different animal than other sports’ Halls of Fames, namely because the criteria for enshrinement are so much more vague and subjective. Let’s look at the Poker Hall of Fame’s criteria:

• A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition

• Played for high-stakes

• Played consistently well, gaining the respect of peers

• Stood the test of time

•  Or, for non-players, contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results.

Now, compare that to the criteria for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

• A baseball player must have been active as a player in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning 20 years before and ending five years prior to election.

• Player must have played in each 10 Major League championship seasons.

• Player shall have ceased to be an active player in the Major Leagues at least five calendar years preceding the election, but may be otherwise connected with baseball.

Right away, we can see some obvious differences. Poker Hall of Famers must have stood the “test of time.” What does that mean? Most people already consider Phil Ivey one of the best poker players to have ever lived, yet he only started playing in the late 1990s. Is 10+ years enough if you are that good? Why will another 10 or 20 years make Ivey more qualified? Baseball, on the other hand, clearly defines its longevity requirements.

In poker, while I think we all have some sort of idea of what “top competition” is, it is still a nebulous concept. Baseball has an obvious top level, the Major Leagues.

Beyond that, though, the toughest thing about determining who deserves to be in the Poker Hall of Fame versus other sports is evaluating performance. Baseball, basketball, football, and other sports have scads of statistics with which we can compare players. We can look at a hitter’s on base percentage and home run totals, we can easily compare one pitcher’s strikeout numbers and earned run average to another’s. Sure, there are debates every year about who is deserving and who is not, but there are concrete, black and white figures to study.

In poker, it is not as easy. The only real solid historical data we have is for land-based tournaments. We all know, however, that there is more to poker than brick and mortar tournaments. While tournaments get all of the attention because of the excitement, prestige, and television coverage, most professional players make their living in cash games. There are no records of live cash game results – the only evidence we have of who the winning players are is the testimony of other players. Online, there are sites that track internet results, but their data is incomplete and, considering their controversial standing in the industry, it isn’t even a certainty that they will be around in the long-term.

And speaking of online, there is an entire generation of internet players making names for themselves now. They are able to play many more hands and many more tournaments in a short period of time than players were able to 20 years ago, so should we redefine the already ambiguous “test of time” for them? What if a player decides to eschew live games entirely and puts together an impressive record of online tournament finishes and/or cash game winnings? Would the old guard consider him a potential Hall of Famer?

Consider, as well, that it is generally much more difficult to win a tournament nowadays than it was even as recently as the beginning of this century because the fields are so much bigger. Remember, the legendary Doyle Brunson only had to defeat a combined 54 opponents in his back-to-back WSOP wins.

The difficulty in objectively evaluating Poker Hall of Fame candidates means that voters often need to use subjective criteria to make their determinations, hence the “contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker” phrase, although I feel that applies to players and non-players alike.

Look at Mike Sexton, for example. While he has been a big name on the poker scene for decades, he only has one WSOP bracelet, is only 206th on the all-time WSOP money list, and only 90th on the all-time overall money list (69th when adjusting for inflation). Those are nothing to sneeze at, but his tournament results don’t scream Hall of Famer. But it’s Sexton’s role in popularizing the game of poker as both the face of the World Poker Tour and PartyPoker that likely earned him his well-deserved spot in the Hall of Fame last year. There’s a reason he is called the “Ambassador of Poker.”

Even one of this year’s inductees, Dan Harrington, might not necessarily be considered a lock if we just looked at his documented tournament results. Yes, he has a few very significant accomplishments. He has a WSOP Main Event championship, accomplished what may be the most impressive feat in WSOP history when he placed third and fourth against large fields in 2003 and 2004, has one other WSOP bracelet, and won a WPT championship in 2007. All great, but for a guy that’s older than many current poker stars‘ grandparents, his significant tournament results are relatively few.

And in recent years, apart from the 2007 WPT title, he’s been almost non-existent. Harrington is without a doubt a fantastic player and has had a tremendous career, but again, does his record make him a Hall of Fame lock? It’s debatable. But when you factor in that he wrote some of the most influential poker books of all time, helping develop the skills of subsequent generations of players, his place in the poker pantheon is cemented.

And again, remember that we don’t have records of how well these guys have done in cash games, so like the actual game of poker, evaluating a player for the Hall of Fame is a task with incomplete information. But I guess that’s all part of the fun, right?

Phil Hellmuth to Host Charity Poker Tournament Benefiting HospiceCare

Eleven-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will be lending his star power to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. when he hosts the Phil Hellmuth Hold’em with HospiceCare charity poker tournament in December.

The tournament will take place in Hellmuth’s hometown of Madison, Wisconsin in the penthouse of the Arbor Gate complex on December 18th from 3:00pm to Midnight. Hellmuth will be playing in the tournament and prizes will be raffled off during the evening to benefit HospiceCare, Inc. These include a seat in the 2011 WSOP Main Event and a two-year lease on a 2011 Honda Accord LX.

For those who want to participate in the festivities, there are several ticket options available. The $500 ticket will allow the buyer to enjoy the day fully, participate in the poker tournament, and have special access to a VIP room where Hellmuth and other celebrities will be mingling. A $300 ticket includes food, drinks, and a seat in the tournament.

Finally, a $100 ticket will allow people to get into the event, albeit not play in the tournament. All of the proceeds will benefit patients and families served by HospiceCare Inc., a nonprofit hospice caring for more than 630 patients a day in Wisconsin.

Over 500 players are expected for the tournament, with many of the competitors coming from all around the Midwest. If the players in the tournament are skilled enough to make the final table, there will be an additional treat waiting for them. The members of the final table of the tournament will have the privilege of having Hellmuth as one of their opponents and will face the arduous task of trying to take down the former World Champion.

Several sponsors have lined up to join Hellmuth at his charity tournament, including UB.com. Others companies that will be a part of the tournament’s festivities include Adams Outdoor Advertising, Bonfyre American Grille, Clear Channel Radio, Coors Light, McDonalds, Miller Lite, and Zimbrick Honda, which is putting up the Accord.

Despite his reputation in the game as the “Poker Brat,” Hellmuth is one of the most ardent supporters of using poker for charitable means. In the past, Hellmuth has been a supporter of several causes and used his poker celebrity status to bring attention to various organizations.

A cause that has been very important to Hellmuth is the law enforcement community. He has hosted several tournaments in Las Vegas that have benefited the TASER Foundation, an organization that helps the families of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Hellmuth has also been involved in charitable events for such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and Heifer International, a charity dedicated to relieving global hunger and poverty.

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure to Host Fish and Chips Showdown

A unique event has been added to the schedule of the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The Fish and Chips Showdown will test players’ skills in fishing and poker over the course of two days, all in the picturesque setting of the Bahamas.

January 6th marks Day 1 of the event, which begins at 7:00am local time with the fishing portion. The weigh-in will take place six-and-a-half hours later and the poker tournament follows. The final table of the poker portion will occur on January 7th at 13:00, with a party taking place at 21:00 that night that includes the trophy presentation.

The hybrid fishing and poker tournament comes with a $2,300 buy-in, which is divvied up into three different prize pools. $400 will go to the fishing portion, while $900 will be allocated to the poker tournament. The final $1,000 will go towards paying off the event’s overall winner. PokerStars is dishing out $3,425 packages online, which include three nights at the Atlantis Resort along with the $2,300 price tag for the Fish and Chips spectacular.

Here’s a breakdown of the event as given in a press release sent by PokerStars: “Players will set out fishing within a 50-mile radius of the Paradise Island Marina, with all boats sailing out and returning for weigh-in at the same time. The challenge then resumes at the poker tables with players battling for the poker share of the Fish and Chips Showdown. The overall champion will be determined by a ratio of one-third fishing, two-thirds poker.” Even in a combination event, poker reigns supreme.

Now, let’s review some of the ground rules. Players are responsible for providing their own bait, whether dead or alive. Up to six rods and four teasers can be employed to catch as many fish as possible and sailfish, marlin, dorado, yellow fin tuna, and wahoo are all acceptable species of fish to catch. IFGA rules will be in effect throughout the event. Participants are encouraged to check out PokerStars’ website, where a lengthy discussion of the fishing contest’s rules can be found.

Among those participating in the PokerStars Fish and Chips Showdown is 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker, who commented in the same press release, “I jumped at the chance to play such an unusual and unique event. Most poker tournaments take place indoors, which is fine, but I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy paradise than to go fishing on the Caribbean Sea and follow that with poker action at the tables.” Moneymaker edged out Sammy Farha seven years ago in the Main Event, igniting the modern poker boom.

Also starting on January 6th as part of the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is a No Limit Hold’em Super High Roller event that will be filmed for television. The tournament has a colossal $100,000 buy-in and will crown a champion the next day. The Fish and Chips Showdown and Super High Roller events will serve as run-ups to the Main Event of the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, which kicks off on January 8th with the first of two starting days. A winner will be determined on January 14th.

You can buy into a number of PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournaments through the PokerStars client. Just click on “Events” and “PCA” and then start registering. PokerStars is the world’s largest online poker site and happily accepts action from USA players.

Maria Ho Signs with UB.com

Maria Ho, the last woman standing in the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, has joined UB.com. The 27 year-old becomes the newest face of the CEREUS Network site, which recently saw the departures of Billy “Patrolman25” Kopp, Matt “mattg1983” Graham, and Michael Binger.

Ho was elated to be joining Team UB, whose roster of pros includes 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and reigning National Heads-Up Poker Championship victor Annie Duke. She told Poker News Daily, “To be a part of Team UB, which boasts a well-respected roster of pros that have achieved so much and stood the test of time in the game such as Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke, as well as newer pros to the scene that have incredible success and talent such as Eric Baldwin and Adam Levy, is something I am proud of.”

The site has undergone a wealth of changes ever since the Russ Hamilton-led cheating scandal rocked it several years ago. Now, Ultimate Bet has been re-branded as UB.com and currently resides on a new URL. Ho explained, “I am excited about the new vision and direction of UB, especially with the guidance and input of Joe Sebok, who has his finger on the pulse of the poker community at all times.” Sebok has served as the main liaison with players in the aftermath of the scandal while the process of reimbursing patrons and combing through hand histories has occurred.

Ho also told Poker News Daily that she brings unique talents to the table: “I believe that I can bring a fresh and unique dynamic to the team by reaching out to an untapped demographic by writing strategy articles and posting videos in both English and my native language of Mandarin Chinese. I also feel as though my experiences primarily as a live high-stakes cash game player will bring a different perspective to a lesser known part of the poker world that interests people.” Ho originally hails from Taiwan and moved to Los Angeles with her family at age four. She is renown for her Limit poker skills.

Ho gained mainstream exposure through the CBS reality series “Amazing Race” during its 15th cycle. She paired with fellow UB pro and close friend Tiffany Michelle on the series and finished in sixth place. In the team’s final leg, Michelle and Ho were unable to conquer a carnival high striker in the Netherlands and comprised the last all-female team remaining. On her friendship with Michelle, Ho told Poker News Daily, “I get to be on a team with one of my closest friends in poker and life, Tiffany Michelle, which is just another reason among many why I am excited about joining Team UB.”

In addition to the Emmy Award-winning “Amazing Race,” Ho has appeared on television shows like “American Idol” and “Anderson Cooper 360.” Appropriately, she holds a degree from the University of California, San Diego in Communications.

Ho’s first live event as a sponsored pro of UB.com was at this weekend’s PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Los Angeles stop. Ho played on Day 1B on Saturday and, as of late Saturday night, was nursing one of the short stacks in the room at 9,500. Ho’s table draw certainly hasn’t helped her case, as her company on Saturday included Faraz “The-Toilet” Jaka, Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron, and Nacho Barbero.

Besides her deep run in the WSOP Main Event three years ago, Ho’s poker resume includes a tenth place finish in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bellagio Cup in July and five in the money finishes in WSOP events over the last two years.

UB.com, along with its fellow CEREUS Network site Absolute Poker, happily accept players from the United States.

Gaming Revenue Totaled $80.5 Billion in 2009

A new report from consulting firm Richard K. Miller and Associates (RKMA) revealed that gross gaming revenue in the U.S. totaled $80.5 billion in 2009. The company’s “Casinos, Gaming, and Wagering 2010” report provided in-depth analysis regarding the amount of money retained by casinos, racetracks, lotteries, and other gaming hosts.

According to the report, approximately 70% of U.S. adults placed a wager of some type in 2009, with Americans wagering approximately $900 billion at casinos and racetracks, playing lottery games, and on other forms of legal betting like poker. The total did not include the estimated $100 billion to $300 billion wagered annually in the U.S. on sporting events and the more than $100 billion in estimated online bets.

Of the $80.5 billion in revenue, casinos earned the bulk of it, bringing in a total of $57.5 billion – $30.7 billion from land-based/riverboat casinos and “racinos,” and $26.8 billion from tribal casinos. Lotteries generated $17.9 billion, parimutuel wagering (thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound racing, and jai-alai) totaled $3.0 billion, card rooms (poker) were $1.1 billion, charitable bingo was $826 million, and sports books amounted to $136 million. American Gaming Association, National Indian Gaming Commission, International Gaming & Wagering Business, state gaming commissions, and state lotteries provided detailed information.

All but two states – Hawaii and Utah – allowed some form of wagering in 2009. Forty-one states allowed casinos in the U.S., as Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia do not have any operating casinos. Parimutuel wagering is also legal in 41 states. Meanwhile, 42 states, along with the District of Columbia, operated lotteries last year. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia were the only states to allow every form of gaming mentioned.

Each casino operation was broken down by state in the report with data provided by the Casino City’s Gaming Business Directory (Winter 2010 Edition), the American Gaming Association, state gaming commissions, and casino websites. The RKMA report presented a statistical review of the casino sector covering gaming establishments of all types: casino mega-resorts, casino-hotels, tribal casinos, riverboat casinos, “racinos,” card rooms, and bingo parlors. Emerging areas such as mobile wagering, server-based gaming, and skill-based gaming were also covered, as well as the latest trends in table games, slot machines, and sports betting.

The “Casinos, Gaming & Wagering” report has been published since 1997 and is considered to be the most comprehensive reference for current gaming and wagering statistics and historical data available from any source. According to RKMA, virtually all major casinos, racetracks, and lottery agencies use its annual handbook across the U.S., as well as dozens of libraries and regulatory agencies.

More information can be found by clicking here.

Russian Spy Anna Chapman To Release Poker Themed iPhone App

For those that don’t have enough to do with their iPhones, alleged Russian spy Anna Chapman is coming out with an application that will allow you to play poker against her.

In an article on DNAIndia.com and also reported by ABC, Chapman is said to be releasing a special iPhone app called Poker With Anna Chapman. The application, which will be listed for $1.99, will allow players to take on the “Russian Bond girl” in a single hand of poker, either Texas Hold’em or Five Card Draw. There are prizes offered if the player is able to vanquish the virtual Chapman in the hand.

For those who win, Chapman is offering special access to several aspects of her life. The victors will earn access to a special photo gallery of the redheaded Russian, which are reported to be similar to those she took for a spread in the Russian version of Maxim. The winners will also become Facebook friends of Chapman, where she will keep her followers up-to-date on her activities, and get access to a special online blog. The advertisements for the iPhone app state that Chapman will let people know “her secrets and private life details firsthand” and get “a glance at her social life with parties, shopping, and more.”

ABC News quotes Angela Waters, the marketing manager for Zeda, Inc. (the company offering the app) as saying, “The app appeared because Anna is a huge fan of Apple products. She has been using an iPhone and Mac for quite a while and has recently got an iPad too.” The company quietly did the photo shoot for the app since Chapman is not allowed to make any money regarding her alleged activities in the United States that resulted in her guilty plea.

Chapman began her 15 minutes of fame by being arrested earlier this year in the United States as a part of an alleged Russian spy ring. The 10-member group of Russians pled guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General and were deported back to Russia in an exchange for U.S. and allied operatives. While the other members of the group that was arrested have shied away from the spotlight since their deportation, Chapman has aggressively marketed herself to expand her notoriety and, perhaps most importantly, her bank account.

After being awarded a special medal for espionage services to the Russian cause, Chapman appeared in another photo spread for the Russian men’s magazine “Heat,” been followed by the Russian version of paparazzi as she hits the club scene, was on hand for the launch of a Russian space program rocket in Kazakhstan, and accepted an advisory position with a Moscow-based bank. The latest photo spread in the Russian Maxim and the iPhone poker application are just the latest moves by Chapman to strike while the iron is hot.

According to the Christian Science Monitor’s Fred Weir, Chapman has “made a mockery of the old KGB dictate that retired spies should fade away into anonymity, leaving nothing but a glorious public myth behind.” When it comes to the world of poker, however, Chapman is proving quite skillful at marketing her brand.

Chapman is said to be a skillful poker player, according to DNAIndia.com, so perhaps the move into the poker app world isn’t out of the ordinary. Chapman’s iPhone app joins other offerings from Apple including Annie Duke’s Poker Tutor, the World Series of Poker’s Hold’em Legends, and the World Poker Tour’s Texas Hold’em in a highly competitive field.

Jared Tendler Session Part 3

The conclusions of the mental poker coaching are revealed in this final Part 3 episode of the Jared Tendler Session.

If you missed it be sure to catch the previous editions of this series:

Jared Tendler Session Part 1
Jared Tendler Session Part 2

This video series is an exclusive insider look into a mental coaching session with well known instructor Jared Tendler, a licensed therapist. Tendler is best known for his work back at the now defunct Stox Poker (whose archive is at CardRunners.com), but fans of his (and for those of you in need of great mental coaching) you can now find him at DragTheBar.com.

This video series has Tendler working with our own Sean Gibson, who at the taping of this session had hit a serious wall in his poker career. He had lost confidence in his game and became unmotivated to play. Tendler worked his way through these issues in the previous editions of this series.

In this conclusion, Tendler gives Gibson some “mental homework” to take with him as he moves on and absorbs everything discussed during the session. One of the most important and fundamental concepts is brought to light, as Tendler explains that improving “when we are at our worst” is one of the most important skills that a poker player can possess.

If you want to learn more about Jared Tendler, feel free to visit his personal website at JaredTendlerPoker.com. He has listed more than a dozen testimonials on his site from players (and instructors) such as Dusty “Leatherass” Schmidt (Team PokerStars Pro Online and DragTheBar.com coach), Matt “mbolt1″ Bolt (DragTheBar.com Instructor) and many others. His sessions with students can be conducted in person, or if you are not able to meet him face to face, sessions can be done via Skype.

PokerNewsDaily.com would like to thank Jared Tendler for his time during the WSOP when this was filmed and for allowing us to exclusively show insight into one of his coaching sessions.

South Carolina Supreme Court Hearing Arguments In 2006 Poker Convictions

The South Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday regarding a 2006 case involving a home poker tournament. The discussion centers on whether the state’s gaming laws were violated and/or whether poker is a game of skill or chance.

The five justices sitting on the South Carolina Supreme Court - Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal and Associate Justices Costa Pleicones, Donald Beatty, John Kittredge, and Kaye Gorenflo Hearn – heard arguments from the state’s Assistant Attorney General, Sonny Jones, and from Billy Wilkins, who is representing five men convicted in 2006 of misdemeanor charges of illegal gambling.

During his statement, Jones admitted that “casual, in home poker games do not violate a state law against card or dice games.” Jones did contend, however, that organized games – such as the one the five men are accused of participating in – are illegal because they were advertised over the internet and money was taken from the prize pool for the host, thus making it a “house of gaming.”

“It is our position that this statute does not encompass the Friday night poker game or the penny ante poker game,” BusinessWeek.com quotes Jones during his statement. Chief Justice Toal responded to Jones’ assertion by saying, “I am surprised that you made that concession… that there are some forms of personal card playing in your home, among friends, that involve money, that are not gaming.”

Jones, who has brought the case to the Supreme Court in the attempt to overturn a circuit court decision from Judge Markley Dennis, said that the conviction of the five men should stand because “This was not a casual game.”

Wilkins took a two-pronged approach to persuade the Supreme Court that the circuit court decision should stand. First, Wilkins took the “skill versus luck” argument to task, comparing poker to another admitted skill game, bridge. “Playing Texas Hold’em is like bridge. It is not gaming because it is predominantly a game of skill.” In his circuit court decision, Judge Dennis ruled that Texas Hold’em is a game of skill and not chance and, as such, not governed by the state’s gaming laws.

For his second approach, Wilkins challenged the state’s assertion that the building that hosted the poker tournament was not a house of gaming. The building in use, according to Wilkins’ statement, was a residence and wasn’t transformed in any way into a gaming establishment. “I don’t think it would ever be a house of gaming,” Wilkins said.

The case in question dates back to April 2006, when law enforcement officials raided a private home in Mount Pleasant that they believed was operating an illegal poker game. Brandishing weapons and ski masks to obscure the identities of some of the undercover operatives, the officers interrupted a small tournament with 22 participants. All were issued citations for illegal gambling and authorities seized over $6,000 during the raid.

Players stated that the tournament had a small buy-in ($10) that only built a $220 prize pool. The players also contended that officers wrongly confiscated money that was in the pockets of players in addition to money that was found in other locations throughout the home.

Seventeen of the players pled guilty to the charge of illegal gaming and were issued small fines. Five, however, chose to challenge their citations. In the local court, the men were found guilty, but Judge Dennis’ circuit court decision overturned those convictions and set the stage for the current proceedings in front of the South Carolina Supreme Court.

The South Carolina legislature has attempted to amend their gaming laws – which date back to 1802 and make any game involving cards or dice illegal – several times since the 2006 case came to light, but different proposals for an amendment have fallen short. Chief Justice Toal took the state legislature to task for not addressing this issue, stating, “We’re stuck with a very old statute that doesn’t say one word about betting anything.”

The justices will not issue a decision overturning the circuit court or upholding that decision for several months.?

Is Poker a Game of Skill Debate in South Carolina

South Carolina debates if poker is a game of skill.

UB Running Perfect Play Promo for Low Stakes Players in October

This month, the CEREUS Network poker room UB.com is holding a number of tournaments and contests tailor-made for its low-stakes customers. All together, they have been dubbed the Perfect Play.

Perfect 10

All month, UB.com will hold $10 + $1 multi-table tournaments 10 times per day. They will commence once per hour, on the half hour, from 1:30pm ET to 10:30pm ET. Players will receive Tournament Leaderboard (TLB) points based on how they finish in each tournament, but there is a twist. UB.com will rank players based on their best 10-tournament block during the month. The first 10 tournaments a player competes in will count as the first block, tourneys 11 through 20 will count as the second, and so on. Only completed 10-tournament blocks will count. The number of TLB points received in a given tournament will equal the number of players beaten plus one.

At the end of the month, the top 50 players on the leaderboard will win a share of $60,000 in cash, starting with $7,500 for first place, $4,500 for second place, and $3,000 for third place, on down to $500 for 41st through 50th. The top 10 players will also receive UB hoodies.

In addition, the top five players each week will receive $1,000. Blocks will not be used, as these rankings will be based on players’ top five scores for the week.

Perfect 3

The Perfect 3 works exactly the same way as the Perfect 10, except for lower stakes. The tournaments in this contest will cost $3 + $0.30 and once again, the 10-tournament block format will apply.

The top three TLB finishers at the end of the month will receive $2,500, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively. Prizes go down to $200 for 41st through 50th places.

For the weekly competition, the top five ranked players will each earn $300.

Perfect Player Bonus

The Perfect Player Bonus combines the above two competitions into one, simple contest. In this one, the player with the most combined points on both the Perfect 10 and Perfect 3 leaderboards will win a healthy prize of $2,500.

Perfect Cash Games

Micro-stakes cash games players will earn double points all month. Specifically, No Limit and Pot Limit cash games up to and including $0.05/$0.10 count for the Perfect Cash Games promo, as do Fixed Limit cash games up to and including $0.10/$0.20. Heads-up tables do not count.

Perfect Sit and Gos

UB.com has added special $1.20 Sit and Go tournaments to the lobby for October. Players who win one of these single-table tournaments, labeled “Perfect Promo SnGs,” will be entered into a $5,000 freeroll. The freeroll will be held on November 6th at 3:00pm ET and is capped at 5,000 players.

In addition to the cheap Perfect Play promotions, keep in mind that UB.com is also holding a series of freerolls through November 28th in which one skilled and lucky player will win a $12,000 World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic prize package. Round 1 freerolls will run six times daily, with the top 100 finishers in each moving on to Round 2. The Round 2 freerolls are held every Sunday; the top 100 in those advance to the Main Event. It is in that Main Event, held on November 28th, that winner will be awarded the WPT prize package.

A Complete Poker Whirlwind by Bernard Lee

Since the World Series of Poker (WSOP) this summer, my life has been a complete whirlwind.  After I witnessed the entire five-hour Main Event final table bubble (which went well into the wee hours of July 18th), we taped the ESPN Inside Deal WSOP wrap-up show at about 8:00am with no sleep.  Fortunately, right after we wrapped filming of the show, I was able to take a nap until my flight and headed straight back to Boston.

Once I landed in the Bay State, I took about a month off from poker.  This breather allowed me to reacquaint myself with my wife and kids.  Immediately, I got back into the role of Mr. Mom, taking them to and from summer camp, going to playgrounds and parks, and, in general, having fun with my kids.  It was a blast.

However, the month seemed to fly by and poker came calling once again.  In mid-August, I helped promote Foxwoods Resort Casino’s summer MegaStack series.  For this, I was able to secure three poker superstars as hosts: Chris Moneymaker (2003 WSOP Main Event Champion), Darvin Moon (second place in 2009), and Jonathan Duhamel (2010 November Nine chip leader).

In fact, since Dennis Phillips attended the May MegaStack, Foxwoods has had all three November Nine chip leaders as hosts of these events along with another WSOP final table chip leader, Chris Moneymaker. Overall, the August MegaStack was a huge success, setting records for all three events.  In total, there were over 2,200 registrants and more than $1.1 million in prize money.

Shortly thereafter, I was off to the WSOP Circuit Event in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  After a couple of preliminary events, I prepared to play in the Main Event.  Strangely, I feel very comfortable in Council Bluffs.  This time, I proceeded to make my third Main Event final table in Council Bluffs in the past three years, making it almost my second poker home outside of Foxwoods.  Unfortunately, I came up a little short of the ultimate prize, finishing in 10th place among 251 players.

After a couple of weeks at home with the family, I headed down to Borgata in Atlantic City with my co-host Andy Kaplan for the Eastern Poker Tour television show (a New England-based pub tour that has been shown on Comcast Sports Net for the past three years).  Although I played a solid Day 1 and 2, I was agonizingly eliminated in about 140th place when my A-Q was bested by a set of 10s (with a flop of As-10s-4s).  With 100 players making the money, my demise did not sit well with me.  Fortunately, Kaplan carried the torch for both of us, finishing a very respectable 33rd place out of 1,042 registrants.  Nice job buddy!

Right after my elimination from the Borgata Main Event, I headed back home to pack for my first trip over “The Pond” to play in the WSOP Europe Main Event.  Having seen the event on television and having spoken with several players about it, I was very excited to play in this prestigious, yet tough, field of players.  Unfortunately, I never really got on track during Day 1 and was eliminated.  In back-to-back events, I was eliminated when my two high cards (this time A-K) ran into a set (this time 2s); now, the board was K-4-2.  Nevertheless, my wife joined me the day after I was knocked out of the WSOP Europe Main Event.  Soothing the pain of my elimination, my wife and I toured around London – our first trip without the kids in over five years.

Although I was very busy playing numerous events during the past few months, I never relinquished my hosting duties for my weekly radio show (which can be heard on RoundersRadio.com and via iTunes) or ESPN’s Inside Deal (which can be seen at ESPN.com/InsideDeal).  During both programs, I have been interviewing members of the 2010 November Nine.

For my radio show, I introduced a contest consisting of a prize pool of $1,000 in which nine lucky listeners are linked up with a member of the 2010 November Nine.  If a listener’s corresponding player wins the 2010 WSOP Main Event, he or she will win $500 in cash and prizes just for listening.  Remember, it’s not too late to become one of the Bernard Lee Poker Nine.  Just listen to my radio show every Tuesday night from 6:00pm to 7:00pm ET.

Now, one of the events that I look forward to the entire year has begun.  The Foxwoods World Poker Finals started on Monday, October 11th with a $600 No Limit Hold’em event and culminates with the $10,000 six-day Main Event that begins on October 28th.  This tournament was one of the charter members of the World Poker Tour nine years ago.  Overall, the World Poker Finals, which is rich in history, is still affordable to the masses, as 22 of the 27 events (over 80%) have buy-ins ranging from $300 to $600.  So, come and try your poker skill at the World Poker Finals.

In the end, some people have dubbed me the “Busiest man in poker.”  Whether I am or not is irrelevant.  What I can honestly say is that I am truly living a dream and absolutely love what I do.  The only major drawback is that I am away from the family so much.  However, in a couple of months, I’m taking everyone to the 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure at the Atlantis.  This event is one of my favorite stops of the year and the only one in which I bring my entire family.

However, there is still a lot of poker left in 2010.  Good luck to everyone at the tables.

Bernard Lee is the official spokesperson of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Lee is the co-host of ESPN Inside Deal, a columnist for the ESPN.com, a Sunday columnist for the Boston Herald, and author of “The Final Table, Volume I” and “Volume II.”  Visit BernardLeePoker.com.  Listen to “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino every Tuesday from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on 1120 AM in Boston or RoundersRadio.com. For questions or comments, e-mail him at BernardLeePoker@hotmail.com.

Versus to Air World Series of Poker Circuit Events

On Thursday, officials from the World Series of Poker (WSOP) announced that cable station Versus will air action from select Circuit Events. Poker Productions, which brings shows like GSN’s “High Stakes Poker” and NBC’s “National Heads-Up Poker Championship” to life, will produce the WSOP Circuit programming.

Versus has not yet announced which events it will be carrying, but the series is expected to debut next June. What is certain is that the network will air the $1 million WSOP Circuit National Championship, which awards a gold bracelet to its winner. The player who takes home the top prize will also be one of 10 to claim a share of a $1 million prize pool.

There are four ways to qualify for the National Championship: win a $1,500 Main Event at any Circuit stop, accrue the highest number of points of any player at a WSOP Circuit stop, reach the final table of a $10,000 Regional Championship, or make the top 36 in points by season’s end. This is the first season that a National Championship will be held, as it was introduced as part of a large-scale overhaul of the WSOP Circuit in July.

WSOP Vice President Ty Stewart was looking forward to bringing Circuit Events to poker fans on Versus: “This is a big milestone for the industry. We’re thrilled that one of the premier all-sports networks has recognized the brand power of the WSOP and decided to take the plunge into broadcasting our game.”

Jeff Goldberg, Vice President of Programming for Versus, added, “We are very excited to present coverage of the World Series of Poker Circuit tour to a national audience of more than 75 million U.S. homes. The WSOP tour is one of the most successful in the business and we knew it was a great opportunity for our first venture into poker tournament coverage.”

The WSOP Circuit can currently be found in Hammond, Indiana, where the first Regional Championship of the season will soon take place at the Horseshoe Casino. The stop includes 11 events, including a $10,000 Regional Championship that starts on October 25th. The final nine players will earn a spot in the National Championship, which will occur at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas just before the start of the 2011 WSOP at the Rio.

Today’s kickoff event at the WSOP Circuit stop in Hammond is a $350 No Limit Hold’em tournament. The winner gets a coveted Circuit gold ring, a $10,000 Regional Championship seat, and a seat into the $1,600 WSOP Hammond Main Event. On Saturday, the second event of the WSOP Circuit stop will play out, a $560 No Limit Hold’em contest. Then, players can test their skills in games like HORSE and Limit Omaha Eight or Better throughout the rest of the schedule.

Points on the WSOP Circuit are awarded to players who cash in events. Preliminary ring event winners bank 50 points and the top 27 on the leaderboard earn at least five points. Beyond the top 27, finishing in the money will earn each player 2.5 points. Winning a $1,500 buy-in Main Event means 100 WSOP Circuit points.

Other $10,000 Regional Championships will play out at Harrah’s Atlantic City, Harrah’s Rincon, and Harrah’s New Orleans. Versus formerly aired the UB.com-sponsored poker news show “Poker2Nite,” which starred Joe Sebok and Scott Huff. “Poker2Nite” lasted one season on the network and was not renewed.

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Double Hold’em – Basic Tips

When Full Tilt Poker introduced Rush Poker, many people thought, “What will they think of next?” Well, as it turns out, a company called Table Brain had already thought of something, but it wasn’t until September that the new game, Double Hold’em, was launched on Party Poker. I’ve gotten the chance to try the game out, so I thought I’d share a few basic pointers with you.

For those of you who haven’t seen Double Hold’em yet, let me give you a quick rundown of how it works. The betting round work just like regular Hold’em: pre-flop round, post-flop, turn, and river. You still want to make the best five card hand. The differences start with the hole cards. Instead of two, you are dealt three. Before you make your betting decision on the flop, you must select one of those three cards to be the “point” card. That card now joins up with each of the other cards to form two combinations of two hole cards. Whichever set of hole cards results in the best hand at showdown is the one you use.

It may be better understood with an illustration. Pre-flop, you are dealt three hole cards: 7-9-8. If you set the 8 as the point, you will form two combinations: 7-8s and 8-9. At this point, although you are holding both, the 7 and 9 have nothing to do with each other. As the hand progresses from the flop to the turn to the river, you can use either of your hole card combinations to create a five card hand (just like in Hold’em, you can play zero, one, or two of your hole cards), but it is only the combination that forms the best hand in the end that plays. So, if the board reads 7-7-6-10-A, you will have trip 7′s with your 7-8 and a straight with your 8-9, so it is the 8-9 that plays at showdown.

And now, on with the show. The first thing you will notice is that, particularly at micro and low stakes, Double Hold’em tables play looser than Hold’em at virtually every street. I doubt many of you expected otherwise, considering the appeal of the extra card to the fish. The looseness is similar to what you might see at an Omaha table. The river is where you will start to see something approaching normalcy, as at that point, most players finally have an idea of whether or not their hand is any good. Because more people will tend to see the flop in Double Hold’em, good drawing hands will be more attractive, as these play better with more players in the pot.

On average, the winning hand tends to be stronger than in regular Hold’em, but not quite as good as in Omaha, although it’s probably closer to Omaha strength. Top pair/strong kicker, while often a winner in everyday Hold’em, is not going to win too often in Double Hold’em because of the wider range of possible hands with three hole cards. You’re going to see two pair quite often and even the oddest straights make appearances with regularity, especially at the lower stakes, where everyone likes their hole cards (side note: I also think the psychology of feeling more in control of the hand since people get to choose their point card contributes to the looseness of the games).

Therefore, while premium pairs are still playable pre-flop, be much more cautious about them. Even Aces and Kings don’t win unimproved as often as they do in regular Hold’em. Smaller pairs aren’t going to get you much of anywhere. That’s not to say that any pair is useless – you can still set mine with some success – it’s just that an uncoordinated pair is not going to be as strong as that same pair would be in a normal Hold’em game. By uncoordinated, I mean a pair formed with the point card and one of the side cards (I call them side cards because when you select the point, the other two cards are placed on either side of it) when the opposite side card does not coordinate with the point card to at least offer a straight or flush possibility. For example, 8-8-9 rainbow would give you a pair plus connectors, whereas 8-8-3 rainbow is uncoordinated – it gives you a pair and junk. Even 8-8-3 with the 3 suited with the point 8 gives you a flush possibility, which is better than nothing (unless someone else has a better flush, a not unlikely occurrence in Double Hold’em).

This brings me to my last piece of advice, which is also the most important. Choose your point card carefully! In my first example, if you are dealt 7-9-8, make sure you make the 8 your point so you have two sets of connectors. If you select 9 as the point, you will end up with one set of connectors (8-9) and a one-gapper (7-9).

If you are dealt a pair, say 5-5-A, don’t forget to set one of the halves of the pair as the point. In this example, the way I laid it out works fine – pair of 5′s as one hand and A-5 as another. Make the mistake of making the Ace the point and you will end up with A-5…twice. A variation on this hand is one in which the Ace is suited with one of the 5′s. In this case, be sure you make that suited 5 the point card so it is matched with the Ace. Now you have a pair of 5′s and nut flush potential. Part of the skill involved in this new game is understanding that a third hole card does not mean you have a better chance to win. You still have to practice quality hand selection and be able to evaluate which card is the proper one to make the point.

Also, keep in mind that PartyPoker does not let you change your selection once you make it, even if you have time left, so take a few seconds to make sure you are clicking the correct card. Now go have some fun.

Commerce Casino To Host Charity Poker Tournament Benefiting Children’s Institute

The normally cutthroat world of poker once again will show its heart at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles by stepping up for a charity event later this month.

On October 23rd, the Commerce will play host to the Second Annual Children’s Institute Poker For A Cause. The event will start at 11:30AM with the opportunity for fans to greet the participants and take photos. Following the red carpet walk, the players will adjourn to the Commerce Casino tournament rooms at 12:30PM to battle it out for a prize pool of more than $15,000, a seat in the 2011 World Poker Tour (WPT) Celebrity Invitational on February 18th at the Commerce, and many other prizes.

The Children’s Institute is an organization that advocates for children in violent situations, such as domestic violence, child abuse, and/or neglect. The organization’s website states that there are more than 50,000 reports of child abuse/neglect reported annually in the city of Los Angeles and over 43,000 police calls for domestic violence issues that often affect children.

These children sometimes will fall victim to the circle of violence, usually reflected in poor performance in school, becoming criminally active, or repeating the trend of violence against loved ones. The Children’s Institute serves more than 17,000 children and their families in the city’s most challenged neighborhoods and has trained more than 60,000 professionals in the realm of child development, mental health, and welfare.

Taking on the hostess duties for the second year in a row for the “Poker For A Cause” festivities is acclaimed actress Camryn Manheim, an Emmy award winner who has also showed her skills on the poker tables. Joining Camryn for this year’s event will be noted Seinfeld actor and Friend of PokerStars Jason Alexander, the voice of The Simpsons Hank Azaria, actress Joely Fisher, legendary Days Of Our Lives performer Deirdre Hall, Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines, talk show host Ricki Lake, former Saturday Night Live standouts Kevin Nealon and Cheri Oteri, and actors Mimi Rogers, Sara Rue, and Tuc Watkins. Joining them will be a fleet of poker pros.

Also on tap during the action on the felt will be a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind merchandise for bidding including items such as an extravagant four-night stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii, a guitar signed by teen singing sensation Miley Cyrus, a year of unlimited dining at Johnny Rockets, and a tennis match with Bush singer Gavin Rossdale.

The inaugural Poker For A Cause event last year was a huge success, drawing a star-studded field while raising over $80,000 for the Children’s Institute’s philanthropic efforts. 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Jamie Gold and fellow poker pro Alex Outhred were in attendance and helped Manheim with the emcee duties for the tournament. Last year’s field included many of the celebrities listed above and also included baseball slugger Jose Canseco, former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Jennie Garth, The Ghost Whisperer’s Jennifer Love Hewitt, actor Mekhi Phifer, and The Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney. The tournament was won by Tuc Watkins, who donated a large portion of the $5,000 first place prize in the tournament back to the organization.

Tickets for the Children’s Institute’s charity event are available on the organization’s website. To play in the tournament, a $250 donation is requested. For those that wish to attend the tournament as a spectator, a $75 donation is requested.

Executive Producers Of “Weeds” And Showtime Potentially Teaming For Poker Show

According to an article on the website Deadline.com written by Nellie Andreeva, the executive producers of the critically acclaimed Showtime series Weeds, series creator Jenji Kohan and Matthew Salsberg, are trying to put together a new comedy series regarding the world of poker. The series would be called Whales and would potentially be a part of the Showtime lineup in the near future. The show centers on a group of young twentysomethings who, having finished their studies as such schools as Harvard and MIT, live in an apartment together in Las Vegas as they try to win the World Series of Poker.

While Weeds has been a huge critical and financial success for Kohan and Salsberg, the duo hasn’t been able to parlay that into further episodic television or movies. Andreeva points out in her article that Kohan is the writer and producer on a pilot called Tough Trade, regarding the music business in Nashville, and both Kohan and Salsberg, who is said to be a driving force behind the poker show concept because of his love for the game, worked together on a show called Me & Lee, starring Lee Majors. That show is currently in the hands of the SyFy Network and Kohan and Salsberg are doing some revisions.

On the Deadline website, the news of the potential poker comedy on the Showtime lineup has been met with something less than excitement. “Aren’t they at least 5 years behind the end of the whole “Texas hold ‘em” fad?,” asked poster “Bruce F” upon reading the news. Another poster going by the name of “Writer” simply states, “This just sounds like an incredibly weak concept. I’ve read a million feature scripts with this premise, and poker almost never translates well to the screen.”

The harsh truth is that, except for a few instances, poker as dramatic or comedic relief doesn’t play well. The seminal film Rounders, which starred Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and Famke Janssen, is cited by many as their first exposure to the world of poker. With that said, it is the “cult classic” nature of the film that drove it towards viewers. When it was released in 1998, Rounders made $8.5 million in its opening weekend on its way to a $22.9 million domestic box office revenues, very poor financial numbers overall. A sequel is supposedly “in production” on the Internet Movie Database.

As the new millennium began, playing poker was still much more popular than watching dramas or comedies about the subject. The World Poker Tour came on strong in 2003 and, along with the Main Event victory by Chris Moneymaker at the World Series of Poker, poker became the rage. Television sports giant ESPN picked up broadcasting rights for the WSOP and The Travel Channel held its alliance with the WPT. For these bright spots, however, there have also been some lowlights.

The Bravo Channel brought out “Celebrity Poker Showdown,” featuring celebrities playing poker (and in most cases, poorly) for their favorite charities. Phil Gordon and Phil Hellmuth took part in the program, alongside hosts Kevin Pollak and Dave Foley. It was widely recognized as a low point for poker on television until ESPN decided to try its dramatic skills out on the sport.

ESPN rolled out Tilt, starring Michael Madsen as a legendary poker player who was also a cheat and killer. Although created by the same gentlemen behind Rounders, the nine-episode series never caught on with poker players or fans and wasn’t renewed.

A similar trail of broken movies await the poker world on the silver screen. While the highly underrated The Grand only took in slightly over $110,000 in its release and an independent film called Freeze Out was highly acclaimed at independent film festivals, the highly unwatchable Lucky You was supposed to become the next great poker film.  Featuring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore, the film stumbled out of the gate to $2.7 million in first week ticket sales on its way to a disappointing $5.7 million in revenues during its theatrical release.

As the temperature has fallen on poker in the latter part of the last decade, it will be difficult for a show on the subject to draw a huge crowd. However, if a poker drama or comedy is done well, perhaps the players and fans will show up. Both Kohan and Salsberg have the ability to write excellent programs (in particular Weeds), so it is possible that they might have something for us with Whales.

Full Tilt Poker signs pro boxer Audley Harrison

Full Tilt Poker continues to grow, this time with brute force as they sign the Heavyweight professional boxer Audley Harrison to their pro team.

Audley Harrison has proved to possess some other skills than boxing as well. The 38-year-old Harrison has cashed twice at the WSOP, finished second in the Bellagio Cup and third at the Venetian Deep Stack.

The Full Tilt Poker deal came just before Harrison is scheduled to box a  WBA Heavyweight title match against David Haye. The title fight is being held in Manchester in November 13th and FTP will sponsor Harrison there.

Audley tells that he fell in love with poker while living in Las Vegas where he learned the game from some pro players.

Source: Card Player

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Full Tilt Poker signs pro boxer Audley Harrison

BLOG – The John Juanda appreciation society

John Juanda is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated poker professionals in the game. You may disagree and for sure people know he’s got dem skillz but despite his consistent posting of great tournament results people fail to class him in the same league as poker’s upper echelons – I think he belongs right up there.

Bluff Poker Academy returns this month

The Black Belt Poker Academy returns on Saturday 30th October and for the first time, academy attendees will benefit from the knowledge of Richard “Chufty” Ashby. The 2010 bracelet winner and nosebleed stakes regular joined Black Belt Poker last month and will be in attendance to answer questions and show his online skills.